Java Staff Engineer (m/w/d)

About Finlink

At FinLink, we're on a mission to make mortgage processes simpler, smarter and more connected.

As part of the Bilthouse Group, we're building a SaaS CRM platform that empowers mortgage brokers to manage client relationships, applications and the entire mortgage journey — all in one place.

And we're taking our engineering organization to the next level.

We're moving towards a new operating model built around two value streams — Customer & Advisor and Mortgages. Each stream will take end-to-end ownership of its roadmap, delivery and releases, enabling teams to move faster, make better decisions and deliver meaningful impact.

The Role

Shape the architecture. Drive engineering excellence. Make an impact.

As our Java Staff Engineer, you'll take architectural ownership within one of our value streams, guiding three to four engineering teams towards scalable, reliable and maintainable solutions. You'll simplify complexity, reduce dependencies and turn our Principal Engineers' architectural vision into practical engineering standards.

With Java becoming our primary backend language, you'll play a key role in driving this transformation, modernizing services and growing Java expertise across teams.

This is a hands-on technical leadership role where you'll lead through expertise, collaboration and coaching — empowering Tech Leads, raising engineering standards and shaping the future of our technology landscape.

What You'll Do

• Shape the architecture: Own the technical direction of your value stream, translating architectural principles into practical standards and scalable, maintainable solutions.
• Reduce complexity: Simplify systems, consolidate technologies and reduce dependencies to enable autonomous teams and independent, low-risk releases.
• Drive our Java transformation: Lead the migration towards Java, establish best practices and help engineers grow their Java expertise.
• Champion engineering excellence: Set the standards for code quality, testing, reliability, security and observability, fostering a strong "you build it, you run it" culture.
• Empower technical leaders: Coach and mentor Tech Leads through architectural guidance, constructive reviews and knowledge sharing.
• Take end-to-end ownership: Drive the development and operation of components within your value stream, including shared services.
• Influence strategic decisions: Partner with Product, Delivery Leadership, Principal Engineers and our CISO to align architecture, delivery, quality and security.

What We're Looking For

• Deep Java expertise: Extensive hands-on experience with Java and its ecosystem, designing, building and operating production backend systems.
• Cloud-native know-how: Strong experience with cloud technologies, Docker, Kubernetes and distributed, event-driven architectures. Azure is a plus.
• Architectural leadership: A proven track record of driving complex architectural changes across multiple systems and teams, balancing technical excellence with pragmatic decisions.
• Quality-driven mindset: A strong focus on clean code, testing, observability, reliability and continuous improvement.
• Technology versatility: Openness to working across different technologies, including Ruby and TypeScript, with the ability to see the bigger architectural picture.
• Leadership through influence: The ability to align teams, communicate technical decisions clearly and inspire others without formal authority.
• Passion for mentoring: A collaborative mindset and genuine enthusiasm for coaching engineers and developing Tech Leads.
• Language skills: Fluent English and German proficiency at a minimum C1 level are required, as English is our company language. Applicants must also reside in Germany.

What We Offer

• Real impact and ownership: Take on a high-impact technical leadership role where your decisions directly influence architecture, engineering quality and the future of our technology landscape.
• Shape an engineering transformation: Play a key role in evolving our engineering organization, driving our Java transition and building the foundations for autonomous, high-performing teams.
• Technical leadership without people management: Focus on what you do best — solving complex engineering challenges, shaping architecture and helping others grow.
• A voice in strategic decisions: Work directly with Product Managers, People and Delivery Leads and Principal Engineers to shape technical direction and contribute to the success of your value stream.
• Remote flexibility: Enjoy a fully remote, permanent position with the freedom to work from anywhere in Germany.

Ready to make an Impact?

If you're passionate about building great software, tackling complex architectural challenges and empowering engineering teams to do their best work, we'd love to hear from you.

Join FinLink and help shape the future of our engineering organization.