At a Glance
- Tasks: Design and build APIs for payments, subscriptions, and our public TTS API.
- Company: Join Speechify, a revolutionary tech company transforming reading for millions.
- Benefits: Competitive pay, flexible remote work, and a culture of innovation.
- Other info: Flat organisation with no ceiling on growth; your contributions truly matter.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a fast-paced environment while shaping the future of audio technology.
- Qualifications: Experience in backend development with TS/Node and cloud platforms.
The predicted salary is between 63000 - 77000 £ per year.
- Software Engineer, Platform - Oxford, United Kingdom
- Oxford, United Kingdom
The mission of Speechify is to make sure that reading is never a barrier to learning.
Over 50 million people use Speechify’s text-to-speech products to turn whatever they’re reading – PDFs, books, Google Docs, news articles, websites – into audio, so they can read faster, read more, and remember more.
Speechify’s text-to-speech reading products include its i OS app, Android App, Mac App, Chrome Extension, and Web App.
Google recently named Speechify the Chrome Extension of the Year and Apple named Speechify its 2025 Design Award winner for Inclusivity.
Today, nearly 200 people around the globe work on Speechify in a 100% distributed setting – Speechify has no office.
Overview
The Platform team owns the backend behind everything Speechify ships: the public TTS API, payments, subscriptions, auth, consumption tracking, and analytics — serving over 50million users across i OS, Android, Mac, Chrome, and web.
These are systems where correctness compounds.
Subscription state has to stay consistentacross five clients and two app-store billing systems that each go quiet at the worst moment.
Consumption metering has to be exact enough to bill on and cheap enough to run at ourrequest volume.
The public TTS API has external customers with their own products depending on our latency and uptime.
None of this degrades gracefully — it is either right, or someone gets charged twice.
The job is to make your own job smaller.
Every system you own here should need less of you a year from now than it did the day you took it, and the reward for that is a larger one.
That is the entire growth path on this team — there is no separate ladder, and no ceiling except the one you stop raising.
We are a flat organization: people become leaders here by taking scope and being right about it, fast.
- What You’ll Do
- Design, build, and own the APIs behind payments, subscriptions, auth, consumption tracking, and our public TTS API
- Take on services you didn't write and make them faster, cheaper, and harder to break
- Establish that a change is correct before it ships, and leave behind the checks that keep it correct after you've moved on
- Automate the parts of your role that shouldn't need a person, then go take on what that freed you up for
- Turn work you've done once into work the whole team can repeat
- Design B2B and enterprise integrations for customers building on top of us
- Work with product, mobile, and web to keep backend architecture ahead of where the product is going
- An Ideal Candidate Should Have
- Proven backend experience in TS/Node (required)
- Direct experience with GCP; working knowledge of AWS, Azure, or another cloud
- A habit of giving away work you used to own, and something to show for the room it created
- A daily working setup with AI agents you can describe in detail — what runs unattended, what you review, and where you've decided it doesn't get to act alone
- The instinct to check a result against the system itself — logs, database state, the actual request — rather than against a summary of it
- Judgment about what not to build, and the ability to say plainly why you dropped it
- A preference for being corrected over being right
- Preferred: Docker and containerized deployments
- Preferred: deploying high-availability applications on Kubernetes
Several technical interviews plus a take-home assessment on a real codebase. We aim to finish within a week.
The assessment runs in two stages: you'll submit, get real feedback from an engineer on this team, and have time to act on it.
Use the tools you use every day.
You'll be asked to walkthrough your reasoning, so bring it.
What We Offer
- A dynamic environment where your contributions shape the company and its products
- A team that values innovation, intuition, and drive
- Autonomy, fostering focus and creativity
- The opportunity to have a significant impact in a revolutionary industry
- Competitive compensation, a welcoming atmosphere, and a commitment to an exceptional asynchronous work culture
- The privilege of working on a product that changes lives, particularly for those with learning differences like dyslexia, ADD, and more
- An active role at the intersection of artificial intelligence and audio – a rapidly evolving tech domain
Speechify is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace.
Speechify does not discriminate on the basis of race, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability, age, or other legally protected status.
#J-18808-Ljbffr
Software Engineer, Platform - Oxford, United Kingdom Oxford, United Kingdom employer: Speechify
At Speechify, we pride ourselves on fostering a dynamic and inclusive work culture in the heart of Bristol. As a Senior Software Engineer, you'll not only have the opportunity to work on cutting-edge technology but also benefit from continuous professional development and a collaborative environment that encourages innovation. With a focus on employee well-being and growth, we offer competitive benefits and a chance to make a meaningful impact in the tech landscape.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Software Engineer, Platform - Oxford, United Kingdom Oxford, United Kingdom
✨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 Speechify 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 Speechify.
✨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 Speechify.
✨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 Speechify 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 Software Engineer, Platform - Oxford, United Kingdom Oxford, United Kingdom
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 Speechify.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Speechify 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 Speechify
✨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 Speechify 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.
