Java Software Engineer Contract Leeds or Croydon (Hybrid 2 days onsite per week) Up to £600 per day Inside IR35 6-month contract Requires Active SC An experienced Java Software Engineer is required for an initial 6-month contract supporting a major digital and cyber programme operating within complex, high-security environments. This role offers the opportunity to work on critical backend services, improving automated testing and code quality within an established engineering team. The position is hybrid , with 2 days per week onsite in either Leeds or Croydon , and offers a day rate of up to £600 (Inside IR35) . The Role This role focuses on strengthening backend service quality through improved automated testing and engineering best practices. The successful contractor will work closely with software engineers and requirements owners to increase test coverage, reduce defects, and improve maintainability across existing services. Key Skills & Experience Strong Java development experience (Java 17+) Experience with JUnit 5 and modern Spring / Spring Boot (3.x) Strong understanding of automated testing frameworks and strategies Experience improving test coverage and quality within backend services Knowledge of modern testing tools such as TestContainers or similar Ability to refactor production code to improve testability Experience working in collaborative engineering teams Strong ability to interpret and challenge functional and non-functional requirements Experience estimating work and delivering against agreed timelines Strong communication and technical discussion skills TPBN1\_UKTJ