Technical Lead - Backend (Java / Spring Boot)

This is a senior, hands-on technical leadership role embedded in a client team in a fast-paced, product-led environment. You will set technical direction, own the delivery signal, and grow the engineers around you. You will work at a pace where priorities shift, requirements are rarely perfect, and bring order to ambiguity rather than wait for it to clear., * Build Java services across REST APIs and Kafka pipelines with readable, maintainable, well-tested code.

• Write tests as part of development, encouraging TDD approaches.
• Integrate with third-party APIs (e.g., payment gateways).
• Define and oversee technical implementations, shaping how things are built.
• Champion AI-assisted ways of working and lift the bar on quality, consistency, and reuse.
• Own your workstream end-to-end: manage milestones, risks, impediments, and decisions.
• Communicate progress proactively and keep stakeholders visible.
• Remove bottlenecks in delivery and handle difficult client conversations when needed.
• Mentor, pair, and coach engineers to grow their skills.

• Java (Spring Boot), RESTful APIs, Kafka / event-driven services
• CI/CD pipelines, AWS (S3, Lambda, ECS, EKS, MSK)
• Kubernetes, containerisation, infrastructure as code
• AI integrations, agentic development workflows, strong security practices, * Strong experience with Java and Spring Boot across REST APIs and event-driven/Kafka systems.
• Passion for engineering quality: code reviews, automated tests, maintainability.
• Leadership that shares knowledge and raises the bar for the team.
• Comfortable driving delivery and handling client conversations under support.
• Experience and enthusiasm for AI-assisted development, owning quality and knowing when to trust tools.
• Thrives in fast-paced environments and brings structure to ambiguity.
• Familiarity with cloud services and CI/CD, or eagerness to learn.
• Desire to build more than boilerplate APIs: solving real problems with ownership.

• 35 days holiday (including flexible bank holidays).
• Enhanced parental and adoption leave.
• Pension match up to 5%.

AI-assisted development is core to our delivery. You will help raise the quality and consistency by steering AI tools, avoiding reinventing existing solutions, and articulating intent clearly so AI accelerates good engineering rather than multiplying mediocre code., This hybrid role is based near the Edinburgh office, with flexibility to travel to client sites and CreateFuture UK regional offices. Work can be split between face-to-face time with clients, colleagues, and remote work.