Backend Engineer - Ruby

Why We Exist

The world is moving away from rigid ownership models in favour of more flexible, affordable access. Yet the $1.5 trillion device market has barely moved. Our mission is to transform how technology is bought, used and reused — creating better outcomes for customers, brands and the planet. For customers, the experience is simple: subscribe to a device, get support throughout, upgrade when you want, and return it when you’re done.

What We've Built

Raylo is the subscription infrastructure that enables leading electronics brands, including PlayStation, HP and Dyson, to move from one-off device sales to recurring subscription programmes that increase conversion, deepen loyalty and capture more lifetime value. We have over $90M ARR, we’re profitable, growing fast, with over a quarter of a million subscriptions across consumers and small businesses. Customers trust us too, with a 4.5/5 Trustpilot rating from more than 20,000 reviews.

The impact of our circular model is big. We cut emissions per device by around 50% compared to buy-and-discard. We’re B Corp certified, backed by Macquarie, NatWest and Channel 4 Ventures, and recognised by Tech Nation’s Future Fifty.

How We Work

AI is changing what small, ambitious teams can build. Companies that embrace it will define the next decade. Raylo is uniquely placed to benefit. We combine proprietary technology and data with the orchestration of physical assets, operating across credit, fraud, pricing, logistics, refurbishment, resale and customer care. With AI improving every cycle, our moat deepens with scale. At Raylo, AI is woven into how we work every day. We don’t ration access or hedge our bets. Our people use the best models and tools, and we expect them to do things that weren’t possible a year ago. Processes that used to be good enough are being rebuilt. Teams are replacing spreadsheets with bespoke tooling, and anyone can query our data layer in plain English and get a real answer in seconds.

We give every team their own hackathon: a chance to step back, start with a blank sheet, and ask: if we were starting today, how would we do this? The more we automate, the more human judgement matters. AI gives people back time, and we expect them to spend it on the things no model can replicate: conversations, trust, craft and team judgement. We hire to a high bar. You’ll work with people who push you, raise your game and expect you to do the same. We want every person at Raylo to do the best work of their lives, and enjoy doing it.

Our Core Values

• Be deeply curious - We thrive on innovation through diverse approaches, views, and people.
• Walk in your customer’s shoes - To build the best products and make the best decisions for the long term, we must figure out what our customers need, not just what they want.
• Focus and execute - We have a big vision, but we believe in nailing the most important problems first.
• Be gritty - Only gritty teams succeed. Our individual ownership, passion, and perseverance mean we’re a team through thick and thin.

What to Expect

You’ll be joining our growing Engineering team as a Backend Engineer, reporting to the Engineering Manager. Our backend team powers critical capabilities like customer decisioning, third‑party service integrations, automation for operational teams, and self‑serve functionality for customers. You’ll join a culture of high trust and autonomy and no micromanagement, where you’ll have the chance to quickly make an impact on our mission.

Over the next year, you’ll:

• Develop a deep understanding of our core user journeys and backend systems.
• Gain autonomy in delivering medium-sized projects and play an increasingly important role in driving larger initiatives alongside senior engineers and stakeholders.
• Collaborate cross‑functionally with product managers, designers, and frontend engineers to deliver features that directly impact Raylo’s growth and customer experience.
• Work with a modern backend stack including Ruby on Rails (8.0), Sidekiq Enterprise (200k+ jobs daily), Heroku, GitHub Actions (CI/CD), Playwright (E2E testing), and GraphQL APIs.

What You’ll Do

• Build, maintain, and scale backend services using Ruby on Rails and related technologies.
• Collaborate with product and frontend teams to deliver features that enable new customer experiences and operational efficiencies.
• Participate in code reviews and pairing sessions, sharing knowledge and learning from others.
• Integrate and optimise third‑party services that power our subscription platform.
• Continuously improve backend systems with a focus on scalability, reliability, and performance.
• Take ownership of medium‑sized projects, from design to delivery, and contribute to larger initiatives with senior engineers.
• Write clean, tested, and maintainable code, with CI/CD pipelines in GitHub Actions and end‑to‑end testing in Playwright.
• Work on asynchronous job processing at scale with Sidekiq Enterprise.

You’ll Succeed with

• A minimum of 2–4 years of backend engineering experience, ideally in a fast‑paced startup or scale‑up environment.
• Strong proficiency in Ruby on Rails and experience with Sidekiq for large‑scale job processing.
• Experience deploying and running applications in Heroku (or similar PaaS), with confidence in CI/CD pipelines.
• Familiarity with GraphQL APIs and automated testing frameworks such as RSpec.
• A collaborative mindset, with strong communication skills and the ability to make progress in ambiguous situations.
• A proactive, curious, and problem‑solving attitude, with a passion for working on real business problems through technology.
• An eagerness to continuously learn and improve your craft, especially within Ruby and Rails.

Opportunities & Benefits

We are continuously improving and listening to our quarterly employee surveys to provide the best opportunities and benefits for our employees.

• Fast-track your career – 40% of our employees are promoted every review cycle (bi‑annually).
• Exclusive Raylo device lease for employees.
• Private Medical Insurance.
• Stock options for all employees.
• L&D budget to support the skills you value.
• Hybrid working model (1 day a week in our London Bridge office).
• 33 days off, your way – 25 days + 8 bank holidays with full flexibility to use on the days that mean the most to you.
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption or shared parental leave, if you've been with us for 12 months.
• Workplace nursery scheme for major cost savings.

Hiring Process

We move quickly and we’ll aim to give you the best candidate experience possible. It starts with a 15‑minute call — no prep needed. If there's a fit, we move fast, every stage has a purpose, and we'll tell you what we're looking for at each one. If there's anything we can do to support you through the process, whether that's adjustments or anything else, please let us know. As an FCA‑regulated business, we conduct background checks (DBS and AML) on all successful candidates who are offered a position at Raylo during the onboarding process.

Diversity & Inclusion at Raylo

At Raylo, we celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive. We welcome people of all backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives, believing they make us stronger.