Lead Java Developer (Contract) | Germany (Remote)

Location: Remote across Germany with occasional travel to Munich

Contract: 6–12 Months (with strong possibility of extension)

Day Rate:€650–€900/day (depending on experience)

Eligibility: Must be based in Germany and hold EU citizenship

Experience: 6 years

About the Opportunity

Our client, a leading technology organisation, is looking for an experienced Lead Java Developer to join a high-performing engineering team delivering scalable backend solutions for enterprise applications.

This is an exciting opportunity to work on modern cloud-native systems, helping to shape the architecture of critical backend services used by millions of users. You'll collaborate with talented engineers in a fast-paced environment, focusing on clean code, modern engineering practices, and scalable microservices.

This is a 6–12 month contract with a strong likelihood of extension.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain scalable backend services using Java.
• Lead the development of cloud-native microservices and distributed systems.
• Drive best engineering practices, including TDD, CI/CD, code reviews, and automated testing.
• Collaborate with Solution Architects, Product Owners, and Engineering teams to deliver high-quality software.
• Contribute to system architecture decisions and continuous platform improvements.
• Optimise application performance, scalability, and reliability.
• Mentor developers and provide technical leadership across the team.
• Troubleshoot complex production issues and support continuous improvement initiatives.

Requirements

• 6 years commercial experience in Java backend development.
• Strong experience with modern Java (Java 17 preferred).
• Experience developing RESTful APIs and microservices.
• Experience working with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP).
• Solid understanding of Kubernetes and containerised applications.
• Experience with relational databases such as PostgreSQL or MySQL.
• Strong knowledge of CI/CD pipelines, Git, and modern software development practices.
• Excellent communication skills and experience working within Agile teams.
• Fluent Germany & English.
• Must be based in Germany.
• Must hold EU citizenship with unrestricted right to work in Germany.

Nice to Have

• Previous experience in a Lead Developer or Technical Lead position.
• Experience with Kafka or other event-driven architectures.
• Experience with Redis or distributed caching.
• Exposure to Kotlin or Scala.
• Previous experience within fintech, banking, or other high-availability environments.