Design and build backend services and APIs (REST/WebSocket) supporting data ingestion, transformation, and delivery to frontend and downstream consumers, with particular attention to latency and throughput given real-time processing requirements.
Own data storage and pipeline architecture, including integration with streaming/event infrastructure.
Implement authentication and authorisation in line with the team's chosen cloud identity and access management approach.
Provide technical direction and review for frontend development (React/TypeScript), working closely with frontend engineers to align on approach, component contracts, and data shapes
this is a collaboration and oversight function rather than day-to-day frontend delivery.
Collaborate closely with computer vision/data science engineers to define and consume data contracts.
Participate in technical decision-making for a product in active development, including architecture choices with long-term implications for scale, latency, and maintainability.
Contribute to technical leadership of the wider engineering team, given the seniority of this role.

Strong backend engineering background with production experience in Java (required).
Demonstrated experience building low-latency, high-throughput systems
this is a core requirement, not a nice-to-have.
Working knowledge of a modern frontend framework such as React/TypeScript, sufficient to review and direct frontend work rather than deliver it independently.
Experience with cloud infrastructure and event-driven architectures (e.g. Kafka or equivalent streaming technology).
Experience designing and evolving API contracts (OpenAPI or similar) in a fast-moving, still-evolving product environment.
Familiarity with modern cloud identity and access management approaches (e.g. AWS Cognito or equivalent) is a plus.
Strong communication skills
able to work directly with product and cross-functional stakeholders, and to mentor or direct engineers outside their own core discipline.
Comfortable with ambiguity: this is a build-phase product with evolving scope and infrastructure decisions still being finalised.

Principal Java Engineer – Backend Platform

Key skills