Job Title: Lead Java Developer Rate: £550 (Inside IR35) Duration: 6 Months Location: Remote Clearance: BPSS Stages: 2 Stages Key Responsibilities Lead the design, development, and delivery of Java and Node.js-based applications within a modern cloud environment. Provide hands-on coding, code reviews, and mentoring to other engineers within the team. Define and enforce engineering standards, code quality, and DevOps practices. Collaborate with architects and product teams to align development with solution design and business objectives. Contribute to technical roadmaps, identifying opportunities for innovation, automation, and optimisation. Ensure software is built with scalability, security, and performance in mind. Support CI/CD pipelines and modern development workflows using Git, Jenkins, GitHub Actions, or similar tools. Troubleshoot and resolve complex technical issues across the application stack. Essential Skills & Experience Proven experience as a Lead Software Engineer/Technical Lead on large-scale software delivery projects. Strong, hands-on experience in Java (Spring Boot) and Node.js (Express, NestJS, or similar). Solid understanding of microservices architecture and API development. Experience deploying and running applications on AWS, Azure, or GCP. Strong grasp of DevOps principles, CI/CD pipelines, and infrastructure as code (Terraform, CloudFormation). Experience working in Agile/Scrum environments. Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills. Ability to mentor engineers and drive technical excellence across teams. Desirable Experience in the public sector or working with GDS-aligned projects. Knowledge of containerisation (Docker, Kubernetes). Familiarity with event-driven architecture, Kafka, or AWS SNS/SQS. Understanding of security best practices and API authentication (OAuth2, OpenID Connect).