Senior Software Engineer, Java

The Role

We are seeking a hands-on Senior Java Engineer with a proven record of running large-scale systems in production to join our Data Platform team, supporting the evolution and implementation of our next-generation cloud-based, streaming Data Mesh platform. This role is critical for enabling teams to create scalable, data-driven products and advancing our application modernization strategy. 

We believe in building a modern, scalable data platform that empowers teams across the organization. Our vision is to create an infrastructure where data can be efficiently processed, stored, and accessed in real-time, enabling innovation and data-driven decision making at scale. 

 Our next-generation streaming platform will transform our data capabilities into a strategic asset. Through well-designed architecture and automation, we aim to: 

• Provide teams with self-service infrastructure and tools
• Enable real-time data processing and analytics
• Create reliable, scalable, and cost-effective solutions 

By embracing cloud-native technologies, event-driven architectures, and modern data infrastructure patterns, we are providing a platform for processing, discovering, and utilizing - trusted, connected, and real-time data. Our focus on automation, observability, and developer experience ensures that product teams can move quickly. 

How You'll Help Take Us There

Java Platform Engineering:  

• Optimize JVM performance of the data-intensive applications
• Troubleshoot distributed applications running in EKS
• Implement resilient Java services  
• Create and maintain Java-based SDK and libraries for platform services 

Model Cloud Architecture:  

• Analyze and understand the existing cloud infrastructure (Terraform IoC) supporting our Data Mesh platform, with a focus on Java-based Kafka applications. 

Performance Optimization:  

• Monitor, troubleshoot and optimize platform performance (Datadog, CloudWatch, Grafana)
• Implement auto-scaling solutions
• Design for high availability and disaster recovery
• Optimize cost through infrastructure efficiency

Enable Self-Service Infrastructure:  

• Develop and maintain automated provisioning systems for Java-based services
• Implement GitOps workflows for release management (Jenkins and Argo CD)
• Build developer portals and self-service tooling for Kafka and data infrastructure 

Lead Platform Re-Architecture:  

• Help to transform our existing data platform architecture to align with Data Mesh principles
• Design and implement our Apache Iceberg adoption strategy, enabling ACID transactions and time travel capabilities
• Create standardized patterns for teams to effectively adopt and optimize Iceberg tables 

Drive Release Excellence:  

• Establish automated release processes that balance agility with platform stability
• Build deployment frameworks with comprehensive validation, monitoring, and rollback capabilities
• Implement coordinated release strategies across distributed domains 

Enable Technical Success:  

• Design reference architectures and implementation patterns for domain teams
• Lead technical design reviews and architecture governance
• Provide technical guidance during the transition to Data Mesh architecture 

What We’re Looking for  

10+ years of experience in engineering roles 

Cloud & Infrastructure:  

• Extensive experience with AWS, particularly EKS
• Experience with GitOps practices using ArgoCD
• Knowledge of distributed systems and event-driven architectures
• Strong knowledge of logging, monitoring, APM tracing and alerting tools (Datadog, Prometheus, Grafana, etc.) 

Development & Engineering:  

• Proficient in Java development and JVM optimization
• Experience with build tools (Maven/Gradle) and dependency management
• Strong background in unit testing frameworks and testing practices
• Expertise in Git version control and collaborative development
• Experience with Apache Kafka and Kafka Streams
• Background in monitoring and performance optimization for Java applications 

CI/CD & Automation:  

• Strong scripting skills (Python, Bash)
• Understanding of DevOps practices and automation principles 

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Experience with data mesh or similar distributed data architectures
• Relevant cloud certifications 
• Background in DataOps practice 

What You Can Expect from Us

• Central Location: based at our city offices near St Paul's.  
• Free Food: We provide lunch each day of the week when the employee attends the office via our vendor Feedr as well as breakfast cereals, office snacks and drinks from our free vending machines 
• Paid Time Off: 25 days annual leave entitlement plus 2 charity days
• Reward for your service: We offer a two-week bonus holiday after completing each 5 years of service 
• Core benefits: Besides competitive standard benefits package we offer private medical (PMI) for family, Cash Plan, health screenings, dental cover, 6X life assurance, critical illness cover, income protection, pension, car leasing (Tusker electronic cars), reimbursement for wellness stipend, interest free season ticket loan and a “Share Incentive” plan
• Tuition Assistance and Professional Training: Benefit from on-demand learning, boot camps, and opportunities to attend conferences 

Collaboration and innovation are integral to our success – it's how we got to where we are and how we’ll maintain and grow our competitive advantage. Employees in Technology work in the office 2 or more days a week. This approach still allows for flexibility depending on the business function you work within but also helps us maintain a collaborative office environment long-term.