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- Tasks: Join our team as a Senior Product Engineer, driving impactful features for schools.
- Company: Arbor is transforming education with innovative management tools for over 7,000 schools.
- Benefits: Enjoy 32 days holiday, wellness support, and flexible working options.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in education while working in a supportive and joyful environment.
- Qualifications: Experience in software development, PHP, and leadership skills are essential.
- Other info: Dog-friendly offices and a commitment to diversity and equality.
The predicted salary is between 48000 - 72000 £ per year.
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At Arbor, we’re on a mission to transform the way schools work for the better.
We believe in a future of work in schools where being challenged doesn’t mean being burnt out and overworked. Where data guides progress without overwhelming staff. And where everyone working in a school is reminded why they got into education every day.
Our MIS and school management tools are already making a difference in over 7,000 schools and trusts. Giving time and power back to staff, turning data into clear, actionable insights, and supporting happier working days.
At the heart of our brand is a recognition that the challenges schools face today aren’t just about efficiency, outputs and productivity – but about creating happier working lives for the people who drive education everyday: the staff. We want to make schools more joyful places to work, as well as learn.
About the role
We are looking for an experienced and collaborative Senior Product Engineer to join our Engineering team and help us drive the completion of high-impact features for our Arbor customers. The remit and focus of the role is to actively contribute to Arbor products, leveraging internal tools and services for optimal results. This role requires a high level of expertise, strategic thinking, and the ability to inspire a team toward excellence. It’s a broad and exciting role, so we’re looking for someone up for a challenge – if you\’re highly technical and a good team player, this is the role for you.
Core responsibilities
- Work closely with the Engineering Manager, Tech Lead, QA Engineer, and Product Manager to help solutionise feature requests
- Lead the creation of detailed documentation for new feature developments, incorporating diagrams for comprehensive project understanding.
- Drive the development and implementation of advanced tests around new features, ensuring the highest standards of test coverage and reliability.
- Demonstrate expertise in producing well-architected, efficient, and scalable code using industry-leading design patterns and methodologies.
- Take a leadership role in code reviews and pair programming sessions, guiding and mentoring colleagues towards excellence.
- Lead and actively participate in tech-talks, workshops, and team-based learning initiatives, ensuring knowledge is disseminated effectively across the team.
Requirements
About you
- Considerable experience in software development, specifically with PHP
- Extensive and demonstrated experience with Object-Oriented languages and software development.
- Advanced understanding and application of best practices and software engineering principles, including SOLID, DRY, etc.
- Expertise in relational database technologies.
- Proactive problem-solving approach with a strategic mindset.
- Proven experience in designing and writing APIs and services within a service-oriented environment.
- Leadership qualities demonstrated through collaboration and mentorship.
- A team player, willing to muck in and help others when needed, driven personality who asks questions and actively participates in discussions
- Good written and spoken English so you can present your ideas – our HQ is based in London
- Past experience with enterprise solutions and large-scale systems
- Familiarity with Scrum methodology or other agile development processes
- Experience with cloud computing
- Experience with Docker and containerization
- Familiarity with software best practices such as Refactoring, Clean Code, Domain-Driven Design, Test-Driven Development, etc.
What we offer
The chance to work alongside a team of hard-working, passionate people in a role where you’ll see the impact of your work everyday. We also offer:
- A dedicated wellbeing team who champion initiatives such as mindfulness, lunch n learns, manager training, mental health first aid training and much more!
- 32 days holiday (plus Bank Holidays). This is made up of 25 days annual leave plus 7 extra company wide days given over Easter, Summer & Christmas
- Life Assurance paid out at 3x annual salary
- Comprehensive wellness benefit provided by AIG Smart Health, which provides a 24/7 virtual GP service, Mental health support, Counselling, and personalised Health Checks
- Private Dental Insurance with Bupa
- Salary sacrifice Pension provided by Scottish Widows
- Enhanced maternity and adoption leave (20 weeks full pay) and paternity (6 weeks full pay) pay
- 5 free return to work maternity coaching sessions, helping you adapt to this new exciting time of life!
- Access to services such as Calm and Bippit (financial wellbeing coaching)
- All of our roles champion flexible working and we are happy to discuss what this means to you
- Social committees that plan team, office and company wide events to bring people together and celebrate success
- Volunteer with a charity of your choice for a day each year
- Dog friendly offices!
- Phone screen
- 1st stage
- 2nd stage
We are committed to a fair and comfortable recruitment process, so if you require any reasonable adjustments during your application or interview process, please reach out to a member of the team at (emailprotected) .
Our commitment is also backed by our partnership with Neurodiversity Consultancy, Lexxic who provide us with training, support and advice.
Arbor Education is an equal opportunities organisation
Our goal is for Arbor to be a workplace which represents, celebrates and supports people from all backgrounds, and which gives them the tools they need to thrive – whatever their ambitions may be so we support and promote diversity and equality, and actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds.
Refer a friend
Know someone else who would be good for this role? You can refer a friend, family member or colleague, if they are offered a role with Arbor, we will say thank you with a voucher valued up to £200! Simply email: (emailprotected)
Please note: We are unable to provide visa sponsorship at this time.
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Senior Product Engineer employer: Arbor Education
Contact Detail:
Arbor Education Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Product Engineer
✨Tip Number 1
Familiarise yourself with Arbor's mission and values. Understanding their focus on creating happier working lives in schools will help you align your answers during interviews and demonstrate your passion for their cause.
✨Tip Number 2
Showcase your collaborative skills by preparing examples of past projects where you worked closely with cross-functional teams. Highlighting your ability to lead discussions and mentor others will resonate well with Arbor's team-oriented culture.
✨Tip Number 3
Brush up on your knowledge of PHP and Object-Oriented programming principles. Be ready to discuss how you've applied best practices like SOLID and DRY in your previous work, as this will be crucial for the role.
✨Tip Number 4
Prepare to discuss your experience with agile methodologies, particularly Scrum. Being able to articulate how you've contributed to agile processes in past roles will show that you're a good fit for Arbor's development environment.
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Product Engineer
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV highlights your experience in software development, particularly with PHP and Object-Oriented languages. Emphasise any leadership roles you've held and your ability to mentor others, as these are key aspects of the Senior Product Engineer role.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: In your cover letter, express your passion for transforming education through technology. Mention specific projects or experiences that demonstrate your strategic thinking and problem-solving skills, aligning them with Arbor's mission to create happier working lives in schools.
Showcase Technical Expertise: When detailing your technical skills, be specific about your experience with best practices like SOLID and DRY principles, as well as your familiarity with cloud computing and containerization. This will show that you have the advanced understanding required for the role.
Highlight Team Collaboration: Provide examples of how you've successfully collaborated with cross-functional teams in previous roles. Mention any experience you have with Agile methodologies, as this aligns with Arbor's working style and demonstrates your ability to work effectively within a team.
How to prepare for a job interview at Arbor Education
✨Showcase Your Technical Expertise
As a Senior Product Engineer, it's crucial to demonstrate your extensive experience with PHP and Object-Oriented programming. Be prepared to discuss specific projects where you've applied best practices like SOLID and DRY principles, and how these have positively impacted your team's output.
✨Prepare for Collaborative Scenarios
Since the role involves working closely with various team members, think of examples where you've successfully collaborated in a team setting. Highlight your leadership qualities and how you've mentored others, as this will resonate well with the company's focus on teamwork and support.
✨Discuss Your Problem-Solving Approach
Arbor values a proactive problem-solving mindset. Be ready to share instances where you've tackled complex challenges in software development. Explain your thought process and the strategies you employed to arrive at effective solutions.
✨Emphasise Your Passion for Education
Since Arbor is dedicated to transforming the educational landscape, express your enthusiasm for making schools better places to work. Share any relevant experiences or insights that connect your technical skills with the mission of improving staff wellbeing in educational settings.
