At a Glance
- Tasks: Join our team to build secure, high-performance authentication experiences for millions.
- Company: M&S is a dynamic and inclusive business focused on innovation and core values.
- Benefits: Enjoy a 20% discount, competitive holidays, and a paid charity volunteer day.
- Why this job: Be part of a self-managing team that values creativity and technical excellence.
- Qualifications: 5+ years in distributed systems, experience with JVM languages, and DevOps practices required.
- Other info: Mentorship opportunities available for junior engineers.
The predicted salary is between 48000 - 72000 £ per year.
The M&S Identity team is looking for a Senior Software Engineer to join our dynamic team in Salford Quays, Manchester. You will provide technical expertise, ship thoughtful solutions, and operate with excellence. Creative, curious, and fearless, you will be an integral part of our empowered, self-managing domain engineering team, pushing the boundaries of our Identity Platform.
The M&S Identity team is responsible for the M&S Identity Platform, managing authentication journeys for both customers and colleagues. We deliver seamless authentication experiences for customers while enabling internal teams to build on a robust Identity Platform. In this role, you will play a key part in driving our ambition to create a best-in-class software engineering team, environment, and culture.
What you'll do:
- Build and evolve secure, scalable, and high-performance authentication experiences for millions of M&S customers and colleagues.
- Take end-to-end ownership of features - from design and development through testing, deployment, and monitoring in production.
- Contribute to the technical direction of the Identity Platform and help shape solutions that balance customer experience, security, and developer usability.
- Write clean, maintainable, well-tested code, and champion engineering best practices in your team.
- Take shared responsibility for the operational excellence of the Identity Platform, including participating in our 24-hour support rota.
- Collaborate closely with Product Managers, Designers, and Engineers to solve real user problems in thoughtful and innovative ways.
- Actively participate in code reviews, pair programming, technical discussions, and creating high-quality documentation to share knowledge and continuously improve as a team.
- Mentor and support more junior engineers through coaching and feedback.
Who you are:
- 5+ years of experience building and scaling distributed systems, ideally serving millions of users.
- Good knowledge in one or more JVM-based languages (ideally Kotlin with Micronaut).
- Proven experience in DevOps practices, including running and operating what you build.
- Experience designing CI/CD pipelines and driving improvements in developer productivity.
- Comfortable working in cloud environments (preferably Azure).
- Experience with identity standards like OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect is a strong plus.
- You balance long-term thinking with pragmatic delivery, and thrive in high-autonomy teams.
What's in it for you:
- 20% Colleague discount on most things from furniture, fashion, and food.
- A first-class welcome to M&S with a tailored induction and a wide range of training schemes to help with your learning and development.
- Attractive annual bonus, based on company performance and personal objectives.
- Competitive holiday entitlement with the potential to buy extra holiday days!
- Amazing perks and discounts via our M&S Choices website.
- Charity Volunteer Day - A paid day away from work to support your chosen charity.
- A very generous Defined Contribution Pension Scheme and Life Assurance.
- Access to a fantastic range of wellbeing support.
Senior Software Engineer - Identity - Manchester employer: ENGINEERINGUK
Contact Detail:
ENGINEERINGUK Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Software Engineer - Identity - Manchester
✨Tip Number 1
Familiarise yourself with the M&S Identity Platform and its key features. Understanding their authentication journeys and how they serve both customers and colleagues will give you a solid foundation to discuss during interviews.
✨Tip Number 2
Showcase your experience with JVM-based languages, particularly Kotlin. Be prepared to discuss specific projects where you've used these technologies, as this will demonstrate your technical expertise and relevance to the role.
✨Tip Number 3
Highlight your knowledge of DevOps practices and CI/CD pipelines. Be ready to share examples of how you've improved developer productivity in previous roles, as this aligns closely with what M&S is looking for.
✨Tip Number 4
Prepare to discuss your approach to mentoring junior engineers. M&S values collaboration and knowledge sharing, so demonstrating your commitment to team development will set you apart from other candidates.
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Software Engineer - Identity - Manchester
Some tips for your application 🫡
Understand the Role: Read the job description thoroughly to understand the key responsibilities and required skills. Tailor your application to highlight your experience with distributed systems, JVM-based languages, and DevOps practices.
Craft a Tailored CV: Ensure your CV reflects your relevant experience, particularly in building scalable authentication systems and working in cloud environments. Use specific examples that demonstrate your technical expertise and problem-solving abilities.
Write a Compelling Cover Letter: In your cover letter, express your enthusiasm for the role and the company. Discuss how your background aligns with M&S's goals for their Identity Platform and mention any relevant projects or achievements.
Highlight Collaboration Skills: Since the role involves working closely with Product Managers, Designers, and other Engineers, emphasise your teamwork and mentoring experiences. Provide examples of how you've contributed to team success and knowledge sharing in previous roles.
How to prepare for a job interview at ENGINEERINGUK
✨Showcase Your Technical Expertise
Be prepared to discuss your experience with JVM-based languages, particularly Kotlin. Highlight specific projects where you've built and scaled distributed systems, and be ready to explain the technical challenges you faced and how you overcame them.
✨Demonstrate Your Problem-Solving Skills
The M&S Identity team values innovative solutions. Prepare examples of how you've collaborated with cross-functional teams to solve user problems. Think about times when you took ownership of a feature from design to deployment and how you ensured a seamless user experience.
✨Emphasise Your DevOps Experience
Since the role involves operational excellence, be ready to discuss your experience with DevOps practices. Talk about your familiarity with CI/CD pipelines and any improvements you've driven in developer productivity, especially in cloud environments like Azure.
✨Prepare for Cultural Fit Questions
M&S is looking for someone who thrives in high-autonomy teams. Reflect on your work style and be ready to share how you balance long-term thinking with pragmatic delivery. Consider discussing your mentoring experiences and how you support junior engineers.