Contract Software Engineer (Java/Kotlin)
Posted Today by Booking.com
Negotiable
Undetermined
Hybrid
Manchester Area, United Kingdom
Summary: The role of Contract Backend Engineer at Booking.com involves building a robust framework for integrating third-party providers, aiming to significantly reduce onboarding time for iconic destinations. The position requires strong backend engineering skills in Java or Kotlin, with a focus on automated testing and handling complex integrations. The successful candidate will join a newly formed team in Manchester, working in a hybrid model to collaborate closely with the permanent team. This is an initial 6-month contract with potential for extension.
Key Responsibilities:
- Design and implement robust backend connectivity services and APIs using Java or Kotlin.
- Work creatively around third-party partner APIs to ensure reliable data mapping and handling.
- Write comprehensive automated test suites to support code delivery.
- Help set up repositories and documentation optimized for AI integration.
Key Skills:
- Strong experience in Java or Kotlin.
- Passion for writing automated tests to ensure high-quality code delivery.
- Practical experience with distributed systems and APIs.
- Experience with AI-adjacent engineering and cloud-native deployments is desirable.
- Exposure to external integrations in travel or marketplace domains is a bonus.
Salary (Rate): undetermined
City: Manchester
Country: United Kingdom
Working Arrangements: hybrid
IR35 Status: undetermined
Seniority Level: undetermined
Industry: IT
Contract Backend Engineer (Java or Kotlin)
About the Role & Vision
At Booking.com , our mission is to make it easier for everyone to experience the world. The newly formed Attractions Connectivity team in Manchester is embarking on a foundational mission: scaling and optimizing how we integrate third-party providers (think onboarding iconic destinations like the Eiffel Tower or Sagrada Familia). Currently, onboarding can take up to 6 months. Our 5-year vision is to reduce that to one week per integration . We are building a brand-new, robust framework from scratch to achieve this—and we plan to lean hard on AI to automate and build these future integration flows . We are looking for 3 Contract Software Engineers to join at the absolute ground floor to help us stand up the repos, shape the foundations, and build a highly resilient framework.
Term: Initial 6-month contract (with potential for review toward the end of the year)
Location: Manchester office (Strong preference for a hybrid model: 2 days a week in-office to collaborate closely with the scaling permanent team)
Start Date: Targets for 1st July 2026
What You’ll Do
- Build Greenfield Frameworks: Design and implement robust backend connectivity services and APIs using a modern Java or Kotlin stack.
- Integrate with "Inflexible" APIs: Work creatively around third-party partner APIs that we cannot control or alter, ensuring reliable data mapping and handling.
- Champion Code Reliability: Heavily focus on writing comprehensive automated test suites to support every piece of code you deliver, laying the groundwork for a future automated testing framework.
- Shape AI-Friendly Repos: Help set up repositories and documentation (e.g., robust Claude.md files or similar prompt-engineering context) so the framework is optimized to leverage AI skills for generating new integrations.
What You’ll Bring
Absolute Non-Negotiables:
- Strong Backend Engineering: Solid experience in either Java OR Kotlin (experience in both is not mandatory; comfort in either is fine).
- Automated Testing Mindset: This is a role for a feature engineer who is passionate about writing their own automated tests to support high-quality code delivery. (We are not looking for pure QA/automation testers).
- Distributed Systems & APIs: Practical experience handling integration complexities (retries, timeouts, partial failure states, and external REST APIs).
Highly Desirable (The Wishlist):
- AI-Adjacent Engineering: Experience setting up code repositories to be AI-friendly or working alongside LLMs/AI tooling to accelerate development.
- Cloud & Operations: Hands-on experience with AWS , cloud-native deployments (Docker, Kubernetes), and a default mindset toward observability and monitoring.
- Domain Exposure: Prior experience dealing with external integrations in travel, ticketing, or marketplace domains (e.g., Ticketmaster, OTAs) is a bonus, but not required if your core technical skills are sharp.