At a Glance
- Tasks: Design and build scalable backend services using Python for AI-powered financial applications.
- Company: Fast-growing AI company transforming financial services with innovative technology.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, equity package, and direct collaboration with the founding team.
- Other info: Opportunity to influence technical architecture and mentor fellow engineers.
- Why this job: Shape the future of finance by building cutting-edge AI infrastructure.
- Qualifications: 7+ years backend experience, expert in Python, and strong database knowledge.
The predicted salary is between 63000 - 77000 £ per year.
London, United Kingdom | On-site | Full-time
Build the AI infrastructure powering the future of financial services.
This isn't a typical backend engineering role.
We're looking for a
Senior Backend Engineer who thrives on solving complex technical challenges at scale.
You'll build the backend systems that enable AI applications to process highly sensitive financial data securely, reliably, and at enterprise scale.
If your experience is primarily focused on small web applications, basic CRUD APIs, or you haven't built distributed backend systems in production, this role is unlikely to be the right fit.
We're looking for engineers who enjoy designing scalable architecture, optimizing performance, and building software that operates under demanding security and reliability requirements.
The Opportunity
Join a fast-growing, venture-backed AI company transforming how financial institutions work.
You'll play a key role in designing the backend infrastructure behind an enterprise AI platform used by investment firms, private equity, consulting businesses, and other financial organisations.
Working alongside machine learning engineers, infrastructure specialists, and product teams, you'll help build systems capable of processing massive volumes of financial data while maintaining exceptional performance, reliability, and security.
As one of the senior members of the engineering team, you'll influence technical architecture, mentor other engineers, and help establish engineering best practices as the company continues to scale globally.
- What You'll Be Doing
- Design, build and maintain scalable backend services using Python.
- Develop high-performance APIs supporting AI-powered enterprise applications.
- Architect and optimise data pipelines processing large financial datasets.
- Design efficient Postgre SQL database schemas and optimise complex queries.
- Collaborate closely with Machine Learning Engineers to deploy AI models into production.
- Build secure, highly available distributed systems with enterprise-grade reliability.
- Improve application performance, scalability and system observability.
- Lead technical design discussions and architectural decisions.
- Troubleshoot production issues and continuously improve platform stability.
- Mentor engineers through code reviews and technical guidance.
- Contribute to engineering standards, documentation and development best practices.
What We're Looking For
- Required
- 7+ years of professional backend engineering experience.
- Expert-level Python development experience.
- Strong experience with modern Python web frameworks (Fast API, Django, Flask or similar).
- Deep knowledge of Postgre SQL and relational database design.
- Experience building scalable REST APIs and backend services.
- Strong understanding of distributed systems and scalable architecture.
- Experience working with cloud platforms (Azure preferred, AWS or GCP also considered).
- Experience designing production-grade data pipelines.
- Strong understanding of software architecture and engineering best practices.
- Bachelor\'s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.
- Nice to Have
- Experience deploying Machine Learning models into production.
- Exposure to AI infrastructure or LLM-powered applications.
- Experience working in fintech or enterprise Saa S.
- Knowledge of SOC 2, GDPR, or financial industry compliance.
- Experience with containerisation and Kubernetes.
- CI/CD and Infrastructure-as-Code experience.
- Familiarity with event-driven architectures and message queues.
- You'll Thrive Here If You
- Enjoy solving technically difficult engineering problems.
- Take ownership of systems from design through production.
- Care deeply about code quality, scalability and reliability.
- Like working in fast-moving startup environments.
- Can balance speed with long-term technical excellence.
- Enjoy collaborating across engineering, infrastructure and AI teams.
- What You'll Receive
- Competitive salary.
- Meaningful equity package.
- Direct collaboration with the founding team.
- Opportunity to influence technical architecture from an early stage.
- Work on cutting-edge AI products solving real enterprise challenges.
- Join a company backed by significant institutional investment with ambitious global growth plans.
Why This Role?
If you're looking for another backend role maintaining legacy systems, this isn't it.
If you want to build the infrastructure behind next-generation AI products used by some of the world\'s leading financial institutions—and help shape the technical direction of a rapidly growing engineering team—this is the opportunity to do it.
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Senior Backend Engineer (Python) in London employer: Ersilia
Ersilia is an exceptional employer that values innovation and collaboration, offering a dynamic work culture where employees are empowered to drive growth in the FMCG sector. With a strong focus on professional development, team members have access to ongoing training and mentorship opportunities, ensuring they can thrive in their roles while enjoying the flexibility of remote work across the Midlands and East Anglia. Join us to be part of a supportive environment that prioritises employee well-being and fosters meaningful relationships with clients.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Backend Engineer (Python) in London
✨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 Ersilia 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 Ersilia.
✨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 Ersilia.
✨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 Ersilia 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 Senior Backend Engineer (Python) in London
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 Ersilia.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Ersilia 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 Ersilia
✨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 Ersilia 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.