Java Software Engineer

Role: Java Software Engineer

Location: Remote (U.K)

Position: Permanent Role

Visa: UK Citizens only

Interview round: 2 rounds

Must have :Elasticsearch experience

Nice to have : Experience in Public Sector

ROLE SUMMARY

As a Software Engineer, you will become the lead engineer on a mature Java data aggregation and search platform that serves public-sector customers. This is primarily a backend and data role: search, query and data-quality logic, service and API layers, and the integrations that pull data together, built with Java, Apache Tomcat, Spring and Elasticsearch. The platform also has a web front-end, so full-stack comfort is valuable, but the heart of the work is server-side and data engineering rather than UI alone. The platform is currently maintained by its original author, who is handing over. A central part of this role is taking that knowledge transfer, getting to grips with an established and substantial codebase, and becoming the person the business relies on to keep it healthy, secure and steadily improving. Alongside it you will also help support and maintain two further Java applications, an administration web UI and a forms/evidence API service, which broadens the role and means you will not be working in isolation. You will also help carry forward in-flight work to bring some of these services onto a newer stack, including a part-built TypeScript/Node rewrite of one of our APIs, so a willingness to work in more than one language is important. You will apply solid engineering practice as a matter of routine: clear, tested code, sensible use of version control, code review, and a security-conscious approach to the dependencies and data these applications handle. This role suits a pragmatic engineer who is comfortable taking ownership of existing, real-world systems rather than only greenfield projects, enjoys getting to the bottom of how a complex system behaves, and takes pride in leaving things better than they found them. You will work closely with a Principal Software Engineer who will support your onboarding onto the platforms and help you grow into ownership of them.

KEY SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• 3+ years of commercial software development experience, primarily in Java.

• Strong server-side Java experience: building and maintaining APIs, services and data layers, with servlet containers such as Apache Tomcat and frameworks such as Spring / Spring Boot (Grails experience is a bonus).

• Solid experience with relational databases (MSSQL and/or PostgreSQL): query writing, optimisation and schema work, and an interest in data-quality and aggregation problems.

• Experience with Elasticsearch or another search technology is important for this role; broader experience of search or data-heavy systems is a strong advantage.

• Working knowledge of TypeScript and Node.js (Express), required as a secondary stack, with the appetite to do real work in it.

• Front-end fundamentals for full-stack work: HTML, CSS and JavaScript, including jQuery (GWT experience is a bonus).

• A genuine willingness to take ownership of mature, legacy codebases and to modernise them incrementally.

• Experience with Git-based workflows, pull requests, feature branches and code review, and exposure to CI/CD pipelines (GitHub Actions, or similar).

• A security-conscious mindset around dependencies, authentication and data handling.

• Strong problem-solving ability and good written communication, with the self-direction to work well in a remote team.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Take ownership of a Java data-aggregation and search platform: its search and query behaviour, data-quality and aggregation logic, service and API layers, and data integrations.

• Take on detailed knowledge transfer from the platform’s outgoing author and become the engineer the business depends on to maintain and evolve it.

• Work effectively in established, substantial codebases: read them, understand them, stabilise them, and modernise them incrementally without disrupting what customers rely on.

• Maintain and improve the search and data layer, including work with Elasticsearch and the connectors and APIs (such as OData) that surface the data.

• Support and enhance two further Java applications, an administration web UI and a forms/evidence API service.

• Pick up and complete an in-flight TypeScript/Node (Express) rewrite of an existing service, and help plan a safe cutover from the legacy version.

• Address security and dependency debt as part of routine work, for example upgrading out-of date libraries, triaging vulnerabilities, and improving password and secrets handling.

• Write clean, secure, maintainable code with meaningful automated tests.

• Contribute to pull requests and code reviews, and help move manual build and release steps towards modern CI/CD practice.

• Work with the Principal Software Engineer and wider team to understand requirements and deliver sensible, well-considered solutions.

• Adhere to company policies and procedures.