Snr Java Developer (API Development)

TXP; Shrewsbury; Hybrid; GBP 88,000 - 115,000; Full time

Job summary

Central Government is seeking an experienced Senior Java Backend Developer to modernise APIs and microservices within a major government programme. The role focuses on scalable, resilient Java-based RESTful services, with AI-assisted development practices guiding design, testing, and deployment.

The position requires 2 days per month onsite in Telford, with the remaining time remote. Contract length is 12 months, at £550 per day, inside IR35, starting w/c 4 January 2027.

Qualifications

• Strong backend development experience in Java.
• Proven RESTful API and microservices delivery with Spring Boot.
• Experience designing scalable, resilient and loosely coupled services.
• Solid API contracts, versioning and integration patterns.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, test and deploy Java-based RESTful APIs and microservices.
• Ensure scalability, resilience, and maintainability across the platform.
• Collaborate with existing systems integration and CI/CD pipelines.

Skills

Java backend

Spring Boot

Microservices design

API design

JUnit

JSON

Git / CI CD

Docker

Kubernetes

Tools

Git

CI/CD

Docker

Kubernetes

Job description

Senior Java Backend Developer - API & Microservices Modernisation

Location: Telford - minimum 2 days per month onsite, remaining time remote

Contract Length: 12 months

Rate: £550 per day

IR35: Inside IR35

Start Date: Candidates must be available to start w/c 4 January 2027

Client: Central Government

The Role

We are looking for an experienced Senior Java Backend Developer to join a major application modernisation programme within Central Government.

You will be responsible for designing, developing, testing and deploying Java-based RESTful APIs and microservices, with a strong focus on scalability, resilience, maintainability and integration with existing systems.

Essential Skills

• Java - Strong backend development experience.
• Spring Boot - RESTful API and microservices development.
• Microservices Design - Experience designing scalable, resilient and loosely coupled microservices, including service-to-service communication.
• API Design - Strong RESTful API design skills, including API contracts, versioning and integration patterns.
• JUnit - Automated unit testing.
• JSON - Experience working with API data structures and formats.
• Docker - Containerisation of microservices.
• Kubernetes - Hands-on experience deploying and managing microservices.
• Git / CI/CD - Version control and automated build and deployment pipelines.

Desirable Skills

• JPA / Hibernate
• Kibana
• Maven / Gradle
• Mockito
• AWS
• GitLab
• Helm
• OpenAPI / Swagger
• SQL
• Shell scripting

AI-Assisted Development

The programme is actively embracing modern AI-assisted development practices. Candidates should be comfortable using approved AI tools and agents throughout the backend development lifecycle, including:

• Analysis and technical design
• Code generation
• Automated testing
• Debugging
• Code review and refinement