Overview

Lead Java Engineer with Product Information Management (PIM) experience to join Mindera. You\'ll play a key technical leadership role, working with architects, product managers, and cross-functional teams to design and implement scalable, reliable, and secure backend systems. This is a six-month contract outside IR35. You will be required to work in Paddington 2-3 days a week.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical deep dives and knowledge sharing in the teams, anticipating challenges and proposing solutions
• Influence product and business decisions
• Hands-on Software Development: write high-quality Java code using frameworks such as Spring Boot or Micronaut
• Build robust services that support secure, high-volume payment transactions
• Develop integrations with acquiring banks, payment gateways, and fraud detection tools
• Cloud & DevOps Practices: build and support cloud-native systems on the cloud (preferably Azure) using Terraform and Kubernetes
• Manage CI/CD pipelines using GitHub Actions and ensure smooth delivery to production
• Own monitoring, alerting, and observability, using tools like OpenTelemetry and Dynatrace
• Security & Compliance: champion secure coding practices and data protection across services
• Collaboration & Mentoring: work with product owners, engineering leads, and other stakeholders to shape technical solutions; mentor junior/mid/senior engineers and promote best practices around code review, testing, delivery, and operational support
• Continuous Improvement: continuously improve platform reliability, performance, and cost-efficiency; stay up-to-date with technology trends and identify innovation opportunities

Requirements

• Proven experience as a Staff or Lead Engineer in backend-heavy environments with multi-level engineering teams
• Experience with Product Information Management (PIM)
• Strong experience in Java 17+, ideally with Spring Boot or Micronaut; Kotlin experience is a bonus (willingness to learn Kotlin if not already familiar)
• Experience with authentication, authorization, SSO/OAuth
• Nice to Have: IAM platforms (Okta, Auth0, Keycloak, ForgeRock); knowledge of OpenID Connect, JWT, SAML, MFA; cloud platform experience (Azure, AWS, or GCP); exposure to DevOps practices and CI/CD pipelines
• Hands-on knowledge of Kafka, event-driven architecture, enterprise integration patterns, and microservices
• Solid understanding of payment systems and PSP integrations, including fraud, tokenisation, and settlement flows
• Cloud infrastructure experience (Azure preferred), CI/CD, and Kubernetes
• Working knowledge of regulatory and compliance standards (PCI DSS, SCA, PSD2)
• Strong communication skills and ability to explain complex technical concepts to diverse audiences
• Experience in Agile/Scrum teams with a DevOps culture and test-driven mindset

Nice to Have

• Experience with IAM platforms (Okta, Auth0, Keycloak, ForgeRock)
• Experience working with Kotlin
• Knowledge of identity/security standards (OpenID Connect, JWT, SAML, MFA)
• Cloud platform experience (Azure, AWS, or GCP)
• Exposure to DevOps practices and CI/CD pipelines

Benefits

• Competitive Rates
• Friendly and welcoming team
• Opportunity to work with one of the UK\'s leading retailers