Java Software Engineer – Government Programme (IR35)

About the role

We are looking for a highly skilled Java Software Engineer to join a UK Government programme on an initial three‑month contract (IR35). The role involves delivering robust, secure backend services and travelling to client sites once a month.

Key responsibilities

• Design and implement RESTful APIs using Java 20+ and OpenAPI specifications.
• Develop micro‑services with Spring Boot 3+, Spring Data JPA, and Hibernate.
• Work with PostgreSQL, optimise custom SQL queries and resolve performance issues.
• Write unit and integration tests using JUnit 5 and mocking frameworks.
• Build and maintain CI/CD pipelines with GitHub Actions and Helm charts.
• Integrate observability, structured logging, Opensearch and Prometheus.
• Apply Test‑Driven Development (TDD) and adhere to government software patterns.

Required profile

• Recent experience working on UK Government (GDS) digital services.
• Active or eligible SC clearance.
• Based in the United Kingdom and able to travel to London, Liverpool, Nottingham, Newcastle, Cardiff, Ipswich or Brighton once a month.
• Cannot accept sponsorship.

Required skills

• Java 20 or higher
• RESTful API design, OpenAPI
• Spring Boot 3+, Spring Data JPA, Hibernate
• PostgreSQL
• JUnit 5, mocking frameworks
• GitHub Actions, Helm
• Opensearch, Prometheus
• Test‑Driven Development (TDD)

What we offer

• £450 per day rate (inside IR35)
• Three‑month initial contract with potential extension
• Opportunity to work on high‑impact government digital services