Principal Java Engineer

Principal Engineer – FinTech SaaS

Location: Hybrid, UK-based (no visa sponsorship)

Contract: Permanent

About

Our client is an innovative B2B FinTech company transforming the SME lending market. Their SaaS solutions help banks and lenders make decisions using live transactional data. Trusted by a wide range of financial institutions, they are scaling rapidly and looking for a senior technical leader to join their journey.

The Role

We are seeking a Principal Engineer to act as a trusted technical authority. You’ll guide technical direction, mentor engineers, and collaborate with stakeholders to deliver scalable, commercially valuable solutions. This is a hands-on leadership role across multiple product teams.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead architecture and technical strategy across product teams.
• Design and build robust platform functionality (APIs, integrations, data modelling).
• Collaborate with product managers and engineers to shape solutions.
• Mentor and grow engineering talent.
• Support recruitment as the team expands.

Requirements

• Strong background in designing large-scale systems.
• 2+ years as Principal Engineer, Architect, or equivalent.
• Experience across the stack: Java, JavaScript, Kotlin, SQL/NoSQL, AWS, React, Spring.
• Knowledge of modern practices (TDD, CI/CD).
• SaaS/FinTech experience desirable.
• Excellent communication and mentoring skills.

Benefits

• Hybrid working with London office access.
• Flexible working arrangements.
• 25 days annual leave plus UK bank holidays.
• Pension contributions, life assurance, wellbeing support.
• Discounts with selected partners.
• Regular socials and team events.

Franklin Bates is a leading IT recruitment consultancy specialising in Software Development, AI, Cybersecurity, Cloud, & Data. We provide high quality contract, interim and permanent IT professionals to a broad range of technology companies within the UK.