Java Software Engineer

Requirements

Must have:

- Strong commercial Java development experience - Experience developing desktop applications using Swing and/or JavaFX - Strong understanding of Core Java and object-oriented programming - Experience working within larger or long-term codebases - Good debugging, analytical, and problem-solving skills - Ability to work independently and take ownership of technical challenges - Ability to think beyond individual tickets and contribute to longer-term product improvement - Strong written and verbal English communication skills - Experience with multithreading/concurrency, MySQL or SQLite, JasperReports, Git, file parsing and processing, or AI-assisted development workflows would be beneficial - Strong personal projects, GitHub work, or demonstrable practical coding ability are valued more highly than formal qualifications alone

Responsibilities:

- Build and improve real-world Java desktop software using Swing, with some JavaFX where appropriate - Develop long-term desktop applications rather than web applications - Improve and maintain large commercial codebases - Perform performance optimisation and troubleshooting - Design intuitive desktop user interfaces - Work on database integration using MySQL and SQLite - Handle file processing, reporting, and data handling - Contribute ideas, innovation, and long-term technical improvements across the wider platform - Help guide development standards, architecture decisions, and future technical direction

Company:

We are Semantics 21, a multi-award-winning UK software company developing specialist desktop software used internationally within public safety and investigative environments. Our technology helps organisations process and review digital evidence more effectively, supporting work that can have genuine real-world impact in areas including child protection and public safety. We are a smaller, friendly, low-bureaucracy engineering team with a flat management structure, direct access to our CEO, and a strong focus on long-term product development, sensible AI-assisted tooling, and real influence over technical direction. This is a full-time, permanent, office-based role in our Stafford (ST18) office with free onsite parking, flexible working hours where possible, and a salary of £30,000 to £35,000 depending on experience and responsibility.