Senior Software Developer (Path to Head of Engineering)

Senior Java Developer (Path to Head of Engineering)

UK – Hybrid (3 days onsite)

Java, Spring Boot, Microservices, Cloud, TDD, Capital Markets, Post-Trade

The Company

This is a rare opportunity to join a specialist post-trade technology firm operating at the heart of the capital markets space. Trusted by some of the most sophisticated participants in the industry, this business has built a reputation for delivering mission-critical clearing and prime brokerage technology that demands both precision and performance. The engineering team is lean, expert and highly collaborative — with a culture that treats technology as a genuine business differentiator rather than a support function.

The Opportunity

As a Senior Java Developer, you will take a central role in building and evolving the firm's post-trade technology platform — including in-house systems, APIs, client reporting tools and the client web portal. You will also be responsible for customising and extending a third-party trading system to meet complex business requirements. Working closely with Client Services and Product Management, you will translate demanding, real-world requirements into scalable, high-quality software solutions.

Critically, this role carries an explicit pathway to Head of Engineering. Depending on organisational growth and individual performance, that transition is anticipated within 24 months — making this an exceptional opportunity for a senior developer ready to step into engineering leadership.

What You'll Be Doing

• Designing, developing and maintaining in-house systems, APIs, reporting tools and the client web portal
• Customising and extending third-party trading systems to meet business requirements
• Writing clean, well-tested, production-grade code following SOLID principles, Design Patterns and Clean Code practices
• Applying TDD and BDD methodologies using JUnit, Spock and Mockito
• Contributing to and improving code review standards across the team
• Liaising directly with Client Services and Product Management to understand requirements and propose solutions
• Managing and mentoring a small team of Java developers, supporting their growth and career development
• Working alongside offshore developers, maintaining clear communication across time zones
• Leveraging AI tooling within the SDLC to drive productivity and quality

What We're Looking For

• 7+ years' Java development experience within a Financial Services firm
• Strong hands-on expertise in Java 11+, Spring/Spring Boot, multithreading, performance tuning and RMI
• Capital Markets domain knowledge — Clearing, Prime Brokerage or similar post-trade experience
• Solid grounding in TDD, BDD, Agile and automated builds/deployments
• Experience with CI/CD toolchains (GitHub, Azure DevOps, Jenkins) and deployment management
• Proficiency with Git, Maven, JUnit/Spock and Mockito
• Microservices architecture knowledge
• Strong understanding and application of SOLID, Design Patterns and Clean Code
• Ability to communicate clearly with both technical peers and non-technical stakeholders
• Cloud platform exposure (AWS, Azure or GCP)
• Desirable: Groovy, FpML, FIX/FIXML, REST, JSON, Message Queuing
• Desirable: experience leading a developer team or working with offshore teams
• Right to work in the UK without sponsorship

What's on Offer

• Up to £130,000 basic
• Performance-related bonus
• Clear and explicit pathway to Head of Engineering within ~24 months
• Hybrid working – 3 days per week onsite
• Private healthcare, pension, life assurance and critical illness cover
• 100% cloud-based, modern tech stack with Azure AI Cognitive Services integration
• A business that values engineering as a core differentiator

Find Out More

If you would like to have a confidential conversation and find out more about this opportunity, please get in touch with Con Lam at Harrington Starr, or click the apply button below.