At a Glance
- Tasks: Build innovative software solutions and tackle real-world problems directly from users.
- Company: Join A1 Tech Deals, a fast-growing UK tech retailer challenging the giants.
- Benefits: Enjoy a competitive salary, hybrid work model, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Be part of a small team driving significant change in e-commerce.
- Why this job: Make a tangible impact in a dynamic environment with autonomy and direct communication.
- Qualifications: Full-stack experience with FastAPI, React, and strong SQL skills required.
The predicted salary is between 85000 - 85000 £ per year.
Full-time · Manchester (on-site onboarding, then hybrid) · £85,000/year
Hi — I'm the founder of A1 Tech Deals. We're a UK tech retailer taking on Amazon on their own turf: better prices on the tech people actually want, a proper UK storefront, real cashback, and a curated set of suppliers behind the scenes instead of a faceless everything-store. And it's working. We've done £100M in revenue across our consumer and B2B business, we're growing fast, and our customers back it up — 10,000+ Trustpilot reviews and 5,000+ Google reviews. Here's the thing though: a platform this size — a storefront, two dashboards, and the payment and fulfilment pipelines behind them — is still run by a very small team. That's why I need my first senior engineer.
WHAT THIS JOB ACTUALLY IS
Most of your week will be building. But here's the part that makes this role different: nobody is going to hand you a spec. Our sellers and our support team know exactly where the platform hurts — the order that won't sync, the report they rebuild by hand every week, the screen that takes ten clicks to do one thing. Your job is to get those problems straight from the people living them, work out what's actually worth building, and then build it end to end. If you need someone to write you a ticket before you can start, this isn't the role. If you like turning a vague "this is painful" into a shipped feature, it very much is. You'll have a direct line to me and a lot of autonomy. You're the first senior hire, so you'll also set the engineering bar — how we test, how we ship, what "good" looks like — and help me grow a team behind you.
WHAT YOU'LL WORK ON
The whole stack, across four surfaces and the services that glue them together:
- Storefront — the customer-facing shop (Next.js / TypeScript)
- Seller dashboard — where our sellers manage listings, orders and payouts (React + FastAPI)
- Support dashboard — the tools our support team runs the business on (React + FastAPI)
- Services — payment sync (Stripe, PayPal), fulfilment and tracking, search, the financial ledger, and whatever we need next
It runs on PostgreSQL (Supabase) and deploys to Railway and Vercel. It handles real money and real orders every single day.
YOU'LL FIT IF YOU
These are the things I genuinely need from day one — all four:
- You're full-stack and mean it — equally at home in a FastAPI/Python backend and a React/TypeScript frontend.
- You're strong with SQL and Postgres — you can design a schema, write a safe migration, and reason about what a query (or a lock) does under load.
- You own things in production — you deploy, you read the logs, you debug the live incident. Code isn't "done" when it's merged; it's done when it works for customers.
- You've worked in e-commerce or payments before — checkout, orders, payments, marketplaces. You know why this domain is unforgiving.
I'm not counting your years. Show me the range and the ownership and we'll talk.
HOW WE BUILD
We build with AI in the loop — Claude Code and tools like it are part of how we ship at the pace we do, and fluency with AI-assisted development is a real requirement here, not a nice-to-have. I want someone who's already worked out how to get great, tested, reviewed work out the door fast with these tools — not someone I have to sell on the idea. We care a lot about tests, safe migrations, and not breaking the thing that takes the money.
THE PRACTICAL BITS
- £85,000/year, full-time.
- Based in Manchester. For the first few weeks you'll be in the office with me every day — that's how I'll get you properly up to speed on the platform and the business. After that it settles into 2 days a week in the Manchester office, 3 days remote.
- You'll need the right to work in the UK.
NOT FOR YOU IF
- You need fully-formed tickets before you can start.
- You want to specialise narrowly and stay well away from customers.
- "It works on my machine" is where your responsibility ends.
HOW TO APPLY
Tell me about something you built end to end — ideally where you also worked out what to build, not just how. Skip the cover-letter boilerplate.
careers@a1techdeals.com
Senior Software Engineer in Manchester employer: A1 Tech Deals
At A1 Tech Deals, we pride ourselves on being a dynamic and innovative tech retailer that values autonomy and creativity in our employees. As a Senior Software Engineer, you'll enjoy a collaborative work culture where your insights directly influence product development, alongside competitive compensation and the opportunity to shape the engineering team from the ground up. Located in Manchester, we offer a hybrid working model that promotes work-life balance while being part of a fast-growing company with a strong commitment to employee growth and development.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Software Engineer in Manchester
✨Tip Number 1
Get to know the company inside out! Research A1 Tech Deals, their products, and their mission. This way, when you chat with them, you can show off your knowledge and passion for what they do.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare to talk about your past projects in detail. They want to see how you’ve tackled real problems, so be ready to share specific examples of how you’ve built features from scratch and solved issues directly from user feedback.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your coding skills! Since this role is all about building, brush up on your full-stack abilities, especially with FastAPI and React. You might even want to do some mock coding interviews to get comfortable.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, it shows you’re serious about joining the team at A1 Tech Deals.
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Software Engineer in Manchester
Some tips for your application 🫡
Be Authentic:When you're writing your application, let your personality shine through! We want to see the real you, so skip the formalities and be genuine about your experiences and skills.
Show Your Work:We’re all about building things from scratch, so tell us about a project where you took the lead. Describe not just what you built, but how you figured out what was needed in the first place.
Keep It Relevant:Make sure to highlight your full-stack experience and any e-commerce or payments background you have. We’re looking for someone who can hit the ground running, so tailor your application to show you fit the bill!
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to keep track of your application and ensures it gets the attention it deserves!
How to prepare for a job interview at A1 Tech Deals
✨Know Your Stack Inside Out
Make sure you’re well-versed in the technologies mentioned in the job description, especially FastAPI, React, TypeScript, and PostgreSQL. Brush up on your full-stack skills and be ready to discuss how you've used these technologies in past projects.
✨Prepare Real-World Examples
Think of specific instances where you’ve turned vague requirements into successful features. Be ready to explain your thought process, the challenges you faced, and how you overcame them. This will show that you can handle the autonomy this role demands.
✨Understand E-commerce Pain Points
Familiarise yourself with common issues in e-commerce platforms, such as payment processing and order management. Being able to discuss these pain points and how you would address them will demonstrate your industry knowledge and readiness for the role.
✨Showcase Your AI Fluency
Since the company values AI-assisted development, prepare to discuss any experience you have with AI tools in your coding process. Share examples of how you’ve integrated AI into your workflow to improve efficiency and quality in your projects.
