Backend Engineer in London

Backend Engineer in London

London Full-Time 28800 - 48000 £ / year (est.) No home office possible
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At a Glance

  • Tasks: Build complex financial infrastructure and tackle real-world challenges in international commerce.
  • Company: Join a dynamic startup led by fintech experts from top companies.
  • Benefits: Competitive salary, equity, and the chance to shape your work environment.
  • Why this job: Make a real impact by creating innovative payment systems from scratch.
  • Qualifications: Experience in backend development, preferably with JVM languages like Kotlin.
  • Other info: Collaborative culture focused on building, not maintaining.

The predicted salary is between 28800 - 48000 £ per year.

About Outpost

What if going global was as simple as going local? Outpost is building the AI global trade engine. The accumulated knowledge of every rule you'd need to sell internationally, turned into infrastructure. Tell us what you're selling. We'll tell you how to sell it everywhere. We operate as Merchant of Record or Tax of Record across 58+ tax jurisdictions. Full liability transfer, or just the tax layer. We do the analysis, we handle the setup, we absorb the liability. Sell anything, anywhere. Without compromise.

The Role

This is a Backend Engineer role for someone who wants to build complex financial infrastructure from scratch. You'll work directly with our engineering leadership to implement payment flows, build tax calculation engines, and create the systems that power international commerce. You'll contribute to product and technical discussions, challenge assumptions, and help guide our technical direction. We're building the infrastructure that lets businesses sell globally without the usual pain. That means payment processing, multi-currency ledgers, real-time tax calculations, merchant onboarding, and AI-powered compliance tools. Hard problems with real scale.

What You'll Get

Yes, the work is intense. But in return, you'll build critical financial infrastructure that handles hundreds of millions in volume. You'll have significant input into technical direction, work with a small team of experienced engineers, and shape how Outpost scales. If you want to go deep on payments, tax, and fintech infrastructure, this is the role.

What You'll Build

  • Payment processing infrastructure handling hundreds of millions in volume
  • Robust ledger and reconciliation systems
  • Tax calculation engines for multiple jurisdictions
  • Real-time transaction monitoring and risk systems
  • Merchant onboarding and integration frameworks
  • Platform connections with major e-commerce systems
  • AI/LLM powered taxation tools
  • AI/LLM powered fraud and risk tools

What You'll Do

Technical Development

  • Write high-quality, maintainable code
  • Implement core payment and financial systems
  • Build secure, scalable backend services
  • Contribute to system architecture discussions
  • Help establish engineering best practices

System Design & Implementation

  • Design and build robust payment processing flows
  • Implement internal ledger and reconciliation systems
  • Create merchant integration frameworks
  • Develop automated monitoring and alerting
  • Handle secure financial data processing

Cross-functional Collaboration

  • Work with product team to refine technical requirements
  • Contribute to API design and implementation
  • Collaborate with risk and compliance on system requirements

Example Projects

  • Implement a multi-currency ledger that handles real-time reconciliation
  • Create the tax calculation engine for a new jurisdiction
  • Design the merchant onboarding flow and integration framework
  • Build AI-powered tools for automated tax classification
  • Implement real-time fraud detection and risk scoring
  • Create automated reconciliation systems that catch discrepancies before they become problems

What We're Looking For

Ideal background:

  • Fluency in a JVM-based language, preferably Kotlin
  • Track record of implementing complex backend systems
  • Strong engineering fundamentals and coding practices
  • Bonus: experience building financial, payments, tax, or compliance systems
  • Bonus: familiarity with e-commerce platforms

Signals we care about:

  • You write high-quality code and care about maintainability
  • You can design systems, not just implement them
  • You're comfortable with ambiguity and figuring things out
  • You contribute to technical discussions and challenge assumptions
  • You want to build from scratch, not maintain existing systems
  • Bias for action. You ship, you learn, you iterate

What this role is not:

  • Not maintaining existing systems. You'll build from scratch
  • Not a role where you wait to be told what to do
  • Not someone who needs heavy process or detailed specs to be effective
  • Not pure execution without input into technical direction

Why This Role Is Different

Most backend roles are about maintaining or extending existing systems. This role is about building complex financial infrastructure from the ground up. You'll tackle challenges like managing multiple currency ledgers, handling card payment flows, building automated reconciliation systems, and creating AI-powered tax tools. You'll have significant input into our technical direction. If you're excited about building complex payment systems and want to shape the future of international commerce, this is the role.

Outpost Team

Our team were leaders at Revolut, Airwallex, Adyen and Wayflyer, and we're backed by top-tier investors who have built or backed some of the world's leading fintechs.

What We Offer

  • Equity and salary in a well-funded startup
  • Ability to own your work and move fast
  • Direct access to the founding team
  • A global mission with real impact
  • Low politics, high output
  • A culture of builders, not talkers

Working Style

We work together in person in London. We believe the hardest problems are solved in the room.

Learn More

emile@outpostnow.com

Outpost Culture: Outpost Culture

Outpost founder: Little Goat Labs

Outpost is where the hard problems are. If you want to build the financial infrastructure for global commerce, we'd love to hear from you.

Backend Engineer in London employer: Outpost

Outpost is an exceptional employer for Backend Engineers, offering the unique opportunity to build complex financial infrastructure from the ground up in a dynamic and collaborative environment. With a focus on innovation and a culture that values direct access to leadership, employees can expect significant input into technical direction, equity in a well-funded startup, and the chance to tackle real-world challenges that impact global commerce. Located in London, Outpost fosters a low-politics, high-output work culture where builders thrive and meaningful contributions are recognised.
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Contact Detail:

Outpost Recruiting Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫

We think this is how you could land Backend Engineer in London

✨Tip Number 1

Network like a pro! Reach out to folks in the industry, attend meetups, and connect with people on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can refer you directly.

✨Tip Number 2

Show off your skills! Build a portfolio showcasing your projects, especially those related to backend systems or financial infrastructure. This gives potential employers a taste of what you can do and sets you apart from the crowd.

✨Tip Number 3

Prepare for interviews by practising common technical questions and coding challenges. Use platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to sharpen your skills. Remember, confidence is key, so get comfortable talking about your past experiences and how they relate to the role.

✨Tip Number 4

Apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, it shows you're genuinely interested in joining our team at Outpost. Don’t hesitate—take that leap!

We think you need these skills to ace Backend Engineer in London

Fluency in a JVM-based language
Kotlin
Backend System Implementation
Payment Processing
Financial Systems Development
Tax Calculation Engines
System Architecture Design
Automated Monitoring and Alerting
API Design and Implementation
Cross-functional Collaboration
High-quality Code Writing
Maintainable Code Practices
Problem Solving in Ambiguous Situations
Building from Scratch

Some tips for your application 🫡

Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the Backend Engineer role. Highlight your experience with JVM-based languages like Kotlin and any relevant projects that showcase your ability to build complex backend systems.

Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills: We love candidates who can tackle tough challenges! In your application, share examples of how you've approached ambiguous problems in the past and the innovative solutions you came up with. This will show us you're ready to build from scratch.

Be Clear and Concise: When writing your application, keep it straightforward. Use clear language and avoid jargon. We want to see your technical skills, but we also appreciate a well-structured and easy-to-read application.

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. We can't wait to see what you bring to the table!

How to prepare for a job interview at Outpost

✨Know Your Tech Stack

Make sure you’re well-versed in JVM-based languages, especially Kotlin. Brush up on your knowledge of backend systems and be ready to discuss how you've implemented complex solutions in the past. This will show that you can hit the ground running.

✨Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills

Prepare examples of how you've tackled challenging problems, particularly in financial infrastructure or payment systems. Be ready to discuss your thought process and how you approach ambiguity—this role is all about building from scratch!

✨Engage in Technical Discussions

Don’t shy away from sharing your ideas during the interview. Outpost values input into technical direction, so come prepared to challenge assumptions and contribute to system architecture discussions. This shows you’re not just a doer but a thinker.

✨Demonstrate Your Passion for Building

Express your enthusiasm for creating new systems rather than maintaining existing ones. Share your vision for how you would approach building payment processing flows or tax calculation engines. This will resonate with their mission of solving hard problems in global commerce.

Backend Engineer in London
Outpost
Location: London

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