At a Glance
- Tasks: Build a central platform for a legendary whisky retailer and shape its tech future.
- Company: Join an iconic whisky retailer with a rich heritage and loyal customers.
- Benefits: Enjoy a hybrid work model, direct access to leadership, and a staff whisky allowance.
- Other info: This is a unique opportunity for significant technical ownership in a vibrant company.
- Why this job: Take full ownership of your projects and see your impact immediately.
- Qualifications: Experience in designing data models, backend development, and web app shipping.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
One of the world’s most iconic whisky retailers, a genuine institution, is hiring its first dedicated platform developer. A business with serious heritage, a loyal global customer base, and five active revenue streams: flagship retail, D2C e-commerce, cask trading, own-label bottling, and international export.
The tech stack currently does the job. But it’s a patchwork - Shopify, Airtable, WineHub, Xero, custom integrations holding it together - and they know it’s going to become a ceiling as they scale. Your job is to replace it with something properly built. You’ll design and ship a single internal platform from the ground up: a real source of truth, clean ETL pipelines, a custom internal web app, and serverless integrations across all their source systems.
You’ll report directly to the CEO, hold full architectural ownership, and see the impact of your work immediately across the business. This is not a role where you implement someone else’s spec. You decide the architecture. You make the call on the stack. You own it.
What you’ll be building:
- A central internal web application covering stock, sales, cask trading, purchasing and export
- The data architecture underneath it - schema, data model, single source of truth on Azure
- Serverless ETL pipelines pulling from Shopify, WineHub and Xero into clean, normalised schemas
- AI features in production where they genuinely earn their place
- Role-based access control, Shopify theme maintenance, and Airtable as a read-only view layer
The stack: TypeScript, Node.js, React/Next.js, Microsoft Azure, Azure Functions, PostgreSQL, REST APIs, Shopify (Liquid). Flexible for the right person.
What we’re looking for:
- You have designed a relational data model, built a backend around it, and shipped a usable web app.
- You are comfortable with Azure, unfazed by data pipelines and API integrations, and you use AI-assisted development fluently, not performatively.
- You have probably been the "everything engineer" at an early-stage startup, or you’re coming from a backend/data/cloud background and want more ownership than your current role gives you.
What you get:
- Hybrid from a genuinely interesting Soho HQ
- Direct CEO & CTO access and immediate visibility of your impact
- Full architectural ownership from day one
- Staff whisky allowance and access to their team education programme
This is a rare role - the kind of technical ownership that’s hard to find outside of a founding engineer position, inside a business with real character and a 60-year track record.
Full Stack Developer - Whisky Industry employer: DrinkAbility
Join one of the world's most iconic whisky retailers as a Full Stack Developer and enjoy a unique opportunity to shape the future of their technology. With direct access to the CEO and CTO, you'll have full architectural ownership from day one, allowing you to see the immediate impact of your work in a vibrant Soho HQ. The company fosters a culture of innovation and growth, offering a staff whisky allowance and an education programme that reflects its commitment to employee development and engagement.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Full Stack Developer - Whisky Industry
✨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 DrinkAbility 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 DrinkAbility.
✨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 DrinkAbility.
✨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 DrinkAbility 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 Full Stack Developer - Whisky Industry
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 DrinkAbility.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at DrinkAbility 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 DrinkAbility
✨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 DrinkAbility 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.
