Delphi / SQL Developer

Location: Essex – Hybrid – 2 days per week in the office
Salary: Up to £80,000
Type: Permanent

Cooper Lomaz are recruiting on behalf of our client for an experienced Delphi / SQL Developer to join a well-established development team supporting large-scale, business-critical enterprise systems.

This is a key role focused on maintaining, enhancing, and future-proofing a legacy Delphi-based application, while contributing to ongoing development and modernisation initiatives.

The Role

As a Delphi / SQL Developer, you will play a vital role in ensuring the stability, performance, and scalability of a complex enterprise system used globally. You will be responsible for analysing existing codebases, implementing improvements, resolving defects, and contributing to future development plans.

Working closely with cross-functional teams, you will translate business requirements into robust technical solutions, helping to drive long-term system reliability and efficiency.

Key Responsibilities

• Maintain, support, and enhance existing Delphi applications
• Diagnose and resolve complex software defects and performance issues
• Analyse legacy code and identify opportunities for improvement and modernisation
• Work closely with business stakeholders to gather and translate requirements
• Develop and implement new features and system enhancements
• Produce clear and accurate technical documentation
• Participate in sprint planning, estimation, and code reviews
• Ensure adherence to secure coding practices and internal QA standards
• Collaborate with QA, Infrastructure, and wider technical teams
• Contribute to system upgrades, transitions, and enhancement projects
• Take ownership of tasks and deliver within agreed timelines

Required Experience

• Minimum 10 years’ commercial experience with Delphi
• Minimum 10 years’ experience with Transact-SQL / Microsoft SQL Server
• At least 3 years’ experience with .NET / C#
• Strong experience maintaining and upgrading legacy systems
• Proven background working with complex, data-driven applications
• Experience working within structured SDLC environments
• Familiarity with Agile, Waterfall, or hybrid delivery models
• Experience collaborating across technical and non-technical teams
• Previous team leadership experience is advantageous

Technical Knowledge

• Strong knowledge of Delphi (XE2, XE10 and later versions)
• Experience with component-based and enterprise system architectures
• Familiarity with third-party Delphi components
• Solid understanding of Windows desktop application development
• Strong knowledge of Microsoft SQL Server
• Experience with multi-tier architectures and system integrations (REST, SOAP, APIs, COM)
• Proficiency in debugging, performance tuning, and optimisation
• Experience using version control systems (Git, SVN, etc.)
• Understanding of secure coding practices and business-critical systems

Key Skills

Technical Skills

• Strong Delphi development and coding capability
• Experience refactoring and maintaining legacy codebases
• Advanced SQL skills including stored procedures and database objects
• Experience integrating with APIs and external services
• Ability to work with undocumented systems and reverse-engineer functionality
• Strong performance analysis and optimisation skills

Soft Skills

• Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities
• Strong communication skills across technical and business stakeholders
• Ability to work independently within a structured environment
• High attention to detail and organisational skills
• Adaptability and a continuous improvement mindset
• Leadership capabilities (desirable)

Education

• Degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field
  or
• Equivalent commercial experience in Delphi development

Relevant certifications in software development or database technologies are beneficial.

About the Opportunity

This is an excellent opportunity to join a highly skilled development team working on critical systems with long-term strategic importance. The role offers the chance to make a tangible impact on system stability, performance, and future direction.