Senior Java Developer | Hedge Fund | London

🚨 Java Developer – 12-Month FTC | Greenfield Build | London 🚨

We’re partnering with a leading systematic family office on an exciting opportunity for a Senior Java Developer to join their Middle Office Engineering team. The team is embarking on a greenfield digital transformation programme, rebuilding key trading and operational systems from the ground up.

📍 Location: Central London (4 days per week in office – non-negotiable)

🕐 Engagement: 12-month Fixed-Term Contract, rolling based on start date

💷 Salary: Up to £130k base + potential completion bonus

🛠️ Start date: ASAP preferred – 1 month notice acceptable

The Role

You’ll work as a hands-on contributor in a team of high-performing engineers, taking full ownership of technical delivery. The current focus is an internal project, a large-scale initiative replacing legacy internal platforms with a more modern, performant, and scalable system.

Expect to build across trading support systems, infrastructure, and execution tools, with strong autonomy and end-to-end ownership.

What They’re Looking For

• Strong Java experience (Java 17 preferred)
• Kafka – Power User level only (critical requirement)
• Microservices experience is a nice-to-have

Background & Experience

• Deep, production-grade Kafka experience is non-negotiable
• 6–8+ years of commercial Java development
• Financial services experience is a plus (swaps, pricing, middle/back office etc.) but not essential
• You’ll need to be a mature, delivery-oriented IC, capable of working with little oversight

Important Notes

• This is an on-site role (4 days/week) – no remote/hybrid flex beyond the agreed schedule
• Please only apply if you're 100% comfortable with that – prior candidates have been withdrawn for changing their minds post-interview
• The team is looking for engineers, not managers – strong individual contributors only

Interview Process

• 30–45 min technical screen with engineering leads
• On-site technical deep dive (~2–2.5 hours) with the wider team
• Feedback and offer turnaround expected within days

If you’re a seasoned Java developer with serious Kafka experience and want to work on a genuinely interesting greenfield project at a high-performance trading firm, apply here or get in touch directly.