Lead Java Software Engineer - Remote Competitive Salary Take the Lead. Drive the Vision. Ship the Future. Looking for a role where your technical expertise doesn’t just build systems, it shapes the direction of an entire engineering culture? If you’re ready to step into a hands-on leadership role where influence extends beyond your own codebase, this could be the next chapter in your engineering career. We're looking for someone who thrives on designing future-ready backend architectures, mentoring growing teams, and championing best-in-class engineering practices, someone who wants to build as much as they guide. REQUIRES TWO DAYS A MONTH IN THE OFFICE (choice of London and Sunderland) Why You’ll Want This Role You’ll shape the tech, not just code it: Set the architectural vision for robust, secure, and scalable backend systems. You’ll still get your hands dirty: Be the go-to engineer for complex challenges and high-impact initiatives. You’ll lead people, not just projects: Mentor, coach, and level up those around you. Your influence will ripple across teams. You’ll make smart engineering happen: From selecting technologies to refining DevOps processes, you’ll help raise the engineering bar. You’ll align tech with product vision: Translate business goals into scalable solutions that last. What You’ll Be Doing Technical Strategy & Architecture Drive architectural decisions that ensure performance, maintainability, and growth. Champion secure-by-default development and industry best practices. Continuously improve systems, pipelines, and tooling across engineering. Hands-On Engineering Tackle the most complex backend challenges when your expertise is needed. Review code with a lens for scalability, security, and long-term maintainability. Ensure reliability, monitoring, and performance are always baked into the solution. Team Leadership & Mentorship Coach backend engineers to grow in confidence and capability. Lead cross-functional discussions and align teams on direction. Facilitate smart decisions, not just fast ones. Innovation & Improvement Introduce and advocate for new technologies where they make sense. Hunt down and remove technical debt before it becomes a problem. Help create a culture where engineering quality is everyone’s job. Tech You’ll Work With Java (Java 11), Spring Boot AWS, Kubernetes, Kafka REST APIs, Microservices SQL & NoSQL Databases CI/CD, Automated Testing, Agile Tooling (Git, Jira, etc.) Secure coding What’s In It For You Autonomy and Influence: Lead, decide, and architect with purpose. Time Off That Counts: Generous holidays, your birthday off, plus a day off at Christmas. Balance Matters: Hybrid working, flexible hours, and a digital nomad policy. Rewarded for Impact: Performance bonuses, profit share scheme, and referral rewards. Perks That Support You: Cycle to Work scheme, tech loans, life cover, and more. Keep Growing: Dedicated training budget and personal development opportunities. Stay Connected: Quarterly socials, fresh office snacks, and a culture that values people. This Role is Made for You If You’re a natural technical leader who thrives on ownership. You love solving hard problems, not just writing clean code. You bring others along with you, mentoring as you go. You’re excited to shape a growing engineering culture and build systems that matter. No sponsorship offered. Ready to lead with impact? Let’s talk.