Staff Backend Engineer (Routing Squad)

About HIVED

At HIVED, we’re steamrolling forward as one of Europe’s fastest growing startups, and our momentum shows no signs of slowing. Based in London, we are a climate and logistics start-up building the first sustainable parcel delivery network at scale, powered by a 100% electric fleet. In an ever-growing industry where unreliable service has long been the norm, HIVED has been built from the ground‑up to meet the demands of modern consumers and disrupt parcel delivery.

A tech company at heart, our talent and technology is laser-focused on delivering the best possible delivery experience for end‑customers and meeting the needs of our retail partners. From our drivers to our data engineers, we are constantly working to improve this customer experience that makes us deliver better. Already trusted by leading international brands such as John Lewis, Nespresso, Uniqlo, H&M brands and more, we are solidifying our position as the leaders in Europe to tackle this growing market.

Our tight‑knit team is made up of ex‑Revolut, Bain, HelloFresh, ASOS, Apple and Google employees, and we are backed by some of Europe’s leading investors and VCs in climate‑tech, logistics and mobility such as Planet A Ventures, Maersk Growth, Pale Blue Dot VC, Eka Ventures, NordicNinja VC and the British government. We’re passionate about driving innovation and redefining the future of delivery.

In a nutshell, we are looking for a Staff Backend Engineer with a passion for solving complex, high‑impact operational problems. As part of HIVED’s Routing Squad, you’ll tackle some of the most intellectually demanding challenges in computer science – building systems that power optimisation and forecasting at scale, enabling efficient route planning and supply‑demand matching. Your work will directly enhance our core delivery engine and help create a competitive edge through technology.

You’ll collaborate within a cross‑functional team of engineers, data analysts, and data scientists to build production‑grade optimisation systems that are robust, scalable, and deeply integrated into HIVED’s operations. This is an opportunity to combine theoretical rigour with real‑world application and see the tangible impact of your work every day.

What you’ll be doing:

• Design and implement distributed systems for routing, supply‑demand matching, and other core logistics challenges.
• Work closely with optimisation engineers, data scientists, and analysts to integrate algorithms and solvers into production.
• Lead the exploration and evaluation of new approaches to solve complex business problems.
• Partner with product and operational stakeholders to understand business needs and translate them into technical solutions.
• Contribute to forecasting and planning systems that power strategic and tactical decisions across the business.
• Continuously improve the performance, scalability, and robustness of our routing and optimisation stack.

What we’re looking for:

• A Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related technical field.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills, with experience architecting and building distributed systems.
• Proven ability to translate complex requirements into production‑grade solutions with measurable business impact.
• Solid coding skills (Python or Golang preferred, though experience in other languages like Java or C++ is also valued).
• Experience working with cloud infrastructure (AWS preferred) and event‑driven architectures.
• Curiosity, creativity, and a strong sense of ownership – you enjoy solving open‑ended problems and shipping solutions that matter.

Technologies we use:

• Backend languages: Python, Go
• Tech infrastructure: AWS, CDK (TypeScript), Lambda, SQS, EventBridge, RDS, DynamoDB
• Data tooling: GCP, BigQuery, Looker, Looker Studio
• Observability: Loki, Tempo, Grafana, Prometheus
• Event‑driven architecture and domain‑driven design

How we reward our team:

• Dynamic hybrid working environment with a diverse and driven team.
• Huge opportunity for learning in a high growth environment, with progression opportunities based on success in the role.
• 25 days of holiday allowance plus public holidays.
• 1 Birthday Day Off + 2 Tenure‑Based Additional Days Off.
• Subsidised Private Medical Insurance including dental, vision & mental health therapy.
• Bi‑annual performance reviews and tailored development plans.
• Competitive salary + EMI options scheme.
• Annual compensation review.
• Team lunch provided once a week.
• Quarterly team socials and annual sports day (HIVED Olympics).
• Enhanced maternity/paternity/adoption policy as day 1 right.
• Community volunteer days.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Dog friendly office and depots.
• MacBook Air or Windows Laptop (depending on your preference).