Hands-on Engineering Manager (Java Applications)

Job Description - Hands-on Engineering Manager (Java Applications)

About the Role

We are seeking a highly skilled Hands-on Engineering Manager to lead, mentor, and contribute directly to our engineering teams. This role requires a strong background in Java application development, coupled with a proven track record of applying AI/ML techniques to accelerate efficiency, productivity, and quality across the software development life cycle. You will be both a leader and a practitioner-guiding teams strategically while remaining hands-on in design, coding, and solution delivery.

Key Responsibilities
Leadership & Management
Lead and mentor a team of software engineers, fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
Drive technical excellence, ensuring best practices in architecture, coding, testing, and deployment.
Collaborate with product and business stakeholders to align engineering outcomes with business goals.
Hands-on Technical Delivery
Design, develop, and maintain Java-based applications, frameworks, and services.
Stay hands-on with coding, code reviews, and system design to set the technical bar for the team.
Evaluate and implement AI/ML-driven tools, frameworks, and platforms that improve efficiency, performance, and scalability of Java applications.
AI-driven Efficiency & Innovation
Apply AI solutions to accelerate software development workflows (eg, intelligent code generation, automated testing, performance tuning).
Leverage AI for predictive maintenance, anomaly detection, and monitoring of Java applications in production.
Introduce AI-powered developer productivity tools (eg, code assistants, automated refactoring, build/test optimisations).
Drive proof-of-concepts and experiments to validate AI-driven improvements, measuring impact with clear KPIs.
Operational Excellence
Ensure robust CI/CD pipelines, automated testing frameworks, and observability are Embedded in all solutions.
Champion DevOps, cloud-native principles, and scalability for enterprise-grade Java systems.
Manage technical debt proactively while balancing delivery commitments.

Key Requirements
Proven experience as an Engineering Manager/Tech Lead with hands-on Java development background.
Strong expertise in Java (8+), Spring/Spring Boot, Microservices architecture, and distributed systems.
Practical experience applying AI/ML solutions to improve developer productivity, application performance, or operational efficiency.
Experience with cloud platforms (Azure), containerisation (Docker, Kubernetes), and modern CI/CD pipelines.
Strong problem-solving, communication, and leadership skills with the ability to influence technical direction.

Desirable Skills
Exposure to Generative AI (eg, LLM-based code assistants, retrieval-augmented generation).
Experience with observability tools (Prometheus, Grafana, ELK, OpenTelemetry) and applying AI for intelligent alerting.
Knowledge of big data frameworks (Kafka, Spark, Flink) for data-driven AI use cases.
Background in finance, justice, or enterprise-scale digital transformation projects.

What We Offer
Opportunity to lead high-impact engineering teams delivering innovative Java solutions enhanced with AI.
A culture that encourages experimentation with AI and cutting-edge technologies.
Competitive salary and benefits with career growth opportunities.

Diversity & Inclusion
At Scrumconnect Consulting, we believe that diversity drives innovation. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment where every individual is respected, valued, and supported. We welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds and experiences, and we actively encourage applications from women, people with disabilities, underrepresented communities, and those seeking flexible working arrangements.