Java Software Engineer - Backend at Booking.com, Manchester/Remote, 6 Months+, £Contract Rate

Location: Manchester

Hybrid: 2 days a week in office

Duration: 6 months (possible extension)

About the Role

We are looking for a Software Engineer II to join our team at Booking.com. In this role, you will own the execution of technical solutions across a suite of 20 services, helping us deliver a steady roadmap of 3–4 service enhancements per quarter.

You will focus on high-quality, high-speed backend delivery, building new product features, and implementing crucial service-to-service communication. This role is ideal for a developer who writes clean, testable code and thrives in a high-volume, continuous delivery environment.

What You’ll Do (Key Responsibilities)

• Deliver Backend Solutions: Write, refactor, and own clean, reusable Java code across multiple services.
• End-to-End Ownership: Manage services from development through deployment, including monitoring application health and performance in AWS.
• Database Migration & Scaling: Work on high-volume databases, assisting with batch migrations and optimizing data performance.
• Incident Management: Support live production systems during office hours, resolving issues quickly to maintain system reliability.
• Collaborate & Communicate: Work closely with Product Owners and cross-functional teams to design scalable technical solutions.

Must-Have Skills (The Essentials)

• Core Tech Stack: 3+ years of professional experience with Java (Version 17 onwards) and SpringBoot.
• Database Knowledge: Strong experience with SQL databases (and exposure to high-volume data or batch migrations).
• Strong Testing Practices: Proactive approach to testing; you know what to test and treat automation with the same importance as production code.
• Fast-Paced Delivery: A proven track record of balancing high-quality craft with speed of execution.

Desirable (Nice-to-Haves)

• Cloud Experience: Hands-on experience with AWS (basic security, infrastructure, or DynamoDB).
• Experience setting up secure service-to-service communications.
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or a related field.