At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the design and evolution of Java platforms while mentoring senior engineers.
- Company: Join a leading firm in financial technology focused on anti-money laundering solutions.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, flexible working options, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Collaborative environment with a focus on engineering excellence and continuous learning.
- Why this job: Shape the future of backend architecture and drive innovation in a high-impact role.
- Qualifications: Deep Java expertise and strong architectural knowledge required.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 100000 £ per year.
Requirements
- Deep Java Expertise: Spring/Spring Boot, and the broader JVM ecosystem
- Architectural Mastery: Strong grasp of software architecture patterns (e.g. hexagonal, layered, microservices), DDD, and event-driven systems (Kafka, Pulsar, etc.)
- Engineering Excellence: Mastery of SOLID principles, design patterns, dependency injection, and ORMs (e.g. Hibernate, JPA)
- Tooling Fluency: Experience with Gradle/Maven, CI/CD (e.g. Jenkins, GitLab), static analysis tools (e.g. SonarQube), and test automation
- Optimisation Mindset: Good knowledge of algorithms, being able to quickly understand runtime complexity and offer alternative implementation. Good knowledge of data structures, understanding query patterns and being able to offer SQL and NoSQL solutions with appropriate scalable indexes
- Cloud‑Native Thinking: Experience writing software for cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, or Azure), including containerization (Docker, Kubernetes) and observability
- Security & Resilience: Understanding of secure coding practices, fault tolerance, and system resilience in distributed environments
- Leadership & Influence: Ability to lead by example, influencing without direct authority, and communicate complex ideas clearly to technical and non‑technical audiences
- (Desirable) Experience with reactive programming (e.g. Project Reactor, RxJava)
- (Desirable) Exposure to GraphQL, gRPC, or API gateway patterns
- (Desirable) Experience with building agents or using Agentic frameworks such as LangChain4j, Embabel or equivalent
- (Desirable) Contributions to open‑source projects or technical blogs
What the job involves
- Reporting to the Director of Architecture within the Risk Intelligence team
- Risk Intelligence is responsible for developing critical services that support anti‑money laundering efforts in the financial markets
- We’re looking for a Principal Java Architect to lead the design, evolution, and governance of our Java‑based platforms
- This is a hands‑on, high‑impact role where you’ll shape the future of our backend architecture, coach senior engineers, and ensure our engineering practices and tooling are world‑class
- You’ll be a key influencer in our technology strategy, driving innovation while ensuring robustness, scalability, and maintainability
- Architectural Leadership: Define and evolve the architecture of our Java platforms, ensuring alignment with business goals, scalability, and long‑term maintainability
- Code Quality & Reviews: Perform technical reviews, enforce clean code principles (e.g. SOLID), and ensure adherence to architectural standards
- Mentorship & Coaching: Guide senior engineers and technical leads, fostering a culture of engineering excellence, autonomy, and continuous learning
- Event‑Driven & Domain‑Driven Design: Champion modern architectural paradigms such as event‑driven systems, DDD, and microservices
- Tooling & Developer Experience: Own and enhance the Java development ecosystem—including build tools (Maven/Gradle), CI/CD pipelines, static analysis, and testing frameworks
- Framework & Codebase Contribution: Contribute to and evolve shared libraries, frameworks, and platform components that power our services
- Innovation & Research: Stay ahead of the curve on Java ecosystem developments (e.g. Project Loom, GraalVM, Kotlin, Quarkus) and lead strategic adoption
- Cross‑Functional Collaboration: Work closely with product, architecture, and platform teams to deliver cohesive, performant, and secure solutions
Principal Java Architect employer: London Stock Exchange
As a Principal Java Architect at our company, you will thrive in a dynamic and innovative environment that prioritises engineering excellence and continuous learning. We offer a collaborative work culture where your expertise will directly influence our technology strategy, alongside opportunities for mentorship and professional growth. Located in a vibrant tech hub, we provide access to cutting-edge tools and resources, ensuring you can make a meaningful impact while enjoying a supportive and forward-thinking workplace.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Principal Java Architect
✨Network Like a Pro
Get out there and connect with folks in the industry! Attend meetups, webinars, or tech conferences. You never know who might be looking for a Principal Java Architect like you!
✨Show Off Your Skills
Don’t just talk about your experience; demonstrate it! Consider building a small project or contributing to open-source. This can really showcase your deep Java expertise and architectural mastery.
✨Ace the Interview
Prepare for those technical interviews by brushing up on your SOLID principles and design patterns. Be ready to discuss your past projects and how you’ve influenced teams without direct authority.
✨Apply Through Us!
We’ve got some fantastic opportunities waiting for you on our website. Don’t hesitate to apply directly through us – we’re eager to see what you can bring to the table!
We think you need these skills to ace Principal Java Architect
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Java Skills:Make sure to highlight your deep Java expertise, especially with Spring/Spring Boot and the JVM ecosystem. We want to see how you've applied these skills in real-world scenarios, so don’t hold back on those examples!
Architectural Insights Matter:Demonstrate your understanding of software architecture patterns like microservices and DDD. We’re looking for someone who can not only talk the talk but also walk the walk when it comes to architectural mastery.
Be a Tool Wizard:Mention your experience with tools like Gradle, Jenkins, and SonarQube. We love candidates who are fluent in the tooling that makes our lives easier, so share how you’ve used these in your projects.
Keep It Clear and Concise:When writing your application, clarity is key! We appreciate straightforward communication, so make sure your ideas come across clearly, whether you're discussing complex tech or your leadership style. And remember, apply through our website for the best chance!
How to prepare for a job interview at London Stock Exchange
✨Master the Java Ecosystem
Make sure you brush up on your deep Java expertise, especially with Spring and Spring Boot. Be ready to discuss how you've applied architectural patterns like microservices and DDD in your previous projects.
✨Showcase Your Architectural Skills
Prepare to talk about your experience with software architecture. Have examples ready that demonstrate your understanding of event-driven systems and how you've implemented them using tools like Kafka or Pulsar.
✨Demonstrate Engineering Excellence
Be prepared to discuss SOLID principles and design patterns. You might be asked to solve a problem on the spot, so practice explaining your thought process around algorithms and data structures clearly.
✨Highlight Your Leadership Experience
Since this role involves mentoring and influencing others, think of specific instances where you've led a team or influenced decisions without direct authority. Communicate these experiences effectively to show your leadership style.
