At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the design of scalable backend systems and distributed data platforms.
- Company: Join a dynamic engineering team focused on innovation and collaboration.
- Benefits: Flexible work environment, growth opportunities, and a strong engineering culture.
- Other info: Work without sponsorship in a fast-moving organisation.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on complex systems and influence technical direction.
- Qualifications: 10+ years in backend engineering with expertise in distributed systems.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
We are looking for a Staff Software Engineer to help lead the evolution of a highly scalable distributed data platform powering large-scale enterprise systems. This role is ideal for someone who enjoys solving complex backend and infrastructure challenges, influencing technical strategy, and mentoring engineers while remaining hands-on with architecture and development. You’ll work across engineering teams to design and build high-performance distributed systems, scalable data pipelines, and cloud-native services operating at massive scale. This position plays a key role in shaping long-term platform architecture, improving system reliability and observability, and driving engineering best practices across the organization.
What You’ll Do
- Lead the design and development of scalable backend systems and distributed data platforms
- Architect and optimize high-performance, high-availability cloud-native services
- Build and maintain large-scale ETL and data processing pipelines
- Design APIs, microservices, and service-to-service communication frameworks
- Develop scalable systems for processing large, streaming, and multi-tenant datasets
- Drive technical strategy and influence architecture decisions across teams
- Improve platform observability, monitoring, reliability, and operational performance
- Collaborate closely with engineering leadership, product teams, and stakeholders
- Mentor engineers and contribute to engineering standards and best practices
- Participate in system troubleshooting, root cause analysis, and performance tuning
- Create and maintain technical documentation and architectural standards
What We’re Looking For
- 10+ years of backend or platform engineering experience
- Strong experience building and operating distributed systems at scale
- Deep understanding of microservices architecture and service-oriented design
- Experience with containerized environments using Docker and Kubernetes
- Strong cloud experience with AWS, Azure, or GCP
- Expertise with relational and non-relational databases such as PostgreSQL, MySQL, Cassandra, or Elasticsearch
- Experience designing scalable APIs and backend services using gRPC and Protocol Buffers
- Strong programming experience with Java/Kotlin, Python, C#, or similar backend technologies
- Experience with CI/CD pipelines, automated deployments, and infrastructure automation
- Strong understanding of system design, scalability, security, and observability
- Ability to lead complex technical initiatives while collaborating across multiple teams
Nice to Have
- Experience working with large-scale data platforms or multi-tenant systems
- Familiarity with feature flags and release toggle strategies
- Experience evaluating or integrating third-party platforms and services
- Experience with service mesh technologies such as Envoy or AWS App Mesh
- Background in highly regulated or enterprise-scale environments
- Familiarity with Agile development practices
What’s Offered
- Opportunity to work on highly complex distributed systems and platform challenges
- Strong engineering culture focused on collaboration, scalability, and innovation
- High-impact role with influence on technical direction and architecture
- Growth opportunities within a fast-moving engineering organization
- Flexible and collaborative work environment
Must be able to work in the UK without any sponsorship!
Senior Software Engineer employer: Hirewell
Join a leading engineering organisation that champions innovation and collaboration, where as a Senior Software Engineer, you will tackle complex distributed systems challenges while influencing technical strategy. With a strong focus on employee growth, you will have the opportunity to mentor fellow engineers and shape the future of our scalable data platform in a flexible work environment that values your contributions.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Software Engineer
✨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 Hirewell 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 Hirewell.
✨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 Hirewell.
✨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 Hirewell 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 Software Engineer
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 Hirewell.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Hirewell 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 Hirewell
✨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 Hirewell 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.
