Staff Software Engineer (Java)
The Opportunity
Our client is a US‑based software provider serving major Academic and Sporting organisations - institutions where technology underpins daily operations at massive scale. Their systems demand absolute correctness, long‑term reliability, and architectures that evolve gracefully over time.
This is a remote‑first environment with a Belfast engineering hub available for meetups, collaboration, and team events.
They are now seeking a Staff Software Engineer to act as a senior technical leader across a core product area. This is a high‑impact role with a deep backend focus, centred around Java‑based distributed systems. You will influence architecture across multiple teams, remove delivery blockers, guide large‑scale technical decisions, and embed enduring engineering standards.
Success in this role is measured not by volume of output, but by long‑lasting architectural clarity, improved system health, sustainable engineering practices, and stronger cross‑team alignment. You'll report to an Engineering Manager and work closely with senior stakeholders across the organisation.
What You Will Do
- Operate as a Staff‑level technical leader across a complex, multi‑service product ecosystem
- Shape backend architecture and system‑level designs across Java and Spring‑based services
- Lead high‑impact engineering initiatives focused on scalability, performance, and operational resilience
- Act as a trusted authority for complex technical decisions and domain‑wide challenges
- Partner with Product to translate workflows and requirements into robust distributed systems
- Collaborate with Platform, DevOps, and Reliability functions to strengthen observability and operational maturity
- Reduce legacy complexity by addressing architectural gaps, bottlenecks, and technical debt
- Raise engineering standards through pairing, design reviews, technical documentation, and knowledge sharing
What You Will Bring
Must‑haves
- 10+ years of professional software engineering experience
- Deep expertise in Java and the Spring ecosystem
- Strong backend engineering background with solid experience in relational databases (ideally PostgreSQL)
- Experience navigating complex or legacy domains where architecture is continuously evolving
- Demonstrated ability to influence technical direction across teams or product areas
- Ownership mindset across design, implementation, and operational support
- Comfortable collaborating across Product, Platform, SRE, Support, and Engineering leadership
- Excellent communication skills, able to build trust and alignment
- Pragmatic decision‑maker balancing speed, quality, and long‑term system health
Nice‑to‑haves
- Experience with Angular or modern JavaScript frameworks
- Background working with data‑heavy systems, analytics, or performance‑critical workloads
- Familiarity with AWS, DevOps tooling, or SRE practices
- Exposure to regulated, compliance‑driven, or operationally complex products
Who Thrives in This Role
You're a Staff Engineer who leads through influence, not authority - someone who can dive into complex systems, ask the hard questions, and emerge with a clearer, healthier architecture.
You enjoy operating in ambiguity, especially in mature or post‑acquisition environments where systems require thoughtful, incremental evolution. You care deeply about sustainability, reliability, and building platforms that will still make sense years from now.
You balance humility with high standards, think beyond immediate delivery, and take pride in designing systems that are scalable, maintainable, and genuinely impactful for end users.
Why Work With OCHO?
OCHO represents the largest portfolio of technology roles of any tech recruitment firm in Northern Ireland. If this particular opportunity isn't quite the right fit, I'm always happy to grab a coffee and talk through the Northern Ireland tech landscape and opportunities in 2026.
For more information or a confidential discussion, feel free to reach out to Ryan Quinn directly on LinkedIn.