Technical Lead (Java & AI)

• Lead the architecture, design and delivery of scalable cloud-native applications and services
• Define service boundaries, integration patterns, data models and non-functional requirements
• Drive engineering best practices across code quality, security, performance and testing
• Remain actively involved in software development, solving complex technical challenges
• Lead and mentor a team of engineers through coaching, reviews and technical guidance
• Own sprint planning, estimation, delivery forecasting and release quality
• Collaborate with Product, Architecture, QA and DevOps teams to align technical and business objectives
• Drive observability, monitoring, resilience and incident management standards
• Support recruitment, technical assessments and onboarding activities
• Lead the design and implementation of AI-enabled product capabilities
• Architect and deliver RAG, semantic search and vector database solutions
• Champion effective use of AI-assisted development tools across engineering teams
• Evaluate emerging technologies and provide strategic technical recommendations

• 8-12 years’ experience in software engineering with deep Java expertise
• Previous experience leading engineering teams or owning technical delivery outcomes
• Expert-level knowledge of Java 17+ and modern Spring Boot ecosystems
• Strong understanding of microservices, distributed systems and scalable architecture design
• Experience with workflow automation or BPM platforms
• Advanced SQL and database design expertise
• Strong knowledge of API security, authentication and secure software development practices
• Experience owning CI/CD pipelines and deployment automation strategies
• Demonstrable experience delivering AI-enabled solutions in production or near-production environments
• Knowledge of LLM integrations, vector databases, prompt engineering and RAG architectures
• Experience guiding engineering teams in the adoption of AI tools and practices
• Strong Agile delivery and stakeholder management experience
• Excellent leadership, communication and mentoring skills
• Passion for balancing technical excellence with successful business delivery

We are working with a fast-growing Insurance Services client, who is looking for a hands-on Technical Lead to drive the design, delivery and evolution of a modern, AI-enabled engineering platform. This role offers the opportunity to combine technical leadership with hands-on development, leading a talented team whilst shaping architecture, engineering standards and the adoption of AI-driven capabilities across the organisation.