Principal Java Engineer - Belfast (Hybrid)
We're hiring a Principal Java Engineer for one of the most interesting product engineering teams in Belfast. This is a genuine principal-level role - not a senior engineer with a better title. You'll be setting technical direction, owning architecture decisions, and working on systems that operate at serious scale.
If you're based in Belfast, deeply experienced in Java, and you live and breathe AWS - read on.
What you'll be doing:
- Leading the design and delivery of large-scale, distributed backend systems in Java
- Taking end-to-end ownership of complex engineering initiatives from conception through to production
- Defining and driving architectural standards across the engineering organisation
- Collaborating closely with product, data, and infrastructure teams to shape technical direction
- Mentoring and elevating engineers around you - this is a role with real influence
What we're looking for:
- 10+ years of Java development experience, including significant time working on distributed, cloud-native systems
- Deep, hands-on AWS expertise - not just familiarity. We're talking EC2, EKS, Lambda, SQS, S3, RDS, CloudFormation, and beyond
- Strong grasp of distributed systems design: event-driven architecture, microservices, fault tolerance, and performance at scale
- Experience with Spring Boot and modern Java frameworks
- Solid SQL and database design skills (PostgreSQL a plus)
- CI/CD maturity - Jenkins, GitHub, Terraform or similar
- The ability to communicate technical complexity clearly to both engineers and non-engineers
Nice to have:
- Experience with Kotlin or Scala
- Familiarity with data pipelines, reporting systems, or analytics platforms
- Prior experience in a staff or principal IC role
We're a global product company with a Belfast engineering team that punches well above its weight. You'll work on problems at a scale most Belfast roles simply don't offer - and you'll do it with a team that cares deeply about the craft.
Hybrid working from our Belfast office. Competitive salary, equity, and benefits.
Benefits:
Work From Home
WHJS1_NI