Senior Lead/Lead Software Engineer, Back End (Bangkok based - Relocation provided) in London

About Agoda

At Agoda, we bridge the world through travel. Our story began in 2005 when two lifelong friends and entrepreneurs launched Agoda to make it easier for everyone to explore the world.

Location: Bangkok, Thailand (Relocation package is provided)

Team Overview

In Agoda’s Back End Engineering department we build scalable, fault‑tolerant systems and APIs that host our core business logic. Our systems cover inventory and pricing, product information, customer data, communications, partner data, booking systems, payments and more. They change frequently with dozens of releases per day, so we employ state‑of‑the‑art CI/CD and testing techniques to deliver reliable service. We use languages such as Scala and Go, data technologies like Kafka and Aerospike, and agile practices. We empower engineers from around the world and encourage collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Architect and develop highly scalable, mission‑critical backend systems, owning major parts of Agoda’s platform from long‑term vision down to implementation details.
• Write exemplary code, raise the engineering bar, and provide hands‑on technical leadership that positively impacts 40+ engineers.
• Define architecture for critical systems and lead large‑scale cross‑team initiatives that improve service quality, code quality, and technical design.
• Drive organization‑wide excellence in observability, testing, debugging, and software quality through strong engineering fundamentals and data‑informed decisions.
• Identify and implement optimisations across the stack to improve cost, efficiency, delivery velocity, and developer happiness.
• Foster inclusive collaboration, unblock teams, influence technical roadmaps, and clearly communicate complex technical trade‑offs to business stakeholders and senior leadership.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in software engineering, with deep hands‑on technical expertise and strong architectural leadership.
• Proven ability to design and evolve architecture across multiple teams, platforms, or critical system domains.
• Strong experience owning production services end‑to‑end, including design, deployment, monitoring and long‑term evolution.
• Demonstrated success leading large‑scale technical initiatives in complex engineering organisations.
• Expertise in software quality practices, testing strategy, engineering metrics, observability, debugging, system reliability and operational excellence.
• Strong backend engineering skills, with proficiency in Kotlin, Scala or Java.
• Broad engineering understanding beyond backend, including awareness of trade‑offs across frontend, mobile and data analytics.
• Curiosity and passion for staying up‑to‑date with new technologies, technical improvements and open‑source advancements.
• Ability to perform deep research, evaluate complex problems and make sound technical decisions.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to explain complex technical details and trade‑offs to stakeholders at all levels.
• Proven ability to influence technical direction without relying solely on formal authority.
• Track record of mentoring engineers, fostering collaboration and building a culture of feedback and continuous improvement.
• Comfortable working both independently and collaboratively, with the ability to balance strategic thinking and hands‑on execution.
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering or a related field.

Benefits

• Full Relocation and Onboarding Support
• Visa sponsorship for you and your family
• Flights, settling‑in allowance and temporary housing
• Dedicated relocation and settling‑in advisors
• Relocation buddy program and community events

Family & Expat Benefits

• Partner and children support (school search, legal, etc.)
• International health insurance
• Flexible home visit support

Agoda Perks

• Hybrid working (Bangkok HQ)
• Professional growth and learning budget
• Employee resource groups for every culture and background

Equal Opportunity Employer

At Agoda, we pride ourselves on being a company represented by people of all different backgrounds and orientations. We prioritize attracting diverse talent and cultivating an inclusive environment that encourages collaboration and innovation. Employment at Agoda is based solely on a person’s merit and qualifications. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunity regardless of sex, age, race, color, national origin, religion, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, citizenship, veteran or military status, and other legally protected characteristics.