Job Opportunities API

The Role We're looking for a Mid-Level Software Engineer to join a team building and enhancing critical integrations and backend services within a modern cloud-native platform. This is primarily a backend engineering role, focused on developing scalable Java applications using Spring Boot, designing and consuming APIs, and building reliable integrations between business-critical systems. You'll work across cloud infrastructure, messaging services, containerised deployments, and observability tooling to ensure applications remain secure, resilient, and highly available. You'll collaborate closely with product, engineering, and platform teams to deliver high-quality software that supports real-world business processes at scale. What You'll Be Doing - Design, develop, and maintain backend services using Java 21+ and Spring Boot - Build and enhance integrations between internal and third-party platforms - Design, develop, and consume REST APIs - Work with PostgreSQL databases, including schema design, optimisation, and migrations using Flyway - Develop event-driven solutions leveraging AWS services including SQS and SNS - Build cloud-native functionality using AWS services such as S3 - Write automated tests using modern testing frameworks, including Testcontainers - Develop and maintain local development environments using Docker Compose - Deploy and operate applications in Kubernetes environments - Monitor, troubleshoot, and optimise application performance using Datadog - Collaborate with stakeholders to gather requirements and translate them into robust technical solutions - Contribute to CI/CD practices and continuous improvement initiatives - Apply secure coding principles and software engineering best practices - Support production systems, investigate issues, and drive operational excellence What We're Looking For - Strong commercial experience developing software using Java and Spring Boot - Experience designing and building RESTful APIs - Experience working with PostgreSQL in production environments - Familiarity with database migration tools such as Flyway - Experience building and maintaining containerised applications using Docker - Experience with Kubernetes or other container orchestration platforms - Understanding of cloud-native architectures and AWS services - Experience working with messaging and event-driven systems - Strong testing mindset, including automated integration testing - Experience troubleshooting and supporting production applications - Strong software engineering fundamentals and problem-solving skills - Excellent communication and collaboration skills Nice to Have - Experience with AWS S3, SQS, and SNS - Experience using Testcontainers for integration testing - Experience with observability and monitoring platforms such as Datadog - Familiarity with Docker Compose for local development environments - Experience working in distributed systems or microservices architectures - Exposure to CI/CD pipelines and DevOps practices - Experience using tools such as Postman for API development and testing - Experience working in consulting or client-facing environments Please note: We offer flexible hybrid working, but candidates should be based in Northern Ireland and able to attend our Belfast office when required. Why Join Instil? At Instil, we believe great work starts with happy, motivated people. That’s why we’ve built a benefits package that supports your wellbeing, growth, and life outside of work, because when you thrive, so do we. - Recognition That Matters: A discretionary annual performance bonus that rewards your impact and contribution to our success. - Flexibility Built In: Flexible working arrangements and summer hours, because life isn’t 9 to 5, and balance matters. - Financial Security: A highly competitive pension scheme with generous employer contributions, private healt