At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead technical direction and drive impactful projects in a collaborative environment.
- Company: Join Cleo, a fast-growing fintech unicorn on a mission to transform financial health.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, equity, flexible work, and generous leave policies.
- Other info: Dynamic team culture with regular socials and a commitment to diversity.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in people's financial lives while growing your career.
- Qualifications: Strong Ruby on Rails experience and a passion for mentoring others.
The predicted salary is between 70000 - 90000 € per year.
About Cleo
At Cleo, we're not just building another fintech app. We're embarking on a mission to fundamentally change humanity's relationship with money. Imagine a world where everyone, regardless of background or income, has access to a hyper-intelligent financial advisor in their pocket. That's the future we're creating. Cleo is a rare success story: a profitable, fast-growing unicorn with over $300 million in ARR and growing over 2x year-over-year. This isn't just a job; it's a chance to join a team of brilliant, driven individuals who are passionate about making a real difference. We have an exceptionally high bar for talent, seeking individuals who are not only at the top of their field but also embody our culture of collaboration and positive impact. If you're driven by complex challenges that push your expertise, the chance to shape something truly transformative, and the potential to share in Cleo's success as we scale, while growing alongside a company that's scaling fast, this might be your perfect fit.
What You'll Be Doing
- Acting as a Staff IC across a pillar, shaping technical direction and driving delivery across multiple squads
- Partnering with senior peers to define architecture and lead complex, high-impact initiatives
- Bringing teams together to ship ambitious product work that improves users' financial health
- Building shared systems, patterns, and tooling that raise the bar across engineering
- Staying hands-on in our Ruby on Rails monolith — designing APIs, data models, and scalable services
- Anticipating risks and opportunities early, influencing plans and technical strategy
- Mentoring engineers and TLs, growing the next generation of technical leaders
About You
You're excited by the opportunity to own and influence technical direction at a pillar level. You've operated at senior/staff level across multiple teams or complex domains. You bring strong technical judgment and think in long-term, scalable solutions. You're comfortable leading without authority and aligning teams around a shared direction. You have a track record of building systems and practices used beyond your immediate team. You enjoy mentoring and raising the bar for others. You have strong, hands-on experience with Ruby on Rails (essential).
Our Tech Stack
Cleo is built as a Ruby on Rails monolith with a single React Native app frontend, utilizing TypeScript. We also leverage Python for machine learning services and PostgreSQL for our database, all hosted on AWS. Our CI/CD pipeline is fully automated, with production deployments happening on every merge via Kubernetes. Our backend engineers deploy multiple times a week, and we release our frontend app to Google and Apple for review at least once a week. While we take a pragmatic approach, we place a strong emphasis on quality. Our code is peer-reviewed, and we maintain automated testing using Minitest and CircleCI. We're also actively working towards a more modular architecture, focusing on separating concerns to achieve all the benefits of microservices within a monolith, while progressively refactoring our code as we build new features. Everyone in the engineering team contributes to driving our technical strategy, voices and ideas from all levels are valued: we are all owners at Cleo.
What do you get for all your hard work?
A competitive compensation package (base + equity) with 3 annual reviews, aligned to our termly OKR planning cycles. A clear progression plan. We want you to keep growing. That means trying new things, leading others, challenging the status quo and owning your impact. Always with our complete support. Flexibility. We can't fight for the world's financial health if we're not healthy ourselves. We work with everyone to make sure they have the balance they need to do their best work. Work where you work best. We're a globally distributed team. If you live in London we have a hybrid approach, we'd love you to spend one day a week or more in our beautiful office. If you're outside of London, we'll encourage you to spend a couple of days with us a few times per year. And we'll cover your travel costs, naturally.
Other benefits
Company-wide performance reviews every 4 months. Generous pay increases for high-performing team members. Equity top-ups for team members getting promoted. 25 days annual leave a year + public holidays (an additional day for every year you spend at Cleo, up to 30 days). 6% employer-matched pension in the UK. Private Medical Insurance via Vitality, dental cover, and life assurance. Enhanced parental leave. 1 month paid sabbatical after 4 years at Cleo. Regular socials and activities, online and in-person. We'll pay for your OpenAI subscription. Online mental health support via Spill. Workplace Nursery Scheme. And many more!
We strongly encourage applications from people of colour, the LGBTQ+ community, people with disabilities, neurodivergent people, parents, carers, and people from lower socio-economic backgrounds. If there's anything we can do to accommodate your specific situation, please let us know.
UK App access
The Cleo app is no longer downloadable in the UK (but only until next year). If you're an existing user, you'll still have access to the app. But some features won't be available (just for a little while). Why? 99% of our users are based in the US – where financial health is often overlooked. We've decided to shift our focus to where we can provide the most value and make the greatest impact for users who need it most. Then we'll be able to apply what we learn to better support our UK users in the future.
Staff Engineer - Ruby | UK & EU (remote) in London employer: cleo
Cleo is an exceptional employer that champions innovation and collaboration, offering a unique opportunity to work at the forefront of fintech. With a strong focus on employee growth, competitive compensation, and a flexible work culture, Cleo empowers its team members to thrive both personally and professionally. Join us in our mission to transform financial health while enjoying generous benefits, including equity options, extensive leave, and a supportive environment that values diverse perspectives.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Staff Engineer - Ruby | UK & EU (remote) in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in your industry on LinkedIn, attend virtual meetups, and don’t be shy about asking for informational interviews. The more connections you make, the better your chances of landing that dream job.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! Create a portfolio or GitHub repository showcasing your Ruby on Rails projects. This gives potential employers a taste of what you can do and sets you apart from the crowd.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for those interviews! Research common technical questions related to Ruby on Rails and practice coding challenges. We all know that confidence is key, so the more prepared you are, the better you'll perform.
✨Tip Number 4
Apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in joining our mission at Cleo. Don’t miss out!
We think you need these skills to ace Staff Engineer - Ruby | UK & EU (remote) in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion:When you're writing your application, let your enthusiasm for Cleo's mission shine through. We want to see that you're not just looking for a job, but that you're genuinely excited about making a difference in people's financial lives.
Tailor Your Experience:Make sure to highlight your relevant experience with Ruby on Rails and any leadership roles you've had. We love seeing how your background aligns with the challenges we face at Cleo, so don’t hold back on those details!
Be Authentic:We value authenticity, so be yourself in your application. Share your unique perspective and experiences that have shaped you as an engineer. This helps us get to know the real you beyond just your technical skills.
Apply Through Our Website:For the best chance of getting noticed, make sure to apply directly through our website. It’s the easiest way for us to keep track of your application and ensures it lands in the right hands!
How to prepare for a job interview at cleo
✨Know Your Ruby On Rails Inside Out
Since the role requires strong hands-on experience with Ruby on Rails, make sure you brush up on your skills. Be prepared to discuss your past projects, the challenges you faced, and how you overcame them. Show them that you can design APIs and scalable services like a pro!
✨Demonstrate Your Leadership Skills
Cleo is looking for someone who can lead without authority. Think of examples where you've successfully aligned teams around a shared direction or mentored others. Highlight your ability to influence technical strategy and drive delivery across multiple squads.
✨Showcase Your Problem-Solving Mindset
Be ready to discuss complex challenges you've tackled in the past. Cleo values individuals who think long-term and can anticipate risks and opportunities early. Prepare some scenarios where your technical judgment made a significant impact on a project.
✨Emphasise Collaboration and Culture Fit
Cleo has a high bar for talent and values collaboration. Research their culture and be ready to explain how you embody these values. Share experiences where you’ve worked effectively in a team, contributed to a positive impact, and helped raise the bar for others.
