Job Specifications
Scala Engineer – Distributed Ledger Technology
Location: UK-based with client site travel as required
Clearance: Active SC required, NPPV3 highly desirable (we can facilitate NPPV3 if needed)
Engagement: Outside IR35
Start Date: Rolling — current and upcoming projects available
Overview:
OB Collective is seeking an experienced Scala Engineer to help build and deploy a next-generation distributed data infrastructure for a UK Government client.
This is a foundational hire, shaping not just the technical implementation but also the delivery team design, assurance approach and long-term architectural roadmap.
The platform supports cross-agency data workflows, immutable audit trails and cryptographic assurance of data in transit. This role will be central to delivering cryptographically secure, schema-bound applications based on a proven distributed ledger technology (DLT) codebase with production validation in national security environments.
Key Responsibilities:
Lead the development of Scala-based modules that interface with cryptographic signing logic, validator nodes, and data lineage services
Optimise and maintain graph-like ledger structures, ensuring performance and resilience at scale
Contribute to the evolution of smart contract–like policy enforcement components for access, validation, and metadata control
Collaborate with DevOps, data architects, and security leads to deliver end-to-end features in high-assurance environments
Support test coverage, documentation and knowledge transfer to both clients and internal delivery teams
Essential Skills & Experience:
5+ years Scala development experience in production-grade systems
Deep familiarity with JVM-based architecture, functional programming and concurrency models
Experience working with distributed ledger / blockchain technologies, ideally with schema validation and consensus design exposure
Strong understanding of cryptographic patterns (e.g. signature schemes, immutability, audit trails) and when/how to apply them
Previous work in regulated, secure, or public sector environments e.g. Central Government, Defence, Financial Services, or high-assurance systems
Experience with build pipelines, containerisation and monitoring tools (e.g. GitHub Actions, Docker, Prometheus)
Desirable:
Experience working on real-time or high-integrity systems (e.g. digital identity, sensitive data exchange, aerospace, or regulated comms)
Familiarity with RDF, OWL, or other graph/linked data models
Experience in schema design or JSON-LD processing at scale
Familiarity with Scala test frameworks and infrastructure-as-code tooling
Types of Applications You'll Work On:
Federated Data Exchange: enabling real-time, policy-based sharing between departments and agencies without centralised control
Edge Data Validation: ensuring data integrity at the point of capture from rugged field devices, sensors, and mobile applications
AI Training Data Validation: cryptographically anchoring datasets used for model training, ensuring provenance and tamper-resistance
Hardware/Sensor Data Provenance: validating telemetry, geolocation, and biometric inputs across distributed endpoints
Secure Digital Evidence Handling: cryptographic workflows for evidence submission, video/audio chain of custody, and judicial reporting
Real-Time Regulatory Assurance: embedding compliance into procurement, grant funding, case management and enforcement processes
All systems are underpinned by schema-bound, cryptographically verifiable infrastructure, supporting zero-trust access, immutability and secure multi-agency collaboration in line with UK Government Service Standards and NCSC guidance.
Why Join OB Collective?
We're looking for driven, ambitious individuals with a proven delivery record and an interest in working with some of the most innovative cryptographic technology in the Public Sector.
If you want to help shape the UK’s approach to data sovereignty, digital trust and cryptographic security, we'd love to hear from you.
About the Company
We believe working with a delivery partner to build digital products and craft next-gen platforms can be done better. We are passionate about our clients, their problems, and working with the ‘best of the best’ to get it done.
At OB Collective we invest time up-front with your team to ensure we can align both culturally and architecturally. From there, we use our best-in-class network to shape the perfect team, who will possess the right maturity, knowledge, and expertise to leave you with sustainable, scalable solutions wi...
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