Senior Java Developer Montreal

About the role

This role designs server-side solutions for capital, commodity, and digital market participants. The position builds and maintains front-office technology solutions and trading systems for global clients. You will translate complex business requirements into robust, scalable Java implementations that power critical trading workflows. A significant portion of your work will focus on event-driven systems that ensure high throughput and low latency in financial environments. You will collaborate closely with product owners and stakeholders to refine specifications and prioritize delivery. Your responsibilities will include writing clean, testable code and actively participating in the full software development lifecycle. You will also mentor junior developers by providing constructive code reviews and technical guidance. Clear communication will be essential as you explain technical trade-offs to both technical and non-technical audiences.

Key facts

What you'll do

Design and develop server-side Java logic that powers front-office trading applications for diverse market participants. Architect and implement event-driven cloud architectures that handle complex equities trading workflows for capital and commodity markets. Build and maintain order management and execution systems that strictly adhere to FIX protocol standards for electronic trading. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure knowledge sharing and foster a collaborative environment that promotes professional growth. Implement data injection strategies and inversion of control patterns to effectively manage cloud dependencies and integrations. Apply agile practices with Scrum or Kanban to coordinate delivery cycles and manage evolving financial services requirements. Leverage experience with OMS, EMS, and exchange systems to seamlessly integrate order workflows across multiple trading venues. Utilize your understanding of equities trading and brokerage operations to ensure solutions align with real-world client market needs. Employ modern development aids and AI tools to enhance productivity and improve the software development lifecycle. Write and maintain high-quality code by developing comprehensive tests and actively participating in debugging sessions to resolve production issues.

Requirements

The posting states a bachelor's degree requirement. A degree is required for this position. Significant professional server-side software development experience is required to contribute at an expert level within complex financial systems. Familiarity with core data structures such as sets, hashes, and caches is required for designing high-performance software components. Experience delivering front office financial systems is required to understand the stringent constraints of the trading domain. Experience with order management systems, EMS, and exchange interfaces is required to ensure seamless integration of order workflows. Exposure to equities trading and brokerage operations is required to build solutions that address specific client market needs. Understanding of data injection techniques and inversion of control patterns is required to manage dynamic cloud dependencies effectively. Agile experience with Scrum or Kanban is required to coordinate iterative delivery in regulated financial services environments. Familiarity with AI tools and practices is required to leverage modern development aids and improve code quality. The ability to obtain security clearance and pass a background check is mandatory for continued employment.

Practical notes

The role is subject to background check. Employment is contingent on acceptable background check results. Typical interview steps for engineering positions usually start with a recruiter screen, followed by one or two technical rounds. Candidates often solve a coding problem, discuss past projects, and answer system design questions to demonstrate their technical capabilities. Some interview loops may include a take-home task to assess practical coding skills. Final rounds typically cover team fit and provide candidates with an opportunity to ask detailed questions about the role and company. Interviewers look for how candidates break down unfamiliar problems and approach problem-solving, not just whether they reach the correct answer. Practicing a few problems aloud and reviewing your own past projects thoroughly are the best preparation methods for success.

Good to know

Java remains a dominant language for building robust financial systems in demanding market environments. Cloud native architectural patterns provide the scalability and resilience required for modern trading platforms. Event driven architecture is fundamental to building responsive and reliable order processing systems. FIX protocols act as the critical standard that connects trading applications across diverse global markets. Agile methodologies coordinate delivery and ensure alignment with strict regulatory requirements in financial services. Engineering careers at this level involve significant ownership and influence on critical product components.

Questions to ask

Worth asking in any interview: how the team measures success, who the role works with daily, what the onboarding looks like, and what the company is trying to achieve this year. Asking what previous hires did well during their time on the team serves as a strong final question that provides insight into team dynamics. Keep the list of questions short and select the questions that matter most to your career goals and personal values.

Career growth

Engineering careers usually progress from individual contributor roles to senior, staff, and principal levels over time. Some engineers may transition into management tracks and lead teams of five to twenty people effectively. Others prefer to stay on the technical track and deepen their expertise in specific domains. Growth is determined by demonstrated impact and the quality of contributions, not tenure alone. A typical engineering ladder has clear levels with defined expectations for scope, ownership, quality of work, and mentorship of junior team members. Moving up to more senior levels usually requires owning outcomes end to end rather than simply completing assigned tickets or isolated tasks.