Staff Python Software Engineer
Staff Python Software Engineer

Staff Python Software Engineer

London Full-Time 43200 - 72000 £ / year (est.) No home office possible
Abound

At a Glance

  • Tasks: Lead projects to enhance technology scalability and efficiency while collaborating with teams.
  • Company: Join a mission-driven fintech revolutionising affordable loans using Open Banking technology.
  • Benefits: Enjoy equity ownership, generous holiday, paid volunteering days, and wellness perks.
  • Why this job: Be part of a culture that values ownership and innovation in a rapidly growing industry.
  • Qualifications: Experience in software engineering, strong Python skills, and a knack for problem-solving required.
  • Other info: Opportunity to work on cutting-edge technology and support junior engineers.

The predicted salary is between 43200 - 72000 £ per year.

About Abound We\’re redefining consumer lending in the UK, and beyond. Using advanced AI and Open Banking data, we make fair, affordable personal finance available to more people. While traditional lenders rely almost entirely on credit scores, we look at the full financial picture – how much you spend, and what you can afford to repay to build a deeper, more accurate understanding of each customer\’s unique financial situation.And we\’ve shown it works at scale. We\’ve issued over£1.3bnin loans directly to customers while deliveringmarket-leading credit performance- for every 10 defaults the industry expects, we see only 3. We also reached profitability just 2.5 years after launch.Backed by£2bn+of funding from top-tier investors including Citi, GSR Ventures, and Deutsche Bank, we\’re recognised as one of Europe\’s fastest-growing fintechs (Sifted, CNBC). Now, we\’re expanding into new markets and product lines – and we\’re looking for ambitious people who want to learn fast, take ownership, and grow with us.Staff Platform Engineer We are thrilled to open up a brand new opportunity on our Platform team.Abound is a fast growing scale up. We are here to build something important for millions of customers, not to offer a comfortable average job. Our Platform team is the backbone of our engineering organization. Right now, it\’s a tight-knit, high-performing group of four engineers (two Seniors, two Staff), primarily focused on DevOps. I am looking for a Staff-level Platform Engineer with a deep focus onPython engineeringto balance our capabilities, elevate our code standards, and supercharge our developer experience.If you love diving into complex engineering challenges, standardizing patterns, and enabling other teams to ship faster, this is the role for you.What You Will DoDrive Cross-Cutting Impact: Lead cross-functional projects that create immediate business value. You will add new infrastructure, optimize deployment patterns, and continuously improve CI/CD pipelines to deliver an unmatched developer experience company-wide.Optimisation: Design and update infrastructure patterns for meet practical demands around performance, scalability and reliability.Set the Engineering Standard: Define and implement standard settings for how we write code across the business. This includes establishing best practices for shared design patterns across all teams.Maintain Core Components: Take ownership of dependency maintenance and heavily contribute to our most complex, mission-critical shared services.Enable, Don\’t Block: Act as a true team player. You will not hold other teams hostage to rigid central patterns or infrastructure; instead, you will collaborate closely with them to deliver on their needs and unblock their projects.Our Tech Stack You will be working with a modern, scalable stack designed for high concurrency:Backend: Python (FastAPI, SQLAlchemy, OpenTelemetry, Procrastinate), JavaCloud: AWS EnvironmentDatabases: RDS (PostgreSQL & MySQL)What We Expect From YouTechnical Mastery: Exceptionally strong Python and SQL skills.System Design: Deep knowledge of asynchronous development and proven experience dealing with highly concurrent systems.Strategic Vision: The ability to balance immediate team needs with long-term platform health and developer velocity.How We Work At AboundHigh Bar & Real Ownership: We are a high performing team, and we hire people who raise the bar and take pride in great work. We own outcomes, not tasks. You don\’t assume someone else will do it; you follow up until the issue is resolved.We Work Hard: We care about impact, not face time. But at key moments, we stay until the job is done. That can mean evenings or occasional weekends, especially around launches or live incidents.MVP & Tech Debt Culture: We ship fast, learn from real customers and iterate. Early in a product\’s life we optimise for speed to market and learning, not perfect enterprise architecture. We are comfortable amassing and actively managing technical debt through the lifecycle.One Team Collaboration: We collaborate deeply and are curious about the whole business, not just our own lane. People routinely help outside their formal role when it moves Abound forward.Office-First: We are hybrid but office first. At least 3 days a week in the office is a minimum. Being together is one of our performance advantages.Thrive in Change: Priorities shift as we learn what works. Roles, teams and roadmaps evolve with the business. When there is no rulebook, we expect you to use good judgement for our customers and for Abound.If you are looking for a highly collaborative environment where your technical decisions will shape the future of a rapid-growth business, we want you on the team.What We OfferEveryone owns a piece of the company – equityHybrid with 3 days a week in the office25 days\’ holiday a year, plus 8 bank holidays2 paid volunteering days per yearOne month paid sabbatical after 4 yearsEmployee loanFree gym membershipTeam wellness budget to be active together – set up a yoga class, a tennis lesson or go bouldering#J-18808-Ljbffr

Abound

Contact Detail:

Abound Recruiting Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫

We think this is how you could land Staff Python Software Engineer

✨Tip Number 1

Familiarise yourself with our technology stack, especially Python and its frameworks like FastAPI. Being able to discuss specific projects or experiences where you've used these technologies will show your expertise and enthusiasm for the role.

✨Tip Number 2

Highlight your experience in collaborating with stakeholders. Be prepared to share examples of how you've gathered requirements and delivered complex features, as this aligns closely with our culture of ownership and teamwork.

✨Tip Number 3

Demonstrate your problem-solving skills by discussing past challenges you've faced in software engineering. Focus on how you identified bottlenecks and optimised processes, as this is crucial for the role.

✨Tip Number 4

Show your understanding of lending products and business processes. If you have relevant experience, be sure to mention it, as this knowledge will give you an edge in understanding our mission and the impact of your work.

We think you need these skills to ace Staff Python Software Engineer

Proficiency in Python (including FastAPI, SQLAlchemy, Uvicorn)
Experience with async programming and type hints
Strong knowledge of SQL for data management and retrieval
Familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, or Azure)
Experience with Docker and container orchestration
Understanding of software development lifecycle (SDLC)
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
Ability to communicate technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders
Experience in project delivery and team leadership
Knowledge of CI/CD pipeline optimisation
Experience in maintaining business-critical systems
Ability to optimise systems for performance, scalability, and reliability
Proficiency in Git for version control
Experience in collaborating with cross-functional teams
Understanding of lending products and business processes

Some tips for your application 🫡

Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV highlights your experience with Python and the specific technologies mentioned in the job description, such as FastAPI, SQLAlchemy, and AWS. Use keywords from the job listing to demonstrate your fit for the role.

Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: In your cover letter, express your enthusiasm for the mission of the company and how your background aligns with their goals. Mention specific projects where you've led teams or made significant technology decisions, showcasing your leadership skills.

Showcase Relevant Projects: Include examples of past projects that demonstrate your ability to deliver complex features and work collaboratively with stakeholders. Highlight any experience you have with cloud-native solutions and optimising systems for performance.

Prepare for Technical Questions: Be ready to discuss your technical expertise in detail during interviews. Prepare to explain your approach to writing async Python code, managing databases, and optimising software delivery processes, as these are key aspects of the role.

How to prepare for a job interview at Abound

✨Showcase Your Technical Expertise

Be prepared to discuss your experience with Python and the specific technologies mentioned in the job description, such as FastAPI and SQLAlchemy. Highlight any projects where you've used these tools to solve complex problems.

✨Demonstrate Leadership Skills

Since this role involves technical leadership, be ready to share examples of how you've led projects or teams in the past. Discuss your approach to making technology decisions and how you’ve collaborated with stakeholders.

✨Communicate Clearly

Practice explaining technical concepts in simple terms, as you'll need to convey ideas to non-technical audiences. This will show your ability to bridge the gap between technical and business needs.

✨Prepare for Problem-Solving Questions

Expect to face questions that assess your analytical and problem-solving skills. Be ready to walk through your thought process on how you would tackle specific challenges related to system performance and scalability.

Staff Python Software Engineer
Abound
Location: London

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