Senior Java Engineer - AI Enablement
IG Group is a FTSE250 FinTech company building mobile, web and desktop platforms for trading. We are forming a Service Modernisation & AI team to pioneer AI first development practices in financial services.
About the Team
You will join a small squad of 5-6 senior engineers and an embedded architect, scaling with contractors as needed.
Responsibilities Service Modernisation (50%)
- Modernise legacy services using AI: analyse codebases, understand dependencies, extract clean APIs.
- Work on high impact legacy services that block delivery speed.
- Implement strangler fig patterns and other proven migration approaches.
- Deliver modernised services with comprehensive tests, documentation, and multi instance deployment.
- Complete modernisations in fast cycles with monthly milestones.
- Use AI to accelerate analysis, refactoring, testing, and documentation.
- Hand off modernised services to Platform Services or divisions with clear ownership.
- Demonstrate measurable improvements: faster APIs, better performance, higher reliability.
AI Implementation & Automation (50%)
- Build AI powered development infrastructure.
- Implement Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers for service discovery, dependency mapping, and architecture compliance.
- Create AI assisted CI/CD pipelines with automated code review, security scanning, and test generation.
- Build automation using Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, and LLM APIs.
- Develop reusable AI tooling for other engineers.
- Use AI for all coding tasks: refactoring, test creation, documentation, debugging.
- Document patterns and share learnings.
- Train teams during service handoffs on AI enabled workflows.
- Demonstrate when to use AI vs human judgment.
Qualifications Backend Engineering
- 8+ years of software engineering with Java backend expertise.
- Experience modernising production systems at scale.
- Strong API design and microservices architecture knowledge.
- Understanding of strangler fig patterns, service decomposition, and legacy migration strategies.
AI/LLM Implementation (Critical Differentiator)
- Hands on experience building with Model Context Protocol (MCP).
- Demonstrated use of Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, or similar AI development tools in production.
- Experience implementing AI in CI/CD pipelines (code review, testing, security scanning).
- Built agentic AI solutions or AI powered automation tools.
- Understanding of prompt engineering, model selection, and LLM capabilities/limitations.
Proven AI Impact
- Achieved measurable productivity improvements using AI in development.
- Implemented AI assisted refactoring, test generation, or documentation at scale.
- Experience with AI code analysis and automated remediation.
- Track record of shipping production systems built with AI assistance.
Culture & Leadership Style - What Matters Most
- Delivery focused: Ship working modernised services, not just build tools.
- Hands on: Write code daily, not just architect or advise.
- Pragmatic: Use AI to go faster, not to be clever.
- Teacher through doing: Others learn by seeing your PRs and shipped work.
- Measurement driven: Track AI productivity gains and share data.
- Collaborative: Work across divisions and time zones professionally.
Work Model
Hybrid working model with three days in the office.
Benefits
- Competitive salary and flexible benefits package (12%).
- Private medical cover for you and your family.
- Life insurance.
- Gym membership contributions.
- 25 days holiday plus one birthday day and two additional days for voluntary work (28 days total).
- Option to buy or sell holiday days.
- Unlimited access to LinkedIn Learning.
- Onboarding process.
- Employee led networks (LGBTQ+, Women's, Black, Parents & Carers) with budget for events.
- Enhanced maternity, paternity, and shared parental pay and leave.
- ESG initiatives through IG Brighter Future Fund.
Diversity & Inclusion
We believe diversity is vital to success. We encourage applications from people with diverse backgrounds and experiences.