Contract - Senior/Principal Java Developer

Principal Java Developer – Major Financial Institution

London / Hybrid | Contract | £700-£800 inside IR35 (gross umbrella rate)

We’re working with a major financial institution looking to scale out its engineering function with a Principal Java Developer to lead critical systems work. This is a hands-on Principal role requiring an experienced engineer with a finance background to come in and stabilise an existing platform.

This Java-based stabilisation/ rescue project is expected to last at least a year, but the successful candidate will then be involved in the replatforming project. The replatforming project will be C#, and whilst you don't need C# experience to be successful, you should be happy to pick up the language moving forward for this role to be a fit.

You’ll be working closely with infrastructure, architecture, and infosec teams to support high-availability production systems. The role also involves guiding CI/CD improvements, REST API design, and steering collaborative technical decisions across squads.

What they’re looking for:

• Proven experience supporting large-scale, business-critical systems in the finance industry (all areas of finance considered)
• Strong background in Java and ideally C#
• Some front-end exposure in Angular - this is mandatory, but doesn't need to be recent or extensive
• Comfortable working with legacy systems and large enterprise environments
• Confident in leading technical conversations across multiple engineering disciplines
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines and modern deployment practices
• REST API design

This is a great opportunity for an experienced Java Developer to join a prestigious financial player. If you’re someone who thrives in complex environments and enjoys technical leadership alongside delivery, apply now for a fast turnaround - this is an urgent project, so you'll need to be available in the next few weeks.