At a Glance
- Tasks: Build and own resilient systems for AI customer operations in fintech.
- Company: Gradient Labs, a pioneering AI platform for financial services.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, equity, private medical insurance, and 25+ days holiday.
- Other info: Flexible working options and opportunities for significant career growth.
- Why this job: Join a passionate team tackling groundbreaking challenges in AI technology.
- Qualifications: Experience in production software, deep knowledge of Go, and strong problem-solving skills.
The predicted salary is between 75600 - 92400 £ per year.
At Gradient Labs, we're building the AI customer operations platform for financial services. Founded in 2023, we now work with some of the biggest names in banking and fintech. Our platform runs specialist agents, purpose-built for financial services, to eliminate manual work across customer support and back-office operations. Together, they give product and operations teams the visibility and control to trust every outcome.
We're a team of builders from companies like Monzo, Wise, Revolut and Google. If you're excited to tackle some of the hardest problems in AI and help shape the future of customer operations, we'd love to hear from you.
How you’ll make an impact
This isn't a maintenance role or a feature factory. At Gradient Labs, you will own systems that matter - from the first architectural decision through to production, scale, and everything that breaks along the way.
- You'll work on the infrastructure that makes autonomous AI agents actually reliable in the real world. That means building for failure, designing for observability, and shipping with conviction - not waiting for a perfect spec that will never arrive.
- Build the OS for AI Agents - Contribute to a safe, scalable platform that lets us iterate on autonomous agent capabilities faster than anyone else. You are building the infrastructure that makes AI actually work in production.
- Ship Resilient Systems - Design and own systems that hold up under failures, retry storms, and resource starvation - with full observability baked in. Reliability is a baseline, not an aspiration.
- Take Products from 0 → 1 → Scale - Scope something from scratch, make the early architectural calls, and stay responsible for it as it grows. We build with conviction and we see things through.
- Move Fast, Ship Often - Iterate in small increments. Multiple deploys a day. Comfort with ambiguity is not optional - it is the job. The mission moves faster than the roadmap.
What you’ll bring
- Substantial tenure building production software at a fast-growing company - fintech, AI, consumer tech, or any environment where pace and stakes were both high.
- Proven experience owning complex, high-stakes systems end to end - not handing off at merge, but staying accountable through observability, iteration, and scale.
- Deep fluency in Go (Golang) and comfort operating across a modern backend stack (PostgreSQL, Temporal, GCP, Kubernetes).
- A product instinct that goes beyond technical elegance - you think from the customer backwards and bring that into every architectural decision.
- Senior, Staff, Principal or Distinguished level in practice - someone who has operated with real scope and real accountability.
- Genuine excitement for autonomous AI as a platform shift, not a trend - you want to build the infrastructure that makes agents genuinely reliable.
- Strong opinions, loosely held - conviction without ego, and always willing to be wrong in pursuit of the right answer.
Why join Gradient Labs?
This is a unique chance to be part of a team working with cutting-edge technology to reshape how businesses will operate in the future. Over the next 10 years, every company will need to embrace AI-powered operations to stay competitive, and this role puts you right in the middle of that transformation.
You’ll tackle challenging and new problems, work with some of the most exciting brands across different industries, and be surrounded by a passionate, smart team that’s driven to build something groundbreaking.
Benefits & Logistics
- We’re still at early stages of building out our compensation bandings, whilst we continue to shape this, we’re open to chatting with people who have a range of salary requirements.
- Our compensation package has two key components - base salary & meaningful equity.
- Private medical & dental insurance.
- 25 days holiday + bank holidays (or bank holiday opt out for 32 days holiday).
- Team socials and offsites.
- Flexible working - we have an office in central London and a hybrid working approach. This role is open to London based or remote in the UK folks (ideally you'd be able to come into the office once per week).
The Interview Process
- 30 mins Talent Screen with our Founding People & Talent.
- 1hr Hiring Manager interview with our CTO, Neal Lathia.
- Take Home Task.
- Deep Dive interview with 2 of our Backend Engineers.
- Final Product Interview.
Staff Backend Engineer in London employer: Gradient Labs
At Gradient Labs, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work culture that fosters innovation and collaboration. Our team is composed of talented individuals from leading tech companies, providing ample opportunities for professional growth and the chance to work on cutting-edge AI technology that directly impacts customer operations in financial services. With flexible working arrangements, competitive compensation packages, and a commitment to employee well-being, we create an environment where every team member can thrive and contribute to groundbreaking solutions.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Staff Backend Engineer 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 Gradient Labs 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 Gradient Labs.
✨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 Gradient Labs.
✨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 Gradient Labs 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 Staff Backend Engineer 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 Gradient Labs.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Gradient Labs 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 Gradient Labs
✨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 Gradient Labs 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.
