Snr Java Developer (API Development)

Senior Java Backend Developer - API & Microservices Modernisation

Location: Telford - minimum 2 days per month onsite, remaining time remote
Contract Length: 12 months
Rate: 550 per day
IR35: Inside IR35
Start Date: Candidates must be available to start w/c 4 January 2027
Client: Central Government

The Role

We are looking for an experienced Senior Java Backend Developer to join a major application modernisation programme within Central Government.

You will be responsible for designing, developing, testing and deploying Java-based RESTful APIs and microservices, with a strong focus on scalability, resilience, maintainability and integration with existing systems.

Essential Skills

• Java - Strong backend development experience.
• Spring Boot - RESTful API and microservices development.
• Microservices Design - Experience designing scalable, resilient and loosely coupled microservices, including service-to-service communication.
• API Design - Strong RESTful API design skills, including API contracts, versioning and integration patterns.
• JUnit - Automated unit testing.
• JSON - Experience working with API data structures and formats.
• Docker - Containerisation of microservices.
• Kubernetes - Hands-on experience deploying and managing microservices.
• Git / CI/CD - Version control and automated build and deployment pipelines.

Desirable Skills

• JPA / Hibernate
• Kibana
• Maven / Gradle
• Mockito
• AWS
• GitLab
• Helm
• OpenAPI / Swagger
• SQL
• Shell scripting

AI-Assisted Development

The programme is actively embracing modern AI-assisted development practices. Candidates should be comfortable using approved AI tools and agents throughout the backend development lifecycle, including:

• Analysis and technical design
• Code generation
• Automated testing
• Debugging
• Code review and refinement