Job Specifications
Backend Java Developer – Data Fabric / Platform Engineering
Location: London (Hybrid)
Employment: Permanent
Salary: £70,000 – £90,000 base (dependent on experience)
If your idea of backend engineering is more than CRUD APIs and microservices boilerplate — this role is for you.
We’re building the core backend services of a Data Fabric platform that governs data access, entitlements, and query policy enforcement across distributed enterprise data systems.
This is platform engineering: deterministic rule engines, SQL planning/interception, and high-throughput services that sit on the critical path of data access.
This is deep backend + data infrastructure work.
What You’ll Do
Build core backend services in Java (17/21) for access control and query manipulation
Implement deterministic policy / rule engines for data governance
Work on SQL parsing, planning, validation, and transformation (e.g., Calcite or similar planners)
Integrate with distributed data platforms / query engines (e.g., Starburst or similar)
Own API contracts with living documentation in CI/CD
Build production-grade, testable pipelines
Drive observability, reliability, and performance
Contribute to architecture decisions (modularity, DI, extensibility)
What You Bring (Must-Have)
Strong hands-on experience in Java (17/21) + Spring
Deep understanding of JDBC, SQL parsing/validation, query planning/optimization
Experience with SQL planners or query transformation layers
Strong grounding in data structures, algorithms, and backend performance
Production-grade testing using JUnit 5, Mockito
Experience with clean architecture, DI, modular design
Comfortable owning CI/CD, code quality, observability
Familiarity with Docker, Maven, Jenkins
Nice to Have
Apache Calcite
Starburst or federated query engines
JVM performance tuning
High-throughput service interfaces (REST/gRPC)
Data governance or policy enforcement layers
This Role Is Ideal If You’ve Worked On
Data platforms, governance layers, query engines, or SQL planners
Backend/platform services that sit in the critical path of data access
Systems where correctness, determinism, and performance matter
Apply here or message me directly with your profile.
About the Company
NextWave is an award-winning Consultancy. Financial Services rms trust us to provide market-leading Strategy, Specialist transformation and AI-enabled automation Solutions. We help our clients to rapidly deliver business outcomes.
NextWave supports many of the world's leading Financial Institutions, including global banks, insurance firms, asset and wealth managers, private banking and private equity houses.
We have specialist transformation teams across Front Ofce, Risk, Data, Finance, Compliance and Operations, plus solu...
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