Software Engineer

MPA Recruitment; Belfast; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading recruitment firm in Belfast is hiring a hands-on Software Engineer to develop and scale enterprise-grade cloud and data systems. The role involves designing scalable backend services and collaborating across cross-functional teams. Candidates should have strong experience in Java, multi-threaded architecture, and data engineering practices. This position offers high autonomy, technical ownership, and exposure to diverse projects across various industries.

Qualifications

• Strong commercial experience in software/data engineering roles.
• Advanced skills in Java, multi-threading, and microservices architecture.
• Deep experience with Spark and Kafka for data processing.
• Solid SQL knowledge with experience in large-scale data formats.
• Familiarity with Hadoop ecosystems and CI/CD practices.

Responsibilities

• Design and build scalable backend systems using Java and Spring.
• Maintain distributed data pipelines with Spark and Kafka.
• Develop microservices that interact with various data sources.
• Integrate backend services with React-based frontends.
• Migrate legacy systems to cloud-native setups.

Skills

Java

Multi-threading

Microservices architecture

Data engineering

Cloud architecture

SQL

Spark

Kafka

Databricks

Big data pipelines

Job description

MPA are partnering with an elite Canadian tech firm expanding into Belfast to hire a hands-on Software Engineer to build and scale enterprise-grade cloud, API, and data systems.

This role is ideal for engineers who thrive on solving complex, production-scale challenges, from streaming pipelines to cloud-native microservices, and enjoy technical leadership and mentoring alongside deep coding work.

The Role

You’ll work across the full stack of cloud and data systems — designing, implementing, and optimizing backend services and data pipelines. You’ll collaborate with cross-functional teams and rotate across domains, gaining exposure to new technologies, industries, and enterprise use cases.

This is not a single-domain or purely backend role. Strong production experience in both data engineering and cloud/software architecture is essential.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and build scalable backend systems using Java, Spring, and multi-threaded architectures
• Build and maintain distributed data pipelines with Spark, Kafka, Databricks, and Iceberg
• Develop microservices interacting with streaming and batch data sources
• Integrate backend services with React-based frontends
• Modernize and migrate legacy systems to cloud-native infrastructure
• Lead architectural decisions and mentor junior/mid-level engineers
• Rotate across client engagements in banking, fintech, and regulated industries

Required Experience

• Strong commercial experience in software/data engineering roles
• Advanced Java skills, multi-threading, and microservices architecture
• Deep experience with Spark, Kafka, Databricks, and big data pipelines
• Solid SQL knowledge and experience with Parquet and large-scale data formats
• Familiarity with Hadoop-based ecosystems, data orchestration, and CI/CD
• Experience integrating backend services with frontend applications

Highly Desirable

• Experience with Dremio or other data lake query engines
• Exposure to AI/LLM-based data workflows
• Experience in regulated industries (finance, insurance)
• Experience leading small technical teams

Why Consider This Role?

• Work on production systems that serve millions of users
• High autonomy with technical ownership and impact
• Exposure to diverse client projects and cutting-edge tech