At a Glance
- Tasks: Join our team to enhance search systems and collaborate with cross-functional experts.
- Company: Depop, a vibrant peer-to-peer fashion marketplace focused on sustainability.
- Benefits: Enjoy flexible working, generous leave, and a supportive health programme.
- Other info: Dynamic workplace with opportunities for growth and a focus on inclusivity.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in the fashion industry while coding for millions of users.
- Qualifications: Experience in Scala, Java, or Python; passion for innovative tech solutions.
The predicted salary is between 56700 - 69300 £ per year.
Depop is a peer-to-peer circular fashion marketplace where anyone can buy, sell and discover secondhand fashion. Our mission is simple: to make fashion circular by making secondhand as exciting and rewarding as buying new.
Founded in 2011, Depop’s diverse community has helped move resale into the mainstream, where buying secondhand is no longer an alternative, but how people of different ages now engage with fashion. Today, more than 56 million registered users come to Depop to find great value, express their own personal style and give clothes a longer life.
We aim to create an inclusive environment where everyone is welcome, no matter who they are or where they’re from. Just as our platform connects people globally, we believe our workplace should reflect the diversity of the communities we serve. We thrive on the power of different perspectives and experiences, knowing they drive innovation and bring us closer to our users.
We’re proud to be an equal opportunity employer, providing employment opportunities without regard to age, ethnicity, religion or belief, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy or maternity, marriage and civil partnership, or any other protected status.
Depop is looking for an experienced Backend Software Engineer to join us permanently in the Search and Retrieval team. Within this role, you’ll be working in the cross-functional team in partnership with mobile, web and machine learning/data science teams to drive the team to success. You will be responsible for maintaining, scaling and improving the search system, as well as improving the underlying infrastructure that serves search and recommendations at Depop.
Responsibilities:
- Work closely with Product Managers, Data Scientists, Front-End and other Backend Engineers to understand problems and to design solutions.
- Produce high-quality code that is well-structured and simple to understand that will be used by 1M+ active daily users.
- Embrace agile methodologies.
- Engage in a culture of continuous improvement by attending events such as blameless post-mortems, architecture reviews etc.
- Collaborate on a daily basis with fellow engineers in the cross functional environment to solve problems and write code.
- You’ll own code, workflows and data, through their entire lifecycle.
- Document any feature development.
Qualifications:
- Be capable of writing high quality code in Scala, Java or Python.
- Experience or interest in working with retrieval systems such as Opensearch/Elasticsearch or similar.
- Eagerness to work with ML colleagues on ML driven retrieval systems.
- Experience with distributed datastores (e.g. DynamoDB, Redshift, AWS Athena).
- Experience with Message queues: (e.g. RabbitMQ / Apache Kafka).
- Experience building scalable applications serving 10,000s of requests per second.
- Experience working with RDBMS, ideally Postgres.
- DevOps culture (CI/CD pipeline).
- Ability to proactively find and solve complex problems independently, but also know when to seek guidance or help from your peers.
Must haves:
- Experience with Scala or Java or Python.
- Proficient in testing solutions at different levels - unit, integration, etc.
- Experience with relational or non-relational databases, preferably PostgreSQL, DynamoDB, AWS Athena.
Nice to haves:
- Experience with search systems such as Elasticsearch/OpenSearch.
- Experience with Vector based retrieval systems.
- Experience working with ML scientists and ML pipelines.
- Experience in eCommerce.
- Experience with event-driven architectures, such as Kafka.
- Experience in using production AWS infrastructure.
- A genuine curiosity about AI and a willingness to explore how it can enhance your day-to-day work.
Additional Information:
- Health + Mental Wellbeing: PMI and cash plan healthcare access with Bupa, subsidised counselling and coaching with Self Space.
- Work/Life Balance: 25 days of annual leave with the option to carry over up to 5 days.
- Flexible Working: MyMode hybrid-working model with Flex, Office-Based, and Remote options.
- Family Life: For birth parent: 20 weeks of paid parental leave for full-time regular employees.
- Learn + Grow: Twice-yearly development chats and yearly performance reviews.
- Your Future: Life Insurance (financial compensation of 3x your salary), pension matching up to 6% of full base salary with Aviva.
Backend Engineer - Search and Retrieval employer: Depop
DEPOP is an excellent employer that fosters a collaborative and innovative work culture, where Senior iOS Engineers can thrive while leading architecture for impactful user experiences. Located in Greater London, employees enjoy flexible working options, comprehensive healthcare access, and generous leave policies, all of which support a healthy work-life balance. With opportunities for mentorship and professional growth, DEPOP is dedicated to empowering its team members to make meaningful contributions to the secondhand fashion marketplace.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Backend Engineer - Search and Retrieval
✨Join Local Tech Meetups
Get out there and mingle with fellow developers by joining local tech meetups. It’s a fantastic way to meet people who might be working at Depop or know someone who does. Plus, you can pick up some trendy tech skills and trends while you're at it!
✨Contribute to Open Source Projects
Show off your coding chops by jumping into open-source projects. Not only does this give you practical experience, but it also gets you noticed in the dev community. You'll create a killer portfolio that speaks volumes about your skills to Depop.
✨Tap into Online Developer Communities
Don’t underestimate the power of online developer communities like GitHub, Stack Overflow, and even Reddit. Participate in discussions, share your projects, and build your visibility. We can often find opportunities through these channels that can lead to a full-time gig at companies like Depop.
✨Explore Job Boards Specifically for Tech Roles
Keep your eyes peeled on job boards that focus on tech roles. Sites like TechCareers or Stack Overflow Jobs can often have listings for companies like Depop that might not show up on broader job sites. Make it a habit to check these regularly, and don’t hesitate to apply directly through our website!
We think you need these skills to ace Backend Engineer - Search and Retrieval
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show off your coding skills:When applying for a software engineering role, it's super important to showcase your coding skills. Make sure your CV includes your tech stack, any relevant programming languages you’re comfortable with, and examples of projects you've worked on. If you have a GitHub profile, link it up! We love to see code in action.
Tailor your portfolio:For a full-time role, we’d expect to see some solid examples of your work in your portfolio. Make sure to include at least two or three projects that highlight your problem-solving skills and your ability to work with different technologies. Focus on the projects that are most relevant to the position at Depop.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Depop and how your skills align with the role. Show us your passion for software development. We dig enthusiastic candidates who understand the value of collaboration and continuous learning!
Be clear and concise:When it comes to writing your CV and cover letter, clarity is key. Avoid jargon that could confuse us and stick to simple, direct language. Highlight your achievements with quantifiable results where possible, and keep everything easy to read. A well-organised application goes a long way!
How to prepare for a job interview at Depop
✨Brush Up on Your Coding Skills
For a full-time software engineering role, it's crucial that we stay sharp with our coding abilities. Expect technical questions that might involve solving problems on the spot or discussing algorithms. Practise on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to get comfortable with the types of questions that often come up.
✨Know Your Tools and Frameworks
Make sure we’re well-acquainted with the tools and technologies listed in the job description. Familiarise ourselves with any specific frameworks or programming languages mentioned. If Depop uses React or Node.js, for instance, be ready to discuss how we’ve used them in previous projects or coursework.
✨Showcase Your Projects
Bring along a portfolio that highlights our best work. This could be code samples, GitHub repositories, or any side projects we’ve built. Make sure we can talk through our thought process for each project, especially the challenges we faced and how we solved them—this shows our problem-solving skills in action.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
While technical skills are key, full-time positions also require cultural fit. Be ready to discuss our previous experiences and how we handle teamwork, conflict, and deadlines. Brush up on the STAR method—Situation, Task, Action, Result—to clearly articulate our past experiences when discussing how we've contributed to a team.
