At a Glance
- Tasks: Build secure, scalable authentication experiences for millions of users and take ownership of features.
- Company: Join the innovative M&S Identity team in a dynamic and inclusive environment.
- Benefits: Enjoy a 20% discount, competitive holidays, and tailored training from day one.
- Other info: Be part of a diverse team committed to innovation and excellence.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on digital experiences while working with cutting-edge technologies.
- Qualifications: Experience in building distributed systems and knowledge of JVM-based languages required.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 £ per year.
The M&S Identity team is looking for a Senior Software Engineer to join our dynamic team. 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 team is responsible for the M&S Identity Platform, managing authentication journeys for both customers and colleagues. We sit at a unique intersection, delivering 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. Join our community of engineers to help build a modern digital ecosystem, work with cutting-edge technologies, and do the best work of your career.
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
- 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.
Tech Stack
- Java, Spring, SpringBOOT, Micronaut.
- React, Next.js, Typescript, Angular.
- Azure Cloud, Kubernetes, Dynatrace (observability).
- SQL Server, MongoDB Ignite, Redis.
What's In It For You
- 20% colleague discount on all M&S products and many third-party brands for you and someone in your household, available once you've completed your probation.
- Competitive holiday allowance with the option to buy more.
- Discretionary bonus schemes linked to your performance and ours.
- Strong pension and life assurance to help plan for the future.
- Tailored induction and training to support your development from day one.
- Exclusive perks and savings through our M&S Choices portal.
- Market-leading family policies, including parental, adoption and neonatal leave.
- 24/7 wellbeing support, including virtual GP access and mental health services.
- One paid volunteer day a year to support a cause that matters to you.
Everyone's Welcome
We are ambitious about the future of retail. We're disrupting, innovating and leading the industry into a more conscientious, inspiring digital era. We're transforming how we work together and offering our most exciting opportunities yet. Marks & Spencer strives to be an inclusive organisation, trusted and admired by our colleagues, customers and suppliers. Join us and make change happen. We are committed to building diverse and representative teams, where everyone can bring their whole selves to work and be at their best. We support each other and work together to win together.
Senior Software Engineer - Identity employer: MARKS&SPENCER
Marks & Spencer is an exceptional employer, offering a vibrant work culture that fosters creativity and collaboration within the dynamic Identity team. With a strong focus on employee growth, competitive benefits including a generous discount scheme, tailored training, and comprehensive wellbeing support, M&S empowers its engineers to thrive in a cutting-edge digital environment while making a meaningful impact on millions of customers and colleagues.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Software Engineer - Identity
✨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 MARKS&SPENCER 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 MARKS&SPENCER.
✨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 MARKS&SPENCER.
✨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 MARKS&SPENCER 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 - Identity
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 MARKS&SPENCER.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at MARKS&SPENCER 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 MARKS&SPENCER
✨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 MARKS&SPENCER 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.
