Senior / Principal Software Engineer (Java, AWS & Distributed Systems)

We are seeking an exceptional Senior Software Engineer to join a high-calibre technology organisation where engineering excellence, intellectual curiosity, and innovation are central to success. This role sits within a highly talented team responsible for building and evolving large-scale distributed systems that support complex, business-critical workflows. You'll work alongside accomplished engineers, technologists, and business stakeholders to design elegant solutions to challenging technical problems in an environment that values both academic rigour and real-world impact. This is an ideal opportunity for someone who enjoys combining deep technical expertise with leadership responsibilities, while operating in a fast-moving environment where technology plays a pivotal role in driving business outcomes. What You'll Be Doing Design and build highly scalable, low-latency distributed applications that operate with demanding performance and reliability requirements. Lead the architecture and development of modern cloud-native systems using Java, Spring Boot, microservices, and AWS technologies. Partner directly with business users and domain experts to understand complex requirements and deliver innovative technical solutions. Own systems throughout their lifecycle, from architecture and development through production support, optimisation, and continuous improvement. Drive engineering quality through best practices in software design, testing, scalability, observability, and operational excellence. Contribute to the evolution of platform architecture, application frameworks, and technical standards across the engineering organisation. Mentor and develop a high-performing team of engineers, providing technical leadership while fostering a culture of collaboration and continuous learning. Lead the delivery of strategic technology initiatives that have a direct impact on the organisation's growth and success. What We're Looking For We're particularly interested in candidates who combine strong software engineering expertise with outstanding academic foundations and intellectual problem-solving ability. Essential Experience 8+ years of software engineering experience developing and delivering large-scale enterprise applications. Strong academic credentials, ideally in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, or a similarly rigorous quantitative discipline. Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD degree from a leading university with a strong record of academic achievement. Expert-level Java development skills, including extensive experience with Spring Boot and modern microservices architectures. Deep understanding of computer science fundamentals including algorithms, data structures, distributed systems, concurrency, and software design. Strong SQL and database design experience, particularly within data-intensive applications. Proven ability to design, build, and scale resilient distributed systems in production environments. Experience leading technical teams and mentoring engineers while remaining hands-on with architecture and development. Cloud-native architecture experience with AWS, Kubernetes, Docker, and containerised environments. Exposure to messaging systems, event-driven architectures, and asynchronous processing frameworks. Experience with Redis, NoSQL databases, and large-scale distributed data platforms. Strong understanding of CI/CD pipelines, automated testing, observability, monitoring, and production support. Linux systems knowledge and experience working within highly available production environments. Prior experience delivering business-critical systems within fast-paced, technology-driven organisations. Why Apply? Work alongside highly accomplished engineers and technology leaders from leading global universities and technology organisations. Solve complex technical problems at scale using modern technologies and engineering practices. Significant technical ownership and influence over architecture and platform direction. Competitive compensation and strong long-term career progression opportunities. Collaborative environment that values intelligence, innovation, and engineering excellence. Exposure to large-scale distributed systems, cloud technologies, and high-impact business challenges.