Staff Software Engineer (Java, Glasgow)
Job Description
Lead Full-Stack Software EngineerTier 1 Consultancy
Location: Glasgow City Centre (Hybrid)Engagement: Contract-to-PermanentRate: Up to £600/day (Inside IR35 via PAYE)
Overview
A leading Tier 1 financial institution is expanding its Glasgow technology hub and seeks an experienced Lead Full-Stack Software Engineer to play a pivotal role in the transformation of its digital business banking platforms. This position offers a rare opportunity to enter on a contract while transitioning into a permanent senior leadership role within a globally recognised organisation. The successful candidate will combine technical authority, architectural vision, and people leadership in a complex, regulated environment.
Key ResponsibilitiesTechnical & Modernisation Leadership
- Lead the modernisation of large-scale legacy systems, transitioning from monolithic architectures to scalable, API-driven microservices.
- Drive architectural best practices across performance, reliability, security, and maintainability.
Engineering Leadership & Delivery
- Provide hands-on technical leadership while mentoring and managing a large offshore engineering team (20+ developers).
- Own engineering standards, code quality, and delivery outcomes across distributed teams.
Cloud & Platform Transformation
- Oversee the migration of enterprise platforms from legacy middleware (e.g., WebSphere) to containerised Kubernetes environments across GCP, AWS, or internal cloud platforms (IKP).
- Champion DevOps practices, automation, and CI/CD maturity.
Stakeholder & Architecture Engagement
- Act as a senior technical interface between engineering, architecture, product, and business stakeholders.
- Translate complex regulatory and financial requirements into low-level technical designs and implementation plans.
Full-Stack Development Leadership
- Design and build secure, high-performance applications using Java 17+, Spring Boot, and Angular.
- Set standards for frontend engineering, API design, and backend service orchestration.
Data & Platform Evolution
- Support the modernisation of legacy SDLC tooling and data platforms.
- Lead or contribute to complex data migrations, including Elasticsearch upgrades and distributed data pipelines.
Technology StackBackend
- Java 17+, Spring Framework, Spring Boot
- Microservices & RESTful API design
Frontend
- Angular, TypeScript
- HTML5, CSS3, SASS
Cloud, DevOps & Infrastructure
- Kubernetes (GKE / IKP / AWS EKS)
- Docker, Terraform
- CI/CD: GitHub Actions, Jenkins
Messaging, Streaming & ETL
- Apache Kafka
- Apache Flink, Apache Beam
- Redis
Databases
- PostgreSQL
- Oracle
- MongoDB
Security & Compliance
- OAuth 2.0, Okta
- Enterprise security scanning: Checkmarx, Aqua Security
- Strong understanding of banking-grade security and regulatory control frameworks
Candidate ProfileExperience & Background
- Proven experience within Tier 1 financial institutions
- 10+ years' experience in enterprise Java and web-based platforms.
Leadership & Influence
- Demonstrated success leading large engineering teams across onshore and offshore models.
- Strong ability to coach, mentor, and develop senior engineers while influencing technical strategy.
Technical Excellence
- Deep expertise in Agile delivery (Scrum/Kanban), TDD, and enterprise design patterns.
- Track record of delivering complex system transformations in regulated environments.
Education
- MSc in International Banking & Finance and/or
- BSc in Computer Information Systems (or equivalent)
Why Join?
- Play a visible leadership role in large-scale digital transformation
- Transition from contract flexibility to permanent leadership
- Work within a globally recognised Tier 1 banking environment
- Influence architecture, people, and platform strategy at enterprise scale