Principal Java Engineer – Cloud, Microservices & AWS

About the role

We are seeking a Principal Java Engineer to lead the design and delivery of large‑scale, cloud‑native platforms used by millions of customers. You will shape engineering strategy, drive technical excellence and work closely with senior stakeholders in a hybrid environment.

Key responsibilities

• Define and evolve engineering strategy, standards and best practices across the domain.
• Lead technical direction for multiple on‑shore and off‑shore teams.
• Design and oversee delivery of distributed, high‑availability systems using modern cloud technologies.
• Provide expert guidance on technical risk, architecture decisions and prioritisation.
• Drive adoption of DevOps, CI/CD, automation and AI‑enabled productivity tools.
• Mentor engineers and foster a strong engineering culture.
• Collaborate with senior stakeholders to align technology with business goals.

Required profile

• Deep hands‑on expertise in Java, Spring Boot, Microservices, Kafka and AWS.
• Proven experience managing on‑shore and off‑shore engineering teams.
• Strong understanding of software architecture and scalable system design.
• Track record of leading development of high‑performance distributed systems.
• Experience defining and governing technical standards and engineering practices.
• Excellent leadership, mentoring and stakeholder engagement skills.

Required skills

• Java
• Spring Boot
• Microservices
• Kafka
• AWS
• CI/CD
• DevOps

What we offer

• Salary up to £105,000 plus bonus and benefits.
• Hybrid working model – 2 days onsite in Coventry.
• 40‑hour permanent contract.
• Opportunity to influence large‑scale digital platforms.