Technical Lead (Java)

About GFT

GFT Technologies is an AI-centric global digital transformation company. We design advanced data and AI transformation solutions, modernize technology architectures and develop next-generation core systems for industry leaders in Banking, Insurance, Manufacturing and Robotics. Partnering closely with our clients, we push boundaries to unlock their full potential. With deep industry expertise, cutting-edge technology, and a strong partner ecosystem, GFT delivers responsible AI-centric solutions that combine engineering excellence, high-performance delivery and cost efficiency. Our team of 12,000+ technology experts operate in 20+ countries worldwide offering career opportunities at the forefront of software innovation.

We are looking for a seasoned engineering leader to support the modernization of a large-scale enterprise platform within a regulated financial services environment. The role will initially focus on engineering hygiene improvements, helping reduce technical complexity, improve maintainability, and establish stronger engineering practices. Beyond the initial stabilization and clean-up phase, the individual will play a key role in shaping the target architecture and guiding a phased modernization journey. This position requires a strong combination of technical leadership, architectural thinking, stakeholder management, and hands-on engineering experience

Key Responsibilities

Engineering Excellence & Platform Improvement

• Lead engineering hygiene and code quality improvement initiatives

• Assess and reduce technical debt across the application landscape

• Define and implement improvements to:

• Engineering standards and practices

• Branching and version control strategy

• Release management processes

• Development lifecycle governance

• Quality assurance and testing practices

• Identify and prioritize quick wins that deliver immediate business and engineering value

Modernization Strategy & Architecture

• Contribute to the definition of target architecture and modernization roadmap

• Assess application landscape, dependencies, integrations, and business-critical workflows

• Recommend modernization approaches and implementation sequencing

• Balance technical improvements with business priorities and operational constraints

• Support phased transformation planning and execution

Stakeholder Engagement & Advisory

• Act as a trusted advisor to both technology and business stakeholders

• Facilitate architecture reviews and decision-making sessions

• Communicate technical findings in clear business language

• Challenge assumptions and provide pragmatic recommendations

• Build alignment across engineering, architecture, product, and business teams

Technical Leadership

• Provide technical direction and governance to delivery teams
• Mentor engineers and promote engineering best practices
• Drive consistency, maintainability, and long-term sustainability
• Ensure recommendations are actionable and aligned with strategic objectives

Required Experience

• 10+ years of software engineering experience
• Proven track record leading modernization or transformation initiatives for large enterprise applications
• Strong software architecture and solution design expertise
• Experience improving engineering practices within complex environments
• Demonstrated success reducing technical debt and improving platform maintainability

Bonus Experience

• Experience working within banking, financial services, fintech, insurance, or other regulated industries

Technical Expertise

The ideal candidate should have strong experience across multiple areas of the modern enterprise application landscape:

• Deep expertise in Java-based enterprise applications and distributed systems
• Strong understanding of modern application architectures and integration patterns
• Experience modernizing legacy platforms and reducing technical debt
• Strong database and data modelling knowledge, ideally within Oracle environments
• Experience with messaging and event-driven architectures
• Familiarity with modern frontend frameworks and API-driven architectures
• Good understanding of application security, authentication and identity management
• Hands-on experience with Kubernetes, containerized platforms and cloud-native practices
• Experience defining engineering standards, release strategies and development governance
• Familiarity with AI-assisted software engineering tools and modern developer productivity practices is a strong advantage

Stakeholder & Leadership Skills

The successful candidate must be comfortable operating at both strategic and delivery levels. Key capabilities include:

• Strong executive and stakeholder communication skills
• Ability to influence technical and business decisions
• Ability to translate technical complexity into business impact
• Strong consulting mindset and problem-solving skills
• Ability to drive consensus across multiple stakeholder groups