Head of Backend Engineering

Social network you want to login/join with:Up to £150,000 + 20–25% bonus (permanent)Remote-first | No equity at this stageWeDo is exclusively supporting a mission-led fintech that delivers working capital and training to underserved micro and small businesses. With millions of loans already disbursed and an impressive repayment rate, they combine mobile money, machine learning, and a hybrid service model to create long-term, sustainable impact.They are now seeking a Head of Backend Engineering to lead the development and evolution of their core lending platform. This is a strategic, hands-on leadership role with ownership of backend architecture, performance, and team growth. Someone who is a technologist at heart and regrets not coding as much but can still (if needed) review PRs, design solution architectures, or contribute to system designs (Approximately 20% of the role) HOWEVER, understands that their greatest impact comes from enabling others to thrive and succeed within the Payment, Fintech or Banking domain would be highly successful in this position.What you’ll be doing:Lead and develop a high-performing backend engineering team with a focus on collaboration, mentorship, and technical excellenceOwn backend architecture and strategy, ensuring systems are scalable, reliable, and securePlay a hands-on role in development, especially in Java (ideally with Quarkus/GraalVM, or SpringBoot as an alternative)Oversee backend API design and integration, including messaging platforms such as Pub/SubDefine and track technical KPIs (e.g. system availability, latency, error rates)Collaborate across product, infrastructure, frontend, and data teams to drive outcomesMaintain high standards in software quality, testing, and maintainabilityWhat we’re looking for:10+ years in software engineering, with 7+ years in backend Java developmentStrong experience building distributed systems and microservicesProven leadership of engineering teams with the ability to coach, delegate, and develop othersHands-on expertise in Java, with a strong preference for Quarkus or GraalVM; SpringBoot experience also consideredFamiliarity with messaging systems such as Pub/Sub, Kafka, or RabbitMQStrong understanding of REST API design, CI/CD practices, and Agile methodologiesExperience in fintech, payments, or banking domainsWho this suits:Someone who is technically strong and values-drivenA leader who enables their team rather than dominating itSomeone who solves the right problems, not all the problemsA pragmatic engineer who believes in doing what works, not chasing the latest trendsSomeone who aligns with long-term goals and product missionWho this isn’t forAnyone looking to rewrite the entire codebase – it’s Java and will stay that waySomeone aiming to move the platform to AWS – the company is fully committed to GCPCandidates driven primarily by equity or valuation over purpose and delivery #J-18808-Ljbffr