These are the questions that come up most often before a first conversation. If something isn't covered here, the quickest way to get an answer is to use the contact form — I respond to all serious enquiries within one business day.
I'm currently on a 12-month contract with DWP Digital through to September 2026. I'm available for focused freelance work that fits around core hours — evenings and weekends — if the project is well-scoped and suits the arrangement. For a new full-time contract, I'm available from October 2026.
For freelance work alongside my current contract, typically within a week of agreeing terms. For a new contract from October 2026, I can start within 30 days of agreement — often sooner depending on notice obligations at the time.
Day-rate contracts and fixed-scope freelance projects are my primary mode. I also take on consulting and architecture review engagements — where you need a senior eye on your system design rather than ongoing delivery — and technical advisory arrangements. I'm open to longer-term opportunities for the right team and problem.
Yes. Some of my most interesting freelance work has been for small teams and founders who needed senior-level engineering judgment without a full-time hire. I'm comfortable working independently with minimal process overhead, which is often what early-stage teams need. I'm equally comfortable in large enterprise and regulated environments — government, banking, and energy are all on my CV.
Yes — I'm remote-first. I'm based in Chipping, Lancashire and have worked fully remotely for the majority of my career. I can attend occasional on-site meetings where there's a genuine reason, but I don't take on roles that require regular office attendance.
I work outside IR35 through my limited company, Samuel Jackson Ltd, for client engagements where the determination supports it. I take IR35 seriously and expect clients to have performed a proper assessment. For engagements that fall inside IR35, I can discuss umbrella company arrangements — just raise it early so we can agree terms accordingly.
My rate reflects senior UK contractor market rates for Java and Spring Boot specialists. I don't publish a fixed number — it depends on the engagement type, duration, domain, and IR35 status. Get in touch with a brief description of the work and I'll give you a clear figure quickly. I don't waste people's time.
I'm UK-based and work UK hours (GMT/BST). I've collaborated effectively with teams across Europe and the US, and some timezone overlap is fine. I'm not available for engagements that require consistent presence outside UK working hours.
Java backend engineering — specifically event-driven microservices with Spring Boot and Apache Kafka, AWS cloud architecture, and real-time data systems. I have 25 years of commercial Java experience across investment banking, financial data platforms, government digital services, energy, and retail.
My most distinctive specialism is betting exchange technology: I've built a production high-frequency trading framework integrated with Betfair's Exchange and Streaming APIs. That combination of Java depth and betting domain knowledge is rare at senior level.
Yes — this is my most specific niche. I've architected and delivered a production-grade, high-frequency trading framework using Betfair's Exchange and Streaming APIs, with automated strategies driven by real-time market signals: Weight of Money trends, Last Traded Price dynamics, price velocity, and order flow imbalance. The architecture is extensible to Betdaq, Smarkets, and Matchbook.
If you're building serious Betfair tooling, I'm one of very few senior Java engineers with genuine production experience at this level.
My focus is backend engineering. I can work in JavaScript and TypeScript and understand frontend concerns well enough to integrate cleanly with frontend teams, but I'm not the right choice if the engagement is primarily frontend or full-stack UI work. If you need the back end built properly and a strong integration contract, that's where I add the most value.
Yes. I've taken on technical leadership throughout my career — owning architecture decisions, mentoring junior and mid-level engineers, running production change management, and providing 3rd-line support. I work well as a senior individual contributor and equally well as the technical lead on a delivery team. If you need someone who will shape how the team works, not just execute tasks, that's something I actively enjoy.
Yes. You can read what previous clients have said on the Testimonials page. For direct references from specific engagements, mention it when you get in touch and I'll connect you with appropriate contacts.
Yes, standard mutual NDAs are fine. I review contracts carefully and take confidentiality seriously — it's a normal part of working in financial services and government. I expect the same professional discretion in return.
For contracted and freelance work, IP ownership is negotiated as part of the engagement terms. The default expectation is that work delivered for a client belongs to the client — I don't retain rights to client codebases. If you have specific IP requirements, raise them early and we'll make sure the contract is clear.
The contact form is the most reliable route — I respond to all serious enquiries within one business day. You can also email directly at jacksosa76@gmail.com. The more context you give about the project upfront — tech stack, scope, timeline, budget range — the faster we can work out whether it's a fit.