At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the development of a robust collections product and financial infrastructure.
- Company: Join NALA, a fast-growing fintech revolutionising global payments.
- Benefits: 35 days off, birthday leave, enhanced parental leave, and a $1000 learning budget.
- Other info: Dynamic team with opportunities for growth and innovation.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in building payments for the next billion users.
- Qualifications: Experience in backend systems and strong collaboration skills required.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
NALA is building Payments for the Next Billion. Faster, smarter, and fairer transfers for everyone. Since 2022, we've grown our business 120x, grown the team from 9 to 150+, raised $50M+ from top-tier investors, and were named to the Forbes Fintech 50 in 2025 and 2026. We operate two core products: NALA, our consumer app making cross-border payments cheaper, faster and more reliable for the global diaspora, allowing users to send money from the UK, US and EU to Africa and Asia; and Rafiki, our B2B payments infrastructure, powering global payments.
Our team includes alumni from Wise, Stripe, Monzo, Revolut, and CashApp — operators who’ve scaled world‑class products. We act with urgency, think deeply, and put our customers first always. At NALA, this isn’t just a job. It’s ownership, impact, and the chance to change global payments forever.
Your Mission
Collections & Treasury is the squad building a new collections product and the financial backbone other parts of the business will stand on. This includes:
- Building the infrastructure to spin up vIBANs on demand
- Designing customer-facing APIs to collect money through different payment strategies
- Handling the real‑world challenge of collections across the African continent
This is not just another product squad. We need a strong Senior / Lead Engineer (ideally with financial systems experience) who can take ownership of figuring out the right ways to build a robust Collections & Treasury foundation that can scale with us.
Your Responsibilities in this Role
- Own key architecture and implementation decisions for the collections & treasury foundation
- Lead design work (RFCs, diagrams, API and system specs) to align on solutions before building
- Partner with PMs and stakeholders to translate business intent into technically sound requirements
- Design and build customer-facing and internal APIs to support collections and payment strategies
- Build reliable infrastructure for vIBAN provisioning and collections orchestration
- Drive engineering quality across API standards, testing strategy, code review bar, and maintainability
- Manage delivery by breaking down complex work, sequencing milestones, and keeping projects moving end to end
- Make pragmatic trade‑offs: move fast where we can, protect correctness where we must
What this role is not
To set you up for success, we want to be explicit about how engineering works here:
- Deep Build First. Engineers typically start by embedding deeply in a product squad, learning the domain, how we operate as a business, and earning trust through delivery.
- High‑pace, VC‑backed environment. Priorities can shift quickly and ambiguity is normal.
- Ownership includes alignment. We expect engineers to drive work end to end and collaborate with other engineers.
- Collaboration is part of the craft. We value consultation, design reviews, and feedback loops.
- We value autonomy, but not lone‑wolf engineering.
Must‑have requirements
Knowledge
- How to translate business intent into technical requirements and clean system boundaries
- What “good” looks like in financial‑grade systems, including correctness, reliability, auditability, and operational readiness
- Design principles that drive maintainability
- API fundamentals, including consistency, versioning, backward compatibility, and developer experience
Skills
- Requirement gathering
- Design‑first approach
- Engineering quality
- Disciplined execution
Experience
- Proven delivery of complex backend or distributed systems in a production environment
- Experience owning systems end to end
- Experience working closely with PMs and stakeholders
- Experience making pragmatic trade‑offs in startup environments
Behaviours
- Calm, decisive, and effective in ambiguous environments
- Collaborative by default
- High ownership with high standards
- Pragmatic, not dogmatic
Nice to have requirements
- Experience building financial systems
- Familiarity with virtual account concepts
- Experience designing public APIs
- Comfort with operationally‑heavy systems
- Experience working with region‑specific payment methods
Success in the role looks like
3‑Month Metrics
- Embedded in the squad with strong domain understanding
- Fully onboarded and acquainted with our ceremonies and engineering processes
- Requirements process running well
- One or more high‑leverage components delivered end to end
6‑Month Metrics
- Core collections & treasury foundation is production‑grade and scaling
- Customer‑facing APIs and orchestration paths are stable
- Delivery cadence is predictable
- Engineering quality bar is visibly raised
Interview Process
You will need to first submit your application through our ATS Workable. There is no need to submit a Cover Letter. If successful you will be selected for our interview process which has 4 interviewing stages:
- [30mins] Interview with the Talent Team
- [1 hour] Coding Challenge
- [1 hour] Architecture Interview
- [30 mins] Interview with the CTO or Hiring Manager
References
We conduct reference checks as standard for all of our hires at NALA.
Benefits
UK / EU / Remote, we have the following benefits:
- 35 Days Off
- Birthday Leave
- Enhanced Parental Leave
- Global Workspace
- Learning Budget
- Hybrid Working
- Sarabi
- Monthly Socials
- Free Coffee
Senior Engineer employer: Nala
At NALA, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer that fosters a dynamic and inclusive work culture, where innovation and collaboration are at the forefront. With generous benefits such as 35 days of holiday, enhanced parental leave, and a dedicated learning budget, we empower our employees to grow both personally and professionally. Our London office offers a vibrant environment with hybrid working options, monthly socials, and a focus on building strong team relationships, making it an ideal place for those looking to make a meaningful impact in the fintech space.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Engineer
✨Tip Number 1
Get to know the company inside out! Research NALA's mission, products, and values. This will help you tailor your conversations during interviews and show that you're genuinely interested in being part of the team.
✨Tip Number 2
Network like a pro! Connect with current employees on LinkedIn or attend industry events. Building relationships can give you insider info and might even lead to referrals, which can boost your chances of landing that Senior Engineer role.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for those technical challenges! Brush up on your coding skills and be ready to discuss your past projects in detail. NALA is looking for someone who can take ownership, so be ready to showcase how you've done that in previous roles.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to ask questions! During your interviews, engage with the interviewers by asking insightful questions about the team, projects, and company culture. This shows your enthusiasm and helps you determine if NALA is the right fit for you.
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Engineer
Some tips for your application 🫡
Be Yourself:When filling out your application, let your personality shine through! We want to get to know the real you, so don’t be afraid to show your passion for engineering and how you can contribute to our mission.
Tailor Your Responses:Make sure to align your experiences with the job description. Highlight your relevant skills and past projects that demonstrate your ability to handle complex systems and collaborate effectively with teams.
Keep It Clear and Concise:While we love detail, clarity is key! Make your points straightforward and easy to understand. Avoid jargon unless it’s necessary, and focus on what makes you a great fit for the role.
Apply Through Our Website:Don’t forget to submit your application through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your details and ensures you’re in the running for this exciting opportunity at NALA.
How to prepare for a job interview at Nala
✨Know Your Stuff
Before the interview, dive deep into NALA's products and mission. Understand how their collections and treasury systems work, especially in the context of cross-border payments. This will help you speak confidently about how your experience aligns with their needs.
✨Showcase Your Design Skills
Since this role emphasises design-first thinking, come prepared with examples of your previous architecture work. Bring diagrams or RFCs that illustrate your thought process and how you've tackled complex problems in the past. This will demonstrate your ability to think critically before jumping into coding.
✨Prepare for Pragmatic Trade-offs
NALA values speed without sacrificing correctness, especially in financial systems. Be ready to discuss scenarios where you've had to make tough decisions balancing speed and quality. Highlight your experience in startup environments where priorities shift quickly.
✨Engage with Questions
During your final interview with the CTO, don’t just wait for questions to be asked. Prepare thoughtful questions about NALA’s future projects, team dynamics, and how they measure success. This shows your genuine interest in the role and helps you assess if it's the right fit for you.
