Principal Java Engineer - Central government programme

Principal Java Software Engineer - Central government programme12‑month Fixed Term Contract or permanentRemoteThe Company

At Amber Labs, we are a cutting-edge UK and European technology consultancy that prioritises autonomy, experimentation, and rapid learning to deliver exceptional value to our clients. Our culture is deeply collaborative: colleagues at every level work together to reduce risk, accelerate delivery, and solve complex problems.

Our team is made up of highly skilled, cross‑functional consultants, analysts, and support staff, trusted to lead from the front and shape both client outcomes and internal engineering standards.

Your Role

We’re seeking an experienced and highly influential Principal Java Software Engineer to provide technical leadership across complex client engagements. In this role, you will set technical direction, design highly scalable and resilient platforms, and act as a trusted advisor to both clients and internal teams.

Beyond hands-on engineering, you’ll play a key role in shaping architecture decisions, improving engineering practices, mentoring senior engineers, and ensuring solutions align with long‑term strategic goals. This role is ideal for someone who thrives at the intersection of deep technical expertise, systems thinking, and leadership.

What You’ll Do

• Define and own the technical architecture for large-scale, distributed backend systems, ensuring solutions are secure, resilient, and future-proof
• Lead the design and development of cloud-native services using Java and Spring Boot, setting standards for performance, reliability, and maintainability
• Act as a technical authority on distributed systems, event‑driven architecture, and asynchronous messaging patterns, guiding teams on best practice
• Provide hands-on leadership across multiple squads, influencing design decisions while remaining pragmatic and delivery-focused
• Drive adoption of Microsoft AWS best practices, supporting teams in building and operating highly available cloud platforms
• Shape and improve CI/CD strategies, deployment pipelines, and automation to enable safe, frequent releases
• Champion containerisation and orchestration approaches, supporting Kubernetes-based platforms where appropriate
• Establish and enforce engineering standards through architectural reviews, code reviews, and technical governance
• Mentor and coach senior and mid-level engineers, supporting technical growth and raising the overall quality bar
• Collaborate closely with Product, DevOps, Security, and QA to ensure solutions meet functional, non-functional, and regulatory requirements
• Support complex integration needs, including secure file transfer (SFTP) and legacy system interactions
• Identify technical risks early, communicate them clearly to stakeholders, and drive meaningful mitigation strategies
• Stay ahead of emerging technologies and cloud capabilities, influencing Amber Labs’ wider technical strategy and ways of working

Your Skills and Experience

• Extensive experience designing and building backend systems using Java and Spring Boot in complex, production environments
• Proven track record of technical leadership across large-scale or multi-team initiatives
• Deep understanding of cloud-native architecture, with strong experience in AWS
• Strong knowledge of microservices, distributed systems, messaging, and event-driven design
• Experience guiding teams on containerisation and orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes)
• Passion for DevOps, automation, and continuous delivery, with experience shaping best practices rather than just consuming them
• Ability to operate effectively with both technical teams and senior stakeholders, translating complexity into clarity
• Bonus: Experience with secure file transfer protocols, regulated environments, and Kubernetes platforms
• Must have experience working within government environmentsDiversity & Inclusion

At Amber Labs, we are committed to creating an inclusive and equitable workplace where everyone can thrive. Our approach includes:

• Valuing diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences, and ensuring all colleagues feel respected and heard
• Maintaining zero tolerance for harassment, bullying, discrimination, or victimisation
• Educating all new hires on our Diversity & Inclusion policies and their role in creating a safe and inclusive environment

We are dedicated to fostering a workplace that reflects and celebrates the diversity of our people and the communities we serve.

What Happens Next?

Our Talent Acquisition team will be in touch to guide you through the next steps. Most roles involve a two-stage interview process. In some cases, a third and final conversation with company Partners may be included if appropriate.