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- Tasks: Lead backend engineering, set technical vision, and drive improvements in tools and processes.
- Company: Join mkodo, a dynamic tech company in the global lottery and gaming space.
- Benefits: Enjoy hybrid working, generous holidays, performance bonuses, and a supportive culture.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by shaping backend architecture and mentoring future tech leaders.
- Qualifications: Strong experience in Java, Spring Boot, and backend system design required.
- Other info: Great opportunities for personal development and career progression.
The predicted salary is between 43200 - 72000 £ per year.
Location: London/Newcastle – Hybrid Office & Home
Who Are We? mkodo builds world class apps, middleware and digital products in the global lottery, betting, and gaming space. We have an open, supportive, dynamic culture where talented people are trusted to contribute to the team and company by carrying out their roles in a professional, collaborative, and skilled manner. We value the expertise of our team members and offer opportunities for personal development and career progression within the company. Acquired in February 2020, by Pollard Banknote Limited (PBL), a major supplier to the global lottery industries, brought mkodo strong financial security, access to resources and clients at a global level.
About the role: Reporting to a Software Engineering Manager or Head of Engineering, we are seeking a Lead Backend Software Engineer to be the go-to authority for backend engineering, setting the technical vision, guiding architecture, and driving improvements in tools, processes, and delivery practices. You’ll remain hands-on for critical work, but your greatest impact will come from technical leadership, enabling teams to deliver robust, scalable, and secure services. With a strong foundation in backend technologies, including Java and Spring Boot, and event-driven systems such as Kafka, you’ll influence systems well beyond your own code, ensuring architectural integrity and high engineering standards across multiple teams. You’ll play a pivotal role in aligning technical strategy with business goals and ensuring our backend capabilities are future-ready.
Main responsibilities are:
- Technical Leadership
- Define and evolve backend architecture to ensure scalability, maintainability, and performance.
- Set coding standards and champion secure development practices (e.g. OWASP).
- Influence technology choices, frameworks, and tools to support engineering excellence.
- Oversee improvements to CI/CD pipelines, build processes, and operational workflows.
- Can clearly and confidently articulate risk of technical problems to non-technical stakeholders (e.g. legal, product owner, designer).
- Leads projects and features to good outcomes, ensuring appropriate engineering decisions are made to factor in technical debt, systems design, stability/reliability, monitoring/observability and business need.
- Contribute to key backend systems when your expertise is needed.
- Review and refine critical code, ensuring alignment with architectural goals and best practices.
- Provide technical oversight for major initiatives, ensuring architectural soundness.
- Coach, mentor, and develop engineers, raising capability across the backend discipline.
- Facilitate design discussions, code reviews, and collaborative problem-solving sessions.
- Build consensus for architectural and technical decisions across teams and stakeholders.
- Identify and proactively resolve technical debt.
- Introduce new backend technologies and approaches that improve reliability and delivery speed.
- Promote engineering practices that support scalable, secure, and maintainable systems.
- Proactively stays up to date with technology trends in their area, and uses this knowledge to contribute thoughts on engineering strategy.
- Share knowledge through presentations, workshops, and internal forums.
- Support recruitment by assessing candidates and promoting a strong engineering culture.
- Ensure backend systems comply with relevant standards such as ISO27001 and PCI.
Key Skills & Attributes:
- Strong backend engineering experience, ideally including Java (Java 11+) and Spring Boot.
- Proven ability to design and lead backend architectures for complex systems.
- Familiarity with cloud environments (AWS preferred) and container orchestration (Kubernetes).
- Experience with event-driven architectures and messaging platforms such as Kafka.
- Strong understanding of RESTful APIs, microservices, and distributed system design.
- Knowledge of SQL and NoSQL databases.
- Experience with CI/CD pipelines, automated testing, and modern deployment practices.
- Skilled mentor with the ability to influence technical direction across teams.
- Strong problem-solving skills, balancing technical, product, and delivery considerations.
- Comfortable in agile environments using Git-based SCM and tools like Jira or Redmine.
- Aware of compliance frameworks such as ISO27001 and PCI.
We encourage growth and progression because we value our colleagues and know that we best succeed when achieving and developing together.
Benefits:
- Hybrid/Flexible Working
- Quarterly team events
- Birthday Holiday
- Christmas Day-Off
- Generous Holiday Allowance
- Tech Loan Scheme
- Performance bonus & profit share scheme
- Cycle to Work scheme
- Life insurance and income protection
- Travel Loan scheme
- Supplies of fresh fruits, cereals, biscuits, nibbles, etc. in the offices
- Relevant training and training budget.
- Digital Nomad Policy
- Generous refer a friend scheme
Lead Backend Software Engineer in City of London employer: mkodo
Contact Detail:
mkodo Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Lead Backend Software Engineer in City of London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with folks in the industry. Attend meetups, tech conferences, or even online webinars. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can refer you to someone at mkodo.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! Create a portfolio showcasing your backend projects, especially those using Java, Spring Boot, or Kafka. This will give potential employers a taste of what you can do and how you approach problem-solving.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for technical interviews by brushing up on your coding skills and system design knowledge. Practice common backend engineering problems and be ready to discuss your past experiences and how they align with mkodo's goals.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in joining mkodo and being part of our awesome team.
We think you need these skills to ace Lead Backend Software Engineer in City of London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV is tailored to the Lead Backend Software Engineer role. Highlight your experience with Java, Spring Boot, and any event-driven systems like Kafka. We want to see how your skills align with our needs!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Share your passion for backend engineering and how you can contribute to our dynamic culture. Don’t forget to mention your leadership experience and how you’ve mentored others in the past.
Showcase Your Projects: Include examples of projects you've worked on that demonstrate your technical leadership and problem-solving skills. We love seeing how you've influenced architecture and improved processes in previous roles!
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it shows you’re keen on joining our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at mkodo
✨Know Your Tech Inside Out
Make sure you’re well-versed in backend technologies like Java and Spring Boot, as well as event-driven systems like Kafka. Brush up on your understanding of RESTful APIs and microservices, as these will likely come up during the interview.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Prepare examples of how you've led technical projects or mentored other engineers. mkodo values technical leadership, so be ready to discuss how you’ve influenced architecture decisions and improved engineering practices in your previous roles.
✨Communicate Clearly with Non-Techies
Since you'll need to articulate technical risks to non-technical stakeholders, practice explaining complex concepts in simple terms. Think of scenarios where you’ve successfully communicated with product owners or designers and be ready to share those experiences.
✨Emphasise Continuous Improvement
Be prepared to discuss how you've identified and resolved technical debt in past projects. Highlight any new technologies or approaches you've introduced that improved reliability and delivery speed, as mkodo is keen on continuous improvement.