Senior Software Engineer (Java)

Legal & General (L&G) is a leading UK financial services group and major global investor. We’ve been safeguarding people’s financial futures since 1836, and strive to build a better society, while improving the lives of our customers and creating value for shareholders. We are one of the world’s largest asset managers and provide powerful asset origination capabilities.

Our Retail business supports customers throughout their lives, to help them save, plan, protect and enjoy retirement. We’re a leading provider of retirement and protection solutions. We aim to support our c.12.8 million policyholders and workplace members throughout their lifelong financial journeys.

We are seeking a Senior Software Engineer to join a high‑performing engineering team delivering robust, scalable, and high‑quality software solutions. In this role, you will apply your technical expertise and strategic mindset to design and build new features, resolve complex issues, address technical debt, and continually improve engineering practices. You will play a key role in shaping how the team works and ensuring we deliver meaningful value and excellent outcomes for our customers.

What you’ll be doing:

• Building clean, maintainable features and resolving end‑to‑end issues by evaluating multiple approaches to deliver effective, high‑quality customer outcomes.
• Ensuring solutions are fit for purpose, deliver business value, meet quality standards, and align with established engineering practices.
• Contributing to the strategy and management of technical debt to maintain secure, resilient, and reliable systems.
• Defining and supporting test approaches and strategies that prioritise security, usability, accessibility, and overall customer experience.
• Reviewing code with a focus on functional and non‑functional requirements, including performance, resilience, maintainability, and security.
• Promoting continuous inspection and adaptation to improve team effectiveness, culture, and ways of working.
• Coaching and mentoring engineers to foster collaboration, mutual respect, engagement, and ongoing skill development.
• Researching emerging technologies and sharing knowledge to improve solutions, while championing fair treatment of customers and stakeholders.

Who we’re looking for:

• Hands‑on experience building and supporting large, production‑grade backend systems using Java/JVM technologies (Java 17+/Kotlin) and JVM Spring or Node.js–based REST microservices.
• Deep understanding of clean code, clean architecture, and layered backend designs (e.g. three‑tier, hexagonal, onion), with the ability to align engineering choices to business goals such as scalability, quality, and maintainability.
• Solid knowledge of database composition and SQL, alongside experience designing APIs and an understanding of web, API, and distributed cloud security best practices.
• Proven ability to deliver well‑optimised, maintainable software features; analyse and resolve complex technical problems; and contribute high‑quality, actionable feedback through code reviews.
• Strong practitioner of test‑driven development and the testing pyramid, with experience working in Agile/Scrum environments using Git, Git Flow, and CI/CD pipelines.
• Excellent English communication skills, with the ability to work effectively in teams, facilitate technical discussions and workshops, and ensure alignment toward shared goals.
• Demonstrates sound decision‑making, process thinking, and mentoring capability, holds accountability for outcomes, and takes ownership of continuous learning and team capability development.

Whatever your role, we reward performance and behaviour with a package that looks after all the things that are important to you. Here are some of the benefits we offer:

• The opportunity to participate in our annual, performance‑related bonus plan and valuable share schemes.
• Life assurance.
• Healthcare Plan (permanent employees only).
• At least 25 days holiday, plus public holidays, 26 days after 2 years’ service. There’s also the option to buy and sell holiday.
• Competitive family leave.
• Participate in our electric car scheme, which offers employees the option to hire a brand‑new electric car through tax efficient salary sacrifice (permanent employees only).
• There are the many discounts we offer – both for our own products and at a range of high street stores and online.
• We’re creating net‑zero carbon workplaces by 2030 by investing in our sustainable, modern offices across the UK, all designed to bring people together and elevate the in‑person experience.

At L&G, we believe it’s possible to generate positive returns today while helping to build a better future for all. If you join us, you’ll be part of a welcoming, inclusive culture, with opportunities to collaborate with people of diverse backgrounds, views, and experiences. Guided by leaders with integrity who care about your future and wellbeing. Empowered through initiatives which support people to develop their careers and excel.

We care passionately about outcomes rather than attendance and are therefore open to discussing all kinds of flexible working options including part‑time, term‑time and job shares. Although some roles have limited flexibility due to customer demand, we accommodate requests when we can.

It doesn’t matter if you don’t meet every single criterion in this advert. Instead, think about what you excel at and what else you can bring in terms of strengths, potential and connection to our purpose.