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- Tasks: Lead the development of a groundbreaking financial platform and set engineering standards.
- Company: Global financial services organisation with a focus on innovation.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, hands-on role, and the chance to shape technology solutions.
- Other info: Opportunity to work in a dynamic environment without people management responsibilities.
- Why this job: Make a significant impact by building a critical system from the ground up.
- Qualifications: 15+ years in engineering, deep Java expertise, and strong architecture skills.
The predicted salary is between 130000 - 130000 £ per year.
We’re partnered with a global financial services organisation hiring a Director-level Principal Engineer to lead the build of a greenfield, mission-critical platform. This is an excellent opportunity for a hands-on engineering leader who thrives in agile environments and enjoys solving complex business challenges through scalable, secure, and resilient technology solutions. You’ll play a key role in shaping engineering standards, leading talented teams, and delivering critical systems end-to-end.
This is a hands-on, individual contributor role with major influence - owning architecture, driving technical direction, and shaping a next-generation Corporate Actions engine from the ground up.
What you’ll do:
- Own architecture and design for a large-scale, distributed platform
- Lead hands-on engineering of a greenfield system end-to-end
- Set engineering standards and influence technical direction
- Drive best practice across microservices, APIs, data, and DevOps
- Partner across global teams to deliver a critical enterprise platform
What you bring:
- 15+ years engineering experience, operating at Principal level
- Deep Java (Spring Boot) expertise in microservices environments
- Strong architecture experience across scalable, distributed systems
- Experience with messaging (Kafka / MQ), data modelling, and APIs
- Solid DevOps: CI/CD, containers, cloud platforms
- Hands-on AI/ML experience and integrating AI into solutions
- Background in financial services (ideally Corporate Actions or post-trade)
- Ability to influence without authority in complex organisations
Tech stack: Java, Spring Boot, Angular, Kafka, Oracle, Docker, CI/CD tooling
A rare opportunity to build a critical platform from scratch while operating at the highest level of technical leadership - without people management.
Burns Sheehan Ltd will consider applications based only on skills and ability and will not discriminate on any grounds.
Engineering Director employer: Burns Sheehan
Contact Detail:
Burns Sheehan Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Engineering Director
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the industry, especially those who might know about opportunities at companies you're interested in. A personal referral can make all the difference in getting noticed.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! Prepare a portfolio or case studies that highlight your hands-on engineering experience and successful projects. This is your chance to demonstrate how you can lead the build of a greenfield platform.
✨Tip Number 3
Ace the interview! Research the company and its tech stack thoroughly. Be ready to discuss how your deep Java expertise and architecture experience can contribute to their mission-critical platform.
✨Tip Number 4
Apply through our website! We’ve got loads of opportunities that match your skills. Plus, applying directly can sometimes give you an edge over other candidates.
We think you need these skills to ace Engineering Director
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV reflects the skills and experience mentioned in the job description. Highlight your hands-on engineering experience, especially with Java and microservices, to show us you’re the right fit for this role.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Use your cover letter to tell us why you’re passionate about building scalable platforms. Share specific examples of how you've influenced technical direction in previous roles, as we love to see that kind of initiative!
Showcase Your Technical Skills: Don’t just list your skills; demonstrate them! If you’ve worked with technologies like Kafka, Docker, or AI/ML, give us a brief insight into how you’ve applied these in real-world scenarios. We want to see your expertise in action!
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you don’t miss out on any important updates from our team. Let’s get started on this journey together!
How to prepare for a job interview at Burns Sheehan
✨Know Your Tech Stack Inside Out
Make sure you’re well-versed in the technologies mentioned in the job description, especially Java, Spring Boot, and microservices. Be ready to discuss your hands-on experience with these tools and how you've applied them in previous projects.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Style
Even though this role is hands-on, it’s crucial to demonstrate your ability to lead and influence teams. Prepare examples of how you've set engineering standards and driven best practices in past roles, particularly in agile environments.
✨Prepare for Technical Challenges
Expect to face technical questions or challenges during the interview. Brush up on your architecture skills and be ready to discuss how you would approach building a scalable, distributed platform from scratch.
✨Understand the Business Context
Since this role is within financial services, it’s important to understand the industry, especially Corporate Actions. Research common challenges in this area and think about how your technical solutions can address them.