At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead technical initiatives and mentor engineers to build scalable AI tooling.
- Company: Join OVO, a mission-driven tech company tackling the climate crisis.
- Benefits: Enjoy 34 days holiday, health perks, and flexible benefits.
- Other info: Be part of a diverse team committed to sustainability and innovation.
- Why this job: Make a real impact with cutting-edge technology in a collaborative environment.
- Qualifications: Expertise in software development, AI tools, and cloud platforms required.
The predicted salary is between 55000 - 85000 € per year.
Location: Hub Based - Hybrid for all
Salary banding: £55,000 - £85,000
Experience: Expert
Working pattern: Full-Time
Reporting to: Delivery & Growth Lead
Sponsorship: Unfortunately we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role.
This role in 3 words: Build, Collaborate, Deliver
Top 3 qualities for this role: Communication, Delivery Expertise, Amplification
Where you'll work: Depending on the needs of your business area, we expect hub based people to be in the office at least once a week, and to go to OVO Connection events in-person. You'll be assigned to the closest one of our three hub offices, Bristol, Glasgow, or London; unless your role requires field-based work. Each hub has accessible spaces to park your laptop, is designed to inspire people, help them connect and bring big ideas to life.
Everyone belongs at OVO: At OVO, we are on a mission to solve one of humanity's biggest challenges, the climate crisis. And we know it takes all of us to change the world. That's why we need diverse people from all abilities, gender identities, ethnicities, ages, sexual orientations, life experiences, and backgrounds to join us.
Teamworking for the planet: Everything we do here spins around Plan Zero. So, naturally, the team you'll be joining plays a gigantic role in making that happen.
This role in a nutshell: You will lead technical initiatives, make critical design decisions, and mentor engineers to elevate the team's capabilities. Your expertise will be the driving force that ensures we build scalable, high‐quality software that pushes our company forward. This role involves building an elegant, scalable, and secure AI tooling ecosystem for all the engineering teams at OVO. Your role is pivotal in shaping the architecture of our Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers, security controls, and plugin ecosystem. This is an opportunity to solve complex challenges, develop practical agentic tooling being used at an enterprise scale, and deliver work that truly matters to our internal developers.
Your key outcomes will be:
- Technical Leadership & Architecture: Drive the architectural vision for key features, designing robust, scalable systems and contributing to the technical roadmap to influence the future direction of the product.
- Engineering Excellence & Quality: Champion best practices by writing clean, efficient code, leading rigorous code reviews, and implementing comprehensive automated testing to ensure high‐quality, performant tooling in an exciting new field.
- Mentorship & Team Growth: Lead and mentor other engineers, fostering a culture of continuous learning and collaboration through knowledge sharing, technical discussions, and constructive feedback.
- Project Execution & Delivery: Translate complex projects into clear, executable tasks within an Agile framework, proactively resolving blockers to ensure the timely and efficient delivery of team commitments.
- Community & Knowledge Sharing: Actively contribute to the wider engineering community by leading discussions, sharing expertise through documentation and workshops, and driving the exchange of best practices.
You'll be a successful Senior Software Engineer at OVO if you have:
- Professional Experience: Significant hands‐on experience developing software in an agile environment, with a proven track record of delivering high‐quality, clean code.
- Backend & Architecture: Expertise in designing and building scalable microservices‐based architectures using languages like Node.js, Python, and TypeScript.
- AI Tooling & Ecosystems: Proven experience or a strong understanding of AI development tools (like Claude Code), Model Context Protocol (MCP), LLM integration, and prompt engineering.
- Cloud & DevOps: Hands‐on experience with cloud platforms (GCP, AWS), containerization (Docker, Kubernetes), and modern CI/CD practices.
- Frontend Development: Proficiency in modern frontend frameworks such as React.js and/or React Native.
- Leadership & Mentorship: Proven ability to lead technical initiatives and mentor other engineers, fostering a culture of technical excellence.
- Collaboration & Problem‐Solving: Excellent communication and analytical skills, with the ability to thrive in a high‐ownership, collaborative team environment.
Let's talk about what's in it for you: We keep our pay ranges broad on purpose to give us, and you, flexibility to match your experience to our zero‐carbon mission. You'll be eligible for an on‐target bonus of 15%. We have one OVO bonus plan that focuses on the collective performance of our people to deliver our Plan Zero goal. We also offer plenty of green benefits and progressive policies to help you feel like you belong at OVO, and there's Flex Pay. We'll give you 9% Flex Pay on top of your salary – 4% of this is auto enlisted into your pension, and the remaining 5% is yours to use as you like with flexible benefits, including our green benefits, add to your pension or even take it as cash.
Here's a taster of what's on offer:
- For starters, you'll get 34 days of holiday (including bank holidays).
- For your health: Benefits like a healthcare cash plan or private medical insurance depending on your career level, critical illness cover, life assurance, health assessments, and more.
- For your wellbeing: Gym membership, travel insurance, workplace ISA, will writing services, dental insurance, and more.
- For your lifestyle: Extra holiday buying, discount dining, home & tech loans, and supporting your favourite charities with give‐as‐you‐earn donations.
- For your home: Get up to £400 towards any OVO Energy plan, plus great discounts on solar, smart thermostats, and EV chargers.
- For your commute: Nab a great deal on ultra‐low emission car leasing, plus our cycle‐to‐work scheme and public transport season ticket loans.
- For your belonging: To find better ways to support our people, we need to listen to each other's experiences and find ways to build a truly inclusive and diverse workplace. As part of this, we have 8 Belonging Networks at OVO. Led by our people, for our people – so when you join OVO, you can play a part – big or small – with any of the Networks. It's up to you.
Want to hear about our full range of flexible benefits and progressive people policies? Our People Team can tell you everything you need to know.
Senior Software Engineer (AI Tooling) in London employer: OVO
At OVO, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, offering a vibrant work culture that champions collaboration and innovation. With a strong focus on employee growth, our hybrid hub-based model allows for flexible working while fostering community engagement through in-person events. Join us in our mission to tackle the climate crisis, where your contributions will not only shape cutting-edge AI tooling but also make a meaningful impact on the planet.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Software Engineer (AI Tooling) in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with people in the industry. Attend meetups, tech events, or even casual coffee chats. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can refer you directly to hiring managers.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! Create a portfolio or GitHub repository showcasing your projects, especially those related to AI tooling or scalable architectures. 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, it’s not just about answering questions; it’s about demonstrating your thought process and problem-solving abilities.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are genuinely interested in joining our mission at OVO. So, hit that apply button and let’s make a difference together!
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Software Engineer (AI Tooling) in London
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 AI tooling, microservices, and any relevant projects that showcase your skills in building scalable systems.
Showcase Your Communication Skills:Since communication is key for this role, don’t shy away from demonstrating your ability to convey complex ideas clearly. Use examples from your past experiences where you successfully collaborated with teams or mentored others.
Highlight Your Technical Leadership:Emphasise your experience in leading technical initiatives and mentoring engineers. Share specific instances where you’ve driven architectural decisions or improved team capabilities, as this aligns perfectly with what we’re looking for.
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 this exciting opportunity to help tackle the climate crisis with OVO!
How to prepare for a job interview at OVO
✨Know Your Tech Inside Out
Make sure you brush up on your knowledge of AI tooling, microservices architecture, and the specific technologies mentioned in the job description, like Node.js, Python, and TypeScript. Be ready to discuss your past projects and how you've applied these technologies to solve real-world problems.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Since this role involves mentorship and technical leadership, prepare examples of how you've led teams or initiatives in the past. Think about times when you’ve fostered collaboration or helped others grow their skills, as this will resonate well with the interviewers.
✨Communicate Clearly and Confidently
Given that communication is a top quality for this role, practice articulating your thoughts clearly. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your answers, especially when discussing your experiences and achievements.
✨Prepare Questions That Matter
Interviews are a two-way street, so come prepared with insightful questions about OVO's mission, the team dynamics, and how they measure success in this role. This shows your genuine interest in the company and helps you assess if it’s the right fit for you.
