Staff Full-Stack Software Engineer, (Forward Deployed), GPS in London

Staff Full-Stack Software Engineer, (Forward Deployed), GPS in London

London Full-Time 72000 - 88000 £ / year (est.) No working from home possible
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At a Glance

  • Tasks: Lead the development of impactful AI applications for the public sector.
  • Company: Join Scale, a pioneering tech company transforming public services with AI.
  • Benefits: Competitive salary, inclusive culture, and opportunities for professional growth.
  • Other info: Dynamic team environment with a commitment to diversity and inclusion.
  • Why this job: Shape the future of AI while making a real difference in people's lives.
  • Qualifications: 10+ years in full-stack development with expertise in Python, Node.js, and React.

The predicted salary is between 72000 - 88000 £ per year.

Scale’s rapidly growing Global Public Sector team is focused on using AI to address critical challenges facing the public sector around the world. Our core work consists of:

  • Creating custom AI applications that will impact millions of citizens
  • Generating high-quality training data for custom LLMs
  • Upskilling and advisory services to spread the impact of AI

As a Full Stack Software Engineer (Forward Deployed), you’ll collaborate directly with public sector counterparts to quickly build full-stack, AI applications, to solve their most pressing challenges and achieve meaningful impact for citizens. At Scale, we’re not just building AI solutions—we’re enabling the public sector to transform their operations and better serve citizens through cutting-edge technology.

You will:

  • Serve as the lead technical strategist for public sector engagements, converting ambiguous mission requirements into robust architectural roadmaps and guiding onsite implementation
  • Architect the fundamental frameworks for production-grade AI applications, setting the gold standard for how interactive UIs, backend systems, and AI models are integrated at scale to deliver reliable outcomes
  • Guide the evolution of cloud infrastructure, ensuring security, global scalability, and long-term system integrity across all environments
  • Direct the development of core platforms and shared services, ensuring they solve cross-cutting needs for diverse global client use cases
  • Partner with cross-functional leadership to steer the technical roadmap, mentoring senior and junior staff and ensuring all products align with a cohesive, future-proof technical architecture
  • Bridge the gap between the field and the core platform by turning real-world client lessons into the reusable patterns that power the entire engineering team

Ideally you’d have:

  • Masters or PhD in Computer Science or equivalent deep industry experience in architecting complex, distributed systems
  • 10+ years of full-stack expertise across Python, Node.js, and React, with a proven track record of designing high-scale architectures on Kubernetes and global cloud infrastructures (AWS/Azure/GCP)
  • Expert ability to design and oversee production-grade ecosystems, ensuring world-class standards for system integrity, security, and long-term scalability
  • Extensive experience deploying and troubleshooting sophisticated end-to-end solutions directly within complex, high-security client environments
  • A self-driven leader capable of resolving extreme ambiguity, mentoring senior staff, and setting the technical vision for the organization
  • A driver of asynchronous workflows and documentation-first cultures to streamline global engineering velocity and reduce friction

Nice to haves:

  • Past experience working at a startup as a CTO or founding engineer or in a forward deployed engineer / dedicated customer engineer role
  • Experience working cross-functionally with operations
  • Proven track record of building LLM-driven solutions with the strategic foresight to anticipate landscape shifts and architect future-proof systems

At Scale, our mission is to develop reliable AI systems for the world's most important decisions. Our products provide the high-quality data and full-stack technologies that power the world's leading models, and help enterprises and governments build, deploy, and oversee AI applications that deliver real impact. We work closely with industry leaders like Meta, Ernst & Young, Mayo Clinic, Time Inc., the Government of Qatar, and U.S. government agencies including the Army and Air Force. We are expanding our team to accelerate the development of AI applications. We believe that everyone should be able to bring their whole selves to work, which is why we are proud to be an inclusive and equal opportunity workplace. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability status, gender identity or Veteran status. We are committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with physical and mental disabilities. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation in the application or recruiting process due to a disability, please contact us.

Staff Full-Stack Software Engineer, (Forward Deployed), GPS in London employer: Scale

At Scale, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work culture that fosters innovation and collaboration. Our London office provides unique opportunities for professional growth, with access to cutting-edge technology and the chance to work on impactful AI projects in the public sector. We value our employees' contributions and support their development through continuous learning and mentorship, making Scale a rewarding place to advance your career.

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Contact Details:

Scale Recruitment Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫

We think this is how you could land Staff Full-Stack Software Engineer, (Forward Deployed), GPS in London

Join Local Tech Meetups

Get out there and mingle with fellow developers by joining local tech meetups. It’s a fantastic way to meet people who might be working at Scale or know someone who does. Plus, you can pick up some trendy tech skills and trends while you're at it!

Contribute to Open Source Projects

Show off your coding chops by jumping into open-source projects. Not only does this give you practical experience, but it also gets you noticed in the dev community. You'll create a killer portfolio that speaks volumes about your skills to Scale.

Tap into Online Developer Communities

Don’t underestimate the power of online developer communities like GitHub, Stack Overflow, and even Reddit. Participate in discussions, share your projects, and build your visibility. We can often find opportunities through these channels that can lead to a full-time gig at companies like Scale.

Explore Job Boards Specifically for Tech Roles

Keep your eyes peeled on job boards that focus on tech roles. Sites like TechCareers or Stack Overflow Jobs can often have listings for companies like Scale that might not show up on broader job sites. Make it a habit to check these regularly, and don’t hesitate to apply directly through our website!

We think you need these skills to ace Staff Full-Stack Software Engineer, (Forward Deployed), GPS in London

Full-Stack Development
Python
Node.js
React
Kubernetes
AWS
Azure

Some tips for your application 🫡

Show off your coding skills:When applying for a software engineering role, it's super important to showcase your coding skills. Make sure your CV includes your tech stack, any relevant programming languages you’re comfortable with, and examples of projects you've worked on. If you have a GitHub profile, link it up! We love to see code in action.

Tailor your portfolio:For a full-time role, we’d expect to see some solid examples of your work in your portfolio. Make sure to include at least two or three projects that highlight your problem-solving skills and your ability to work with different technologies. Focus on the projects that are most relevant to the position at Scale.

Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Scale and how your skills align with the role. Show us your passion for software development. We dig enthusiastic candidates who understand the value of collaboration and continuous learning!

Be clear and concise:When it comes to writing your CV and cover letter, clarity is key. Avoid jargon that could confuse us and stick to simple, direct language. Highlight your achievements with quantifiable results where possible, and keep everything easy to read. A well-organised application goes a long way!

How to prepare for a job interview at Scale

Brush Up on Your Coding Skills

For a full-time software engineering role, it's crucial that we stay sharp with our coding abilities. Expect technical questions that might involve solving problems on the spot or discussing algorithms. Practise on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to get comfortable with the types of questions that often come up.

Know Your Tools and Frameworks

Make sure we’re well-acquainted with the tools and technologies listed in the job description. Familiarise ourselves with any specific frameworks or programming languages mentioned. If Scale uses React or Node.js, for instance, be ready to discuss how we’ve used them in previous projects or coursework.

Showcase Your Projects

Bring along a portfolio that highlights our best work. This could be code samples, GitHub repositories, or any side projects we’ve built. Make sure we can talk through our thought process for each project, especially the challenges we faced and how we solved them—this shows our problem-solving skills in action.

Prepare for Behavioural Questions

While technical skills are key, full-time positions also require cultural fit. Be ready to discuss our previous experiences and how we handle teamwork, conflict, and deadlines. Brush up on the STAR method—Situation, Task, Action, Result—to clearly articulate our past experiences when discussing how we've contributed to a team.