Senior Software Engineer I - Backend (Java)

Rightmove; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 52,000 - 71,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private medical insurance

Pension

Life insurance

Dental

Optical and physio cash plan

27 days holiday plus volunteering days

Travel loans

Bike to work scheme

Rental deposit loan

Payroll giving

Discounts

Job summary

Rightmove in London is hiring a Senior Backend Engineer to design, build and own features using Java 17+, Spring Boot, Elasticsearch, Kafka, Gradle, Hibernate, Couchbase, SQL, and Docker. You will collaborate across teams, shape solutions, and take end-to-end ownership of projects.

The role emphasizes performance, scalability, and a proactive approach to introducing new technologies while fostering a culture of learning and inclusion. Hybrid working with two days in the London office.

Qualifications

• Strong commercial experience with Java 17+ and Spring Boot.
• Experience leading complex projects and coordinating across engineers.
• Deep understanding of TDD practices and pipeline optimisation.
• Ability to balance technical priorities with business OKRs.
• Passion for performance, scalability and understanding user behaviour.
• Proactive mindset in introducing new ideas and ways of working.
• Commitment to knowledge sharing and building an inclusive environment.

Responsibilities

• Design and build new features and enhancements using Java 17+, Spring Boot, Elasticsearch, Kafka, Gradle, Hibernate, Couchbase, SQL, and Docker.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams and stakeholders to shape solutions and priorities.
• Take ownership of key technical decisions and deliver projects end-to-end.
• Balance new feature development with technical debt and pragmatic trade-offs.
• Write high-quality, secure, and extensible code for current needs and future growth.
• Communicate effectively with stakeholders and third parties to meet business objectives.
• Champion new technologies that add value and align with the roadmap.
• Mentor and support junior engineers to foster growth and ownership.

Skills

Java 17+

Spring Boot

Kafka

TDD

Leadership

Collaboration

Performance optimization

Tools

Docker

Elasticsearch

Gradle

Hibernate

SQL

Spring

Job description

Salary: £52,000 - 71,000 per year

Requirements

• We are looking for strong commercial experience with Java 17+, Spring Boot, and Kafka.
• We are looking for experience leading complex projects and coordinating work across multiple engineers.
• We are looking for a collaborative, organised, and solution-focused approach.
• We are looking for a deep understanding of TDD practices and pipeline optimisation, including left-shifting.
• We are looking for the ability to balance technical priorities with business OKRs through pragmatic decision-making.
• We are looking for a passion for performance, scalability, and understanding user behaviour.
• We are looking for a proactive mindset in introducing new ideas, technologies, and ways of working to improve team outcomes.
• We are looking for a commitment to sharing knowledge, fostering team ownership, and contributing to a psychologically safe and inclusive environment.

Responsibilities

• We will have you designing and building new features and enhancements using Java 17+, Spring Boot, Elasticsearch, Kafka, Gradle, Hibernate, Couchbase, SQL, and Docker.
• We will have you collaborating with cross-functional teams and stakeholders to shape solutions and align on priorities.
• We will have you taking ownership of key technical decisions and delivering projects end to end.
• We will have you balancing new feature development with technical debt and making thoughtful, pragmatic trade-offs.
• We will have you writing high-quality, secure, and extensible code that supports both current needs and future growth.
• We will have you communicating effectively with stakeholders and third parties to ensure solutions meet business objectives.
• We will have you championing new and emerging technologies that add value and align with our roadmap.
• We will have you mentoring and supporting junior engineers, helping build a culture of growth, ownership, and continuous improvement.

Technologies

• Backend
• Docker
• ElasticSearch
• Gradle
• Hibernate
• Java
• Kafka
• SQL
• Spring
• Spring Boot
• TDD
• Support

More

We are Rightmove, home to the UKs largest choice of properties and a trusted destination for millions of people planning their next move. Our mission is to make home moving simpler by giving people the tools, expertise, trust, and belief to make it happen. This Senior Backend Engineer role is based in London with hybrid working, requiring 2 days in our London office. We offer a supportive and inclusive environment, ongoing training opportunities, charity fundraising involvement, and a competitive benefits package that includes

• private medical insurance
• pension
• life insurance
• dental
• optical and physio cash plan
• 27 days holiday plus volunteering days
• travel loans
• bike to work scheme
• rental deposit loan
• payroll giving
• a range of discounts