Senior Developer Java

Salary: £68,000 - 108,000 per year

Requirements:

• Significant experience designing, developing, supporting and maintaining complex Java-based services and applications across both legacy and modern technology stacks in complex environments.
• Strong experience building APIs, microservices and integrated services using Java, REST, Spring Boot/Cloud, Redis, Hibernate, with experience of Kubernetes and Docker, messaging technologies such as JMS, Kafka or RabbitMQ, and cloud-native platforms including AWS, S3 and EKS.
• Experience using modern CI/CD tooling such as Java IDEs, Maven, Git, GitLab CI, Artifactory and Jenkins, and databases including MySQL and Oracle, with the ability to write and support SQL, PL/SQL, triggers and stored procedures.
• Strong experience leading full stack development in a team environment, including software engineering best practices such as containerisation, microservice design patterns, Agile, TDD, CI/CD, code quality, maintainability and secure development.
• Experience supporting and improving live services, including fault diagnosis, bug fixing and operational support.
• Strong understanding of system integration, interface design and integration testing.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a logical and organised approach to delivery, and the ability to communicate complex technical concepts clearly to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Experience mentoring, coaching or line managing others, including supporting the development of junior staff.
• Ability to work effectively across multidisciplinary teams and supplier environments while maintaining internal standards and controls.
• Awareness of cloud service models, cloud-native architecture and infrastructure-as-code practices.
• Working knowledge of Linux or other Unix-like operating systems.
• Understanding of Behaviour Driven Development, user-centred design and service delivery principles.
• Experience with JavaScript or TypeScript UI development, including React and Single Sign-On integrations.
• Experience working on large-scale government, public sector or regulated services where security, resilience and auditability are important.
• Awareness of how generative AI tools can support software engineering practices, including development, testing, documentation or code quality activities.

Responsibilities:

• Lead the design and development of clean, secure code following a test-driven approach.
• Maintain and continuously improve Java-based services and applications across legacy and modern platforms.
• Work across the full service lifecycle, from greenfield development and service transition to support and enhancement of live services, security updates and defect resolution.
• Provide senior-level technical leadership across projects and live support work.
• Act as a system subject matter expert and Intelligent Client on internal and supplier-led deliveries.
• Set technical direction, uphold engineering standards, mentor and line manage junior developers, and ensure services are secure, robust, supportable and aligned to business needs.
• Design secure, scalable, resilient and supportable solutions with strong engineering controls and practices.
• Write, review and assure clean, reusable, testable and secure code using TDD and quality-focused development practices.
• Support systems integration, interface design and testing across multiple systems and environments.
• Support live services through normal and out-of-hours support.
• Resolve incidents, fix bugs, deliver security updates, improve services and diagnose integration issues across a complex landscape.
• Lead or contribute to code reviews, design reviews, technical assurance and development governance, ensuring work is documented and delivered in line with agreed governance, standards, controls and policies.
• Collaborate with architects, business analysts, testers, delivery managers, product owners and other disciplines throughout the delivery lifecycle.
• Provide Intelligent Client capability on supplier-led and mixed-delivery projects, ensuring alignment with HMRC standards, quality and security requirements.
• Manage knowledge transfer from suppliers and contractors into internal teams.
• Drive continuous improvement of engineering practices, tools, processes, standards and service robustness.
• Support guild leadership including recruitment, workforce planning, training needs, mentoring, coaching and line management of junior developers.
• Work normal office hours and, where required, occasionally work outside normal hours to support software releases.
• Participate in a 24/7 on-call rota involving out-of-hours remote support.

Technologies:

• AI
• AWS
• CI/CD
• Cloud
• Docker
• Git
• GitLab
• Hibernate
• Support
• Java
• JavaScript
• Jenkins
• Kafka
• Kubernetes
• Linux
• Maven
• MySQL
• Oracle
• REST
• RabbitMQ
• React
• Redis
• SQL
• Security
• Spring
• Spring Boot
• TDD
• TypeScript
• Unix
• microservices
• UX UI Design
• LESS
• PLC

More:

We are HM Revenue and Customs, one of the UKs most digital organisations, building a modern digital tax administration and a world-class IT function. Our Borders and Trade Delivery Group manages the end-to-end service development and support of more than 140 services, and this Senior Java Developer role sits within our Java Development Guild in CDIO Borders & Trade. We offer flexible and hybrid working, with colleagues expected to spend 60% of their time in the office where the role allows. We provide a generous leave allowance, Civil Service pension contributions, family-friendly policies, personal support, coaching and development. This role can be based in Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Salford, Newham, Telford, Worthing, Reading or elsewhere in the United Kingdom, and the salary is £45,544 to £55,157 per year.

last updated 35 week of 2026