At a Glance
- Tasks: Join a dynamic team to develop impactful backend services using Kotlin and React.
- Company: Sedex, a leader in sustainable supply chain solutions for over 100,000 businesses.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, flexible working, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Collaborative culture that values creativity, ownership, and continuous improvement.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in sustainability while honing your software engineering skills.
- Qualifications: 2-4 years of software engineering experience with a focus on backend development.
The predicted salary is between 50000 - 60000 € per year.
About Sedex
Sedex is a trusted partner for over 100,000 businesses worldwide, helping them create socially and environmentally sustainable supply chains. Through our platform's powerful data insights and expert guidance, we simplify the management, assessment, and reporting of sustainability performance.
Our Vision is to be a leader in making global supply chains more socially and environmentally sustainable. Our Mission is to provide data-driven insights, accessible tools, and exceptional services that support businesses in improving environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance and outcomes.
The role
We are looking for a software engineer to join one of our cross-functional product delivery teams. You will primarily work on backend services in Kotlin but will be expected to contribute to the frontend codebase (React.js) at times, with support from our frontend specialists. You will be a product-minded engineer, working together with the product manager and designer in your team to understand customer needs and write software to meet them.
You will work with engineers in your team and across the business to design and build maintainable, secure and reliable systems in an iterative fashion. You will contribute to a culture of DevOps and Continuous Delivery, where 10+ deploys to production per day are done in a safe, tested manner and the team owns the operability, performance and other non-functional requirements of the software it builds.
Main Responsibilities
In the First Four Weeks
- Familiarise yourself with the domain and systems within the scope of your team
- Understand the overall architectural landscape in which your systems live
- Gain a solid understanding of the CI/CD pipelines and deployment processes, and a good working knowledge of the production environment
- Familiarise with and begin monitoring the operational data and metrics from the production environment
- Become productive and start shipping features with the support of your team
- Build relationships with your immediate team and key cross-functional partners
- Make a positive impact to your team, establishing yourself as open, approachable, and eager to contribute
- Understand and embed into the team processes and cycles
- Build an understanding of how the business operates, especially in the domain area of your team
Ongoing Responsibilities
Design and Deliver
- Implement high-quality, test-driven solutions
- Break down your work into small, releasable increments that deliver genuine business value, continuously integrating with the code trunk
- Contribute to architectural discussions and help the team design well-considered solutions
- Identify and raise technical risk, technical debt, and non-functional requirements
- Monitor and support your code in production
Collaborate and Contribute
- Participate actively in code reviews, planning, retrospectives, and knowledge sharing
- Work collaboratively with your teammates, including through pair-programming and mobbing
- Support less experienced engineers in the team
- Contribute to the wider engineering community at Sedex
AI-Assisted Development
- Use AI coding assistants as a core part of your daily development workflow — for writing and refactoring code, generating tests, and exploring implementation approaches
- Critically evaluate AI-generated output before integrating it, ensuring correctness, security, and maintainability
- Stay current with the evolving AI development tooling landscape and actively adopt tools that improve your productivity.
Knowledge, Skills & Experience
- 2–4+ years of commercial experience working in software engineering teams, using agile methodologies and test-driven approaches
- Proficiency in a backend programming language — Kotlin, Java, C#, Go, TypeScript/JavaScript (Node.js), Python etc.
- Solid knowledge of automated testing at various levels and the use of TDD to drive your software design
- A good understanding of modern architectural patterns and designs, including service-oriented architecture, API design, and integration patterns
- Experience with containerisation for packaging and running applications locally and in the cloud (Docker)
- Good knowledge of database design and the ability to write software that interacts with both relational and NoSQL databases
- Good knowledge of CI/CD practices and a DevOps mindset
- An openness to AI-assisted development and a willingness to integrate AI tools into your daily workflow
- A keen focus on creating customer value
- A strong sense of accountability and ownership
- A positive, solutions-focused attitude and resilience in the face of change
- Excellent communication skills
- A desire to work collaboratively with other engineers (pair-programming, mobbing)
Bonus points for:
- Experience with Kotlin on the JVM
- Familiarity with Kubernetes and Helm
- Experience with message-based architectures (e.g. Apache Kafka)
- Experience contributing to web frontends using React.js
- Experience using AI coding assistants in a commercial context
What Exceptional Candidates Often Look Like
- They deliver high-quality software consistently and take pride in the craft
- They write code that others find easy to read, test, and extend
- They think carefully about how their code behaves in production
- They simplify rather than over-engineer
- They look for opportunities to automate repetitive work
- They seek feedback proactively and act on it quickly
- They show genuine curiosity — they read the codebase, ask good questions, and invest in understanding the why
- They use AI coding assistants with skill and judgment — getting strong results while critically interrogating output and knowing when not to rely on them
Our culture
At Sedex, our approach to business and culture is firmly rooted in our core values, which guide everything we do:
- Respect Each Other: We believe that a foundation of mutual respect is essential to creating a positive and inclusive environment.
- Customer-Driven: We are passionate about delivering exceptional value to our customers. By listening to their needs, understanding their challenges, and continuously adapting our solutions, we aim to empower them to achieve their sustainability goals and drive positive change in their supply chains.
- Thinking Creatively: Innovation is at the heart of our work. We encourage creative problem-solving and embrace new ideas that challenge the status quo. This mindset allows us to continuously improve our products and services, offering fresh and effective solutions to complex sustainability and ethical sourcing issues.
- Take Ownership: We empower our team members to take responsibility for their actions and outcomes. Every person at Sedex is encouraged to own their work, make decisions with confidence, and contribute proactively to the success of the team and the business.
- Deliver Results: We are results-oriented and committed to delivering tangible, impactful outcomes for our customers, our business, and society at large.
Product‐Driven Backend Engineer (Kotlin/React) in London employer: Sedex
At Sedex, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer that fosters a culture of respect, creativity, and ownership. Our commitment to employee growth is evident through our collaborative work environment, where engineers are encouraged to innovate and contribute to meaningful sustainability solutions. Located in a vibrant area, we offer competitive benefits and the opportunity to work with cutting-edge technologies, making it an ideal place for those looking to make a positive impact while advancing their careers.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Product‐Driven Backend Engineer (Kotlin/React) in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to folks in your industry on LinkedIn or at local meetups. A friendly chat can lead to opportunities that aren’t even advertised yet.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! Create a portfolio or GitHub repo showcasing your projects, especially those using Kotlin and React. This gives potential employers a taste of what you can do.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for interviews by practicing common technical questions and coding challenges. Use platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to sharpen your skills and boost your confidence.
✨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, we love seeing candidates who are proactive!
We think you need these skills to ace Product‐Driven Backend Engineer (Kotlin/React) in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV:Make sure your CV reflects the skills and experiences that match the job description. Highlight your proficiency in Kotlin and any experience with React.js, as well as your understanding of CI/CD practices. We want to see how you can contribute to our mission!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're passionate about sustainability and how your background aligns with our vision. Be genuine and let us know what excites you about the role at Sedex.
Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills:In your application, share examples of how you've tackled challenges in previous projects. We love candidates who think creatively and take ownership of their work, so don’t hold back on showcasing your problem-solving prowess!
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply directly through our website for a smoother process. It helps us keep track of applications and ensures you get the best experience possible. Plus, it shows you're keen to join our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at Sedex
✨Know Your Tech Stack
Make sure you brush up on your Kotlin and React skills before the interview. Be ready to discuss your experience with backend services and how you've used these technologies in past projects. This will show that you're not just familiar with the tools, but that you can apply them effectively.
✨Understand the Company’s Mission
Sedex is all about creating sustainable supply chains. Familiarise yourself with their mission and values, and think about how your skills can contribute to their goals. Being able to articulate this connection during the interview will demonstrate your genuine interest in the role.
✨Prepare for Collaboration Questions
Since the role involves working closely with cross-functional teams, be prepared to share examples of how you've collaborated in the past. Think about specific instances where you contributed to team success, especially through pair programming or knowledge sharing.
✨Show Your Problem-Solving Skills
Expect questions that assess your problem-solving abilities, particularly in a DevOps context. Prepare to discuss how you've tackled challenges in previous roles, especially those related to CI/CD practices or technical debt. Highlight your solutions-focused attitude and resilience.
