We are looking for a Backend Developer to join our HCM Localisation engineering team and help evolve a large-scale, cloud-based enterprise product. This role is focused on building and maintaining scalable backend services supporting complex product workflows, integrations, performance improvements, and ongoing platform modernisation.
*** Please note: This is a hybrid role requiring 3 days per week in our Newcastle office ***
In this role you'll:
- Design, develop, and maintain robust backend services using Scala 2.13 and Play Framework in a Pekko-based environment.
- Build clean, testable, and maintainable code using functional programming principles, immutability, pattern matching, and asynchronous programming with Futures.
- Work with MySQL to design efficient data access patterns, optimize queries, tune indexes, and profile database performance.
- Develop, deploy, and support services in AWS, working closely with DevOps and platform teams to ensure reliable delivery.
- Contribute to CI/CD pipelines, Git-based pull request workflows, code reviews, and engineering best practices.
- Collaborate with frontend engineers, QA, product owners, solution designers, and other backend developers to deliver high-quality product increments.
- Support production stability by investigating issues, improving observability, and continuously reducing technical debt.
Required Skills and Experience:
- Professional backend development experience, ideally in enterprise, SaaS, or cloud-based product environments.
- Strong hands-on experience with Scala, including collections, Futures, immutability, pattern matching, error handling, and clean functional design.
- Commercial experience with Play Framework or comparable JVM backend frameworks; Pekko or Akka experience is highly relevant.
- Strong understanding of relational databases, especially MySQL, with practical knowledge of SQL optimization, indexes, query profiling, and transaction behaviour.
- Experience using Redis or similar technologies for caching, session handling, or performance-sensitive workloads.
- Deep understanding of OOP principles, functional programming, concurrency, the Scala type system, and advanced architectural patterns (e.g., Tagless Final, type classes, effect systems).
- Ability to design and evolve complex distributed systems while promoting engineering best practices across the team
- Hands-on experience with AWS services and cloud-native delivery practices.
- Good understanding of CI/CD, Git, branching strategies, pull request flows, automated testing, and release practices.
- Ability to work effectively in distributed Agile teams, communicate clearly, and take ownership of complex technical problems.
Nice to Have:
- Experience with Squeryl, Doobie, or similar Scala data access libraries.
- Familiarity with Grafana or Kibana dashboards, alerting, logging, and production observability practices.
- Experience with large distributed systems, horizontal scaling, resilient service design, or high-throughput Play / Pekko applications.
- Previous experience in Payroll, HR, HCM, ERP, compliance-heavy, or localisation-focused product domains.
- Russian, Ukrainian, or Polish language skills would be beneficial, but are not essential.
Ways of Working:
- Pragmatic, delivery-focused, and able to balance new feature development with maintenance, bug fixing, and technical improvement work.
- Proactive in code reviews, design discussions, troubleshooting, and knowledge sharing across the engineering team.
- Strong problem-solving mindset, attention to detail, and willingness to work with an established codebase while helping modernise it over time.
Want to know more about our Product?: https://hcm.sage.com/
Benefits? We have plenty...
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCMtTYUUiuU
- Generous bonuses and pension scheme: Up to 8% matched pension contribution plus 2% top-up by Sage.
- 25 days of paid annual leave with the option to buy up to another 5 days.
- 8 bank holiday days.
- Paid 5 days yearly to volunteer through our Sage Foundation.
- 50% income protection.
- Holiday buy + sell.
- Comprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage.
- Work away scheme for up to 10 weeks a year.
- Ongoing training and professional development.
- Hybrid working.
- Healthy Mind app membership
- Access to various helpful memberships for finances, health and wellbeing.
Developer - Scala in Newcastle upon Tyne employer: 慨正橡扯
At 慨正橡扯, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer that champions innovation and collaboration in the field of Behavioral Economics and Retirement Research. Our hybrid working model not only offers flexibility but also nurtures a vibrant work culture where employees are encouraged to grow and develop their skills through meaningful projects and leadership opportunities. Join us in Europe, where your expertise will directly contribute to enhancing investor outcomes and shaping impactful business strategies.
