Staff Engineer

Oliver Bernard; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Oliver Bernard is seeking Staff JVM Engineers in London for a hybrid role. You'll design and deliver high-quality JVM applications using Kotlin, Java or Scala, while embracing TDD, XP and fast feedback.

You'll build and maintain CI/CD pipelines, influence architecture, mentor peers, set engineering standards, and collaborate with product and design to turn complex problems into simple solutions.

Qualifications

• Strong commercial experience with Kotlin, Java and/or Scala.
• Deep understanding of TDD and automated testing.
• Hands-on experience with Extreme Programming (XP) practices.
• Strong knowledge of CI/CD and continuous delivery.
• Experience designing and evolving distributed or complex software systems.
• Excellent software design and engineering fundamentals.
• Track record of influencing technical direction across teams.
• Passion for simplicity, maintainability and sustainable engineering.
• Ability to communicate clearly with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Collaborative mindset and willingness to pair, share knowledge and learn from others.

Responsibilities

• Designing and delivering high-quality, resilient JVM applications using Kotlin, Java or Scala.
• Practising TDD, pair/mob programming and other XP practices as part of everyday development.
• Building and maintaining CI/CD pipelines and helping teams achieve fast, safe and frequent delivery.
• Making pragmatic architectural and technical decisions across systems and teams.
• Working closely with product, design and engineering colleagues to turn complex problems into simple solutions.
• Providing technical leadership and mentorship without relying on hierarchy.
• Helping establish and evolve engineering standards, patterns and practices.
• Identifying opportunities to improve developer experience, quality, reliability and delivery.
• Contributing to a culture of continuous learning, experimentation and improvement.

Skills

Kotlin

Java

Scala

TDD

XP practices

CI/CD

Distributed systems

Leadership

Pair programming

Software design

Job description

Staff JVM Engineers — Kotlin, Java or Scala

London · Hybrid · 3 days a week in the office

We’re looking for Staff JVM Engineers who care deeply about engineering excellence and building software the right way.

You’ll be joining a highly collaborative engineering environment where XP, TDD, continuous delivery and pragmatic software design are central to how we work. We’re looking for engineers who enjoy solving complex problems, raising the technical bar and helping other engineers become better.

What you’ll be doing

• Designing and delivering high-quality, resilient JVM applications using Kotlin, Java or Scala
• Practising TDD, pair/mob programming and other XP practices as part of everyday development
• Building and maintaining CI/CD pipelines and helping teams achieve fast, safe and frequent delivery
• Making pragmatic architectural and technical decisions across systems and teams
• Working closely with product, design and engineering colleagues to turn complex problems into simple solutions
• Providing technical leadership and mentorship without relying on hierarchy
• Helping establish and evolve engineering standards, patterns and practices
• Identifying opportunities to improve developer experience, quality, reliability and delivery
• Contributing to a culture of continuous learning, experimentation and improvement

What we’re looking for

You’re an experienced JVM engineer who can operate comfortably at Staff level and influence beyond your immediate team.

You’ll bring:

• Strong commercial experience with Kotlin, Java and/or Scala
• A deep understanding of TDD and automated testing
• Hands-on experience with Extreme Programming (XP) practices
• Strong knowledge of CI/CD and continuous delivery
• Experience designing and evolving distributed or complex software systems
• Excellent software design and engineering fundamentals
• A track record of influencing technical direction across teams
• A passion for simplicity, maintainability and sustainable engineering
• The ability to communicate clearly with both technical and non-technical stakeholders
• A collaborative mindset and a willingness to pair, share knowledge and learn from others

How we work

We believe great software comes from great teams, not individual heroes.

Our engineers work collaboratively, using practices such as pair programming, TDD, continuous integration and small, frequent releases. We value feedback, technical curiosity and the courage to challenge assumptions.

This is a hands-on Staff Engineer role: you'll still be writing code, while also helping shape architecture, engineering practices and technical direction across the organisation.

The role

Hybrid — 3 days a week in the office

If you're a JVM engineer who gets excited about clean code, fast feedback loops, evolutionary architecture and helping teams build better software, we'd love to hear from you.