Java Tech Lead

Java Tech Lead / Architect with 10 years experience is needed for an initial 6-month contract with further extensions up to 18 months paying £300 a day inside IR35 to drive the design and execution of high-scale, event-driven systems. This role is a hybrid of strategic architectural planning and hands-on engineering leadership. You will be responsible for defining technical roadmaps, mentoring a high-performing engineering team, and ensuring the delivery of robust microservices within a complex, long-term program.

Key Responsibilities Architectural Leadership:
Design and oversee the implementation of scalable microservices and event-based architectures using Java, Spring Boot, and Kafka. Team Steering:
Act as the technical point of contact for the team; facilitate decision-making, sprint planning, and resource allocation. Quality Governance:
Conduct rigorous code reviews, approve pull requests, and establish best practices for CI/CD and automated testing. Hands-on Delivery:
Lead by example by contributing to mission-critical code and solving complex technical bottlenecks that require "Architect-level" troubleshooting. Stakeholder Management:
Translate business requirements into technical blueprints and communicate progress/risks to program leadership. Technical Requirements 10 years of professional software development experience Expert-level proficiency in Java (current versions) and Spring Boot. Deep expertise in Kafka for event-driven architecture and streaming. Proven track record in Microservices design patterns, API Gateway management, and Cloud-native development. Previous experience leading engineering teams through the full SDLC in an Agile environment.

Preferred Attributes

Experience with Cloud platforms (AWS/Azure/GCP) and containerization (Docker/Kubernetes). Strong understanding of Database design (SQL and No

SQL). Excellent communication skills, capable of bridging the gap between technical teams and non-technical stakeholders. Working Conditions Hybrid Model:
Candidates must be able to commute to West Sussex 3 days per week. Stability:
While the initial contract is 6 months, this is a multi-year program offering significant long-term potential.