Principal Java Developer

Hippo is recruiting Principal Java Developers to join our Hippo Herd. Principal Java Developers work in multi-disciplinary teams that build, support & maintain User-Centred digital solutions that offer real value and work for everyone.

Hippo’s Principal Java Developers are experts in their field. You will act as a principal consultant providing technical expertise in software engineering practices both internally and to our clients. You will drive the team’s technical deliverables, maintain client relationships and be passionate about developing and upskilling others.

Your role in a nutshell:

• Act as a technical SME within the Hippo engineering community to produce and ensure user-centred software is developed based on business requirements and following best practice
• Lead on new business opportunities, writing technical bids and proposals
• Work collaboratively with colleagues to explore, design and deliver solutions to client problems
• Maintain client relationships and troubleshoot issues through collaboration
• Design and manage software development and deployment pipelines resolving issues and potential bottlenecks before they occur
• Continuously review and prioritise the delivery teams workload and can anticipate the need for realignment with evolving operational priorities and complex work-streams and assignments
• Be a strong communicator and presenter, presenting prototypes, solutions and progress to internal/external stakeholders in a clear concise manner
• Build great relationships with your team and stakeholders, identifying and ensuring that challenges are overcome
• Lead in the recruitment of other engineers, and support other consultants in their professional development
• Ensure Hippo’s Engineering community contributes to Hippo’s business at a strategic level
• Promote Hippo’s Engineering Herd externally (for example through writing Blogs, Workshops, Seminars or Conferences)

About the Candidate:

• Experience of operating as a technical leader on complex projects and able to manage stakeholder expectations and influencing decisions
• Coaching and guiding others on the best way to achieve an optimal solution
• Excellent verbal/written communication skills, able to articulate in both technical/non-technical terms depending on audience
• The full development lifecycle delivering user-centred digital solutions
• A full stack developer using core Java, CXF, Spring Boot, Jetty, Mustache, HTML, CSS & JavaScript
• JavaScript library and framework experience is preferable – Node, React, Angular
• Containerisation experience – Docker or Kubernetes or similar
• Expertise of Microservices design and architecture
• Restful API Services experience
• Working within agile methods and using techniques such as Scrum, Kanban and TDD
• Skilled in designing and building native and web applications, across a variety of scales and platform environments
• Infrastructure As Code – Cloudformation, Terraform or ARM or similar
• Expertise in public cloud (AWS or Azure) and DevOps
• CI/CD tools such as Jenkins, AWS CodeBuild, Azure DevOps and Atlassian
• Previous experience of working on GOV/NHS projects would be highly desirable

As well as a competitive salary which we’re transparent about from the outset, you can also expect a range of benefits:

• Contributory pension scheme (Hippo 6% with employee contributions of 2%)
• 25 days holiday plus UK public holidays
• Perkbox access for a wide range of discounts
• Critical illness cover
• Life assurance and death in service cover
• Volunteer days
• Cycle-to-work scheme for the avid cyclists
• Salary sacrifice electric vehicles scheme
• Season ticket loans
• Financial and general wellbeing sessions
• Flexible benefits scheme with options of:

• private health cover
• private dental cover
• additional company pension contributions
• additional holidays (up to an extra 2 days)
• wellbeing contribution
• charity contributions
• tree planting

At Hippo, we’re dedicated to creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace that works for everyone. We understand that having a diverse team unlocks our capacity for innovation, creativity and problem solving. Only by building a community of diverse perspectives, cultures and socio-economic backgrounds can we create an environment where all can contribute and thrive.

We actively encourage applications from underrepresented groups including women, ethnic minorities, LGBTQ+, neurodivergent and people with disabilities. We are committed to providing an inclusive and accessible recruitment process that reflects our workplace culture. We are a registered Disability Confident Employer, Mindful Employer, Endometriosis Friendly Employer and a member of the Armed Forces Covenant. Hippo continually strives to remove barriers, provide accommodations and offer reasonable adjustments to ensure equity throughout our practices.

Hippo is headquartered in Leeds and located across the UK in Edinburgh, Manchester, Birmingham, London and Bristol. We’re on the lookout for top talent nationwide, so don’t let location hold you back from applying. We welcome candidates from all over the UK who possess the flexibility to work from any of our locations. Plus, we offer a generous relocation support package of up to £8k to help make your move a smooth one. It’s worth noting that, given the dynamic nature of our business, you may be required to work on-site at client locations or from your own home.