At a Glance
- Tasks: Build scalable backend systems for flight booking and enhance customer experience.
- Company: Join On the Beach, a leading travel tech company revolutionising holiday bookings.
- Benefits: Enjoy 25 days holiday, discounts on trips, and flexible working hours.
- Other info: Collaborative team culture with excellent career growth and learning opportunities.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in the travel industry with innovative technology.
- Qualifications: Experience in backend systems, cloud-native platforms, and API technologies.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 75000 £ per year.
We’re On the Beach! Since 2003, we've been rewriting the rules of how people discover, book, and experience their perfect getaway. What started as connecting people to short-haul beach holidays has evolved into something much bigger - premium beach destinations, long-haul adventures, and vibrant city breaks – and that’s just the beginning of our story. We send around two million holidaymakers on their dream breaks every year. And we're still growing. Powered by our deep-rooted entrepreneurial spirit, proprietary tech, curiosity and our incredible people, we’re accelerating - delivering best in class technology, the ultimate holiday app, and experiences that keep our customers coming back for more.
About the Role
At On the Beach, our Flights Booking team builds and maintains the platform connecting our customers to our broad range of flight providers. The team ensures that the wide selection of flight combinations available to our customers is booked successfully with our suppliers every time. Our systems map across a broad range of supplier technologies and capabilities, presenting a single unified gateway for flight booking to the wider business. Our mission is to ensure that there are zero failed bookings. This is a role for engineers who enjoy solving large-scale, data-intensive, and distributed systems challenges that directly influence customer experience and business performance.
What you’ll be doing day to day
As a Senior Software Engineer in Flights Booking, you will build scalable backend systems and platforms that abstract supplier‑specific logic for our customers, enable complex flight routing options, and provide a leading experience for our suppliers and their partners. You will work on systems that support supplier connectivity, power the requote/reserve/book process, and support post‑booking actions from both customers and suppliers. This is a backend and platform‑focused role with a strong emphasis on distributed systems, cloud‑native technologies, operational excellence, and high performance at scale. You will collaborate closely with engineers, product managers, analysts, and commercial teams to deliver dependable and commercially impactful solutions.
We are looking for engineers who enjoy solving complex technical problems and building scalable systems that operate reliably within high‑throughput environments. You’ll be a great addition to our team if you have the following skills, knowledge and experience:
- Building scalable backend systems and distributed services
- Designing and operating cloud‑native platforms
- Messaging infrastructure, streaming technologies, and event‑driven architectures
- Building reliable and observable production systems
- Working with a variety of API technologies and in partnership with external suppliers
- Solving scalability, latency, and operational resilience challenges
- Working collaboratively across engineering, product, and commercial teams
- Making pragmatic technical decisions in fast‑moving environments
- A strong curiosity to learn, stay current with the latest changes in technology, and continuously improve engineering practices
- Experience with AI‑assisted engineering, including agentic coding workflows
- .NET (C#), Kubernetes, AWS (EKS, DynamoDB, RDS, EventBridge, SQS, SNS, Bedrock), GraphQL, Terraform, Argo CD, Backstage
What to expect from our interview process
After a call with our Talent Acquisition Team, we will run a 3‑stage interview process all on Microsoft Teams, which will consist of:
- Hiring Manager meet & greet – 30 Minutes
- Behavioural & ways of working – 60 Minutes
- Tech Pairing & System Design – 90 Minutes
We want to make sure everybody has the opportunity to perform at their best. If you require any reasonable adjustments during the interview process please let the Talent Acquisition team know and they will be happy to assist.
Ways of working
Our full‑time hours are 37.5 per week, but we don't have rigid working hours so you can find the working pattern that's right for you. We have core working hours between 10am – 4pm, so we can collaborate and enjoy the social side of work. We also have hybrid working so we all work from home and from our Aeroworks office in Manchester City Centre. As a team we are in the office 2 days per week (usually Tuesday & Wednesday).
Our benefits
We might be biased but we think our colleagues are pretty great. They're the people that have made On the Beach what it is today and continue to make it vibrant and successful tomorrow. That's why we offer a competitive benefits package, known as our Beach Perks, to all On the Beach colleagues. These include:
- 25 days holiday plus your birthday off
- Generous discount on holidays, plus you will receive 2 extra days annual leave on top of your holiday allowance to use whilst you're away on your On the Beach package holiday
- Access to Learnerbly learning platform, plus workshops, courses and professional qualifications
- Enhanced maternity, paternity, shared parental leave and adoption pay, plus other family friendly support
- Employee Assistance Programme and free access to counselling
- Simplyhealth Optimise Health Plan
- Company Sick Pay scheme
- Regular wellbeing events
- Gym discount
- Share Incentive Plan (SIP)
- Death in Service cover
- Onsite subsidised coffee shop
- The Sandbox (our very own bar)
- Food and drink discounts across a number of venues in Manchester City Centre
- Regular social events
- Cycle to Work scheme
Senior Software Engineer - Flight Booking in Manchester employer: On the Beach
At On the Beach, we pride ourselves on fostering a vibrant and inclusive work culture that empowers our employees to thrive. With flexible working hours, hybrid arrangements, and a competitive benefits package including generous holiday allowances and professional development opportunities, we ensure our team members can balance their personal and professional lives while contributing to our mission of delivering exceptional travel experiences. Join us in Manchester City Centre, where innovation meets collaboration, and be part of a company that values your growth and well-being.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Software Engineer - Flight Booking in Manchester
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to folks in the industry, especially those already at On the Beach. A friendly chat can open doors and give you insider info on what they're really looking for.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for the tech pairing session! Brush up on your coding skills and be ready to tackle real-world problems. Practising with a friend or using online platforms can help you feel more confident.
✨Tip Number 3
Show off your curiosity! During interviews, share how you stay updated with the latest tech trends. Mention any cool projects you've worked on that demonstrate your passion for learning and innovation.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you're genuinely interested in joining our team!
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Software Engineer - Flight Booking in Manchester
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the Senior Software Engineer role. Highlight your experience with scalable backend systems and cloud-native technologies, as these are key to what we do at On the Beach.
Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills:We love engineers who can tackle complex challenges! In your application, share examples of how you've solved scalability or operational resilience issues in past projects. This will show us you're a great fit for our team.
Be Clear and Concise:When writing your application, keep it straightforward. Use clear language and avoid jargon where possible. We want to see your skills shine through without getting lost in overly complicated explanations.
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 considered for the role. Plus, it’s super easy!
How to prepare for a job interview at On the Beach
✨Know Your Tech Stack
Familiarise yourself with the technologies mentioned in the job description, like .NET, AWS, and Kubernetes. Be ready to discuss your experience with these tools and how you've used them to solve complex problems in previous roles.
✨Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills
Prepare examples of how you've tackled scalability and operational resilience challenges in past projects. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your responses and highlight your impact.
✨Understand the Business Impact
Research On the Beach's mission and values. Be prepared to discuss how your work as a Senior Software Engineer can directly influence customer experience and business performance, especially in relation to flight bookings.
✨Engage in Collaborative Discussions
Since the role involves working closely with various teams, practice discussing technical concepts in a way that's accessible to non-technical stakeholders. This will demonstrate your ability to communicate effectively and collaborate across departments.
