Senior Software Engineer – Java / Backend Platform

Contract: 12 months, with potential for extension

Location: Budapest, Hungary – Hybrid or Remote, depending on candidate location

Working Model: Flexible hybrid/remote arrangement

Contract Type: Contract

The Opportunity

We are seeking an experienced Senior Software Engineer to support the development and modernisation of enterprise-scale backend and platform systems.

This opportunity is suited to a hands-on engineer with strong Java expertise, modern software engineering practices and experience transforming legacy applications into scalable, maintainable solutions.

You will contribute to the evolution of established platforms, helping improve architecture, engineering workflows, automated testing and delivery practices. You will also be expected to work independently, take ownership of deliverables and use modern AI-assisted development tools to enhance engineering productivity.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop and maintain robust backend services and platform components using Java and modern development frameworks.
• Contribute to the modernisation of legacy applications and monolithic architectures.
• Design and implement scalable APIs and service-to-service communication.
• Apply modern software engineering practices, including trunk-based development, CI/CD and automated testing.
• Leverage AI-assisted development tools to improve coding efficiency, quality and productivity.
• Contribute to cloud-based architecture and engineering solutions across AWS and/or Azure environments.
• Improve code quality, maintainability, reliability and overall engineering standards.
• Work autonomously within a contract delivery model, taking ownership of technical tasks and delivering measurable outcomes.
• Collaborate with engineers and relevant stakeholders to support the continuous evolution of the platform.

Required Skills & Experience

• Proven experience as a Senior Software Engineer working on backend systems or platform engineering.
• Strong hands-on expertise in Java and modern backend development practices.
• Experience with the Spring Framework or similar backend frameworks.
• Practical experience using AI-assisted development tools such as GitHub Copilot, Cursor or equivalent.
• Demonstrable experience modernising legacy systems, monolithic applications or established enterprise platforms.
• Strong understanding of trunk-based development, CI/CD pipelines and automated testing strategies.
• Experience with cloud-based architectures, ideally AWS and/or Microsoft Azure.
• Experience designing APIs and implementing service-to-service communication.
• Ability to work independently, manage priorities and deliver results within a contract engagement.
• Strong problem-solving skills and a focus on producing clean, maintainable and reliable software.

Nice to Have

• Experience working on large-scale, long-lived enterprise platforms.
• Exposure to observability, monitoring, performance optimisation or reliability engineering.
• Frontend development experience using React or similar technologies.
• Experience within the education technology sector or working on learning platforms.

Contract Details

• Duration: Initial 12-month contract, with the possibility of extension.
• Location: Budapest, Hungary.
• Working arrangement: Hybrid or remote, depending on candidate location and project requirements.
• Engagement: Hands-on engineering role focused on delivery, platform modernisation and software engineering excellence.

Interested?

If you are a Senior Software Engineer with strong Java expertise and a passion for modernising backend platforms, we would be interested in hearing from you.

Please get in touch to discuss the opportunity and share your latest CV.

Darwin Recruitment is acting as an Employment Business in relation to this vacancy.

Sheikh Salem