At a Glance
- Tasks: Join us in revolutionising banking technology and maintain mission-critical systems for top financial institutions.
- Company: Thought Machine, a rapidly growing fintech valued at $2.7bn with a fantastic workplace culture.
- Benefits: Generous employee share package, competitive salary, and a fun, collaborative environment.
- Other info: We value diversity and encourage applications from all backgrounds, including those with different abilities.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on global finance while solving complex engineering challenges with brilliant minds.
- Qualifications: Experience in Python, Golang, or Java; strong background in cloud technologies and automation.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 84000 £ per year.
Thought Machine’s mission is bold – to properly and permanently rid the world’s banks of legacy technology. To achieve this, we have developed the foundations of modern banking through core and payments technology which run natively in the cloud. What we are attempting is hard and means we need great people working together to build great technology. We have grown rapidly in the past few years – growing our team to more than 550 individuals across offices in London, New York, Singapore and Sydney. We have raised more than $500m in funding and are now valued at $2.7bn.
Our investors include Molten Ventures, Eurazeo, Intesa Sanpaolo, Temasek, Nyca Partners, JPMorgan Chase Strategic Investments, Standard Chartered Ventures, and more. We have created a culture that enables our team to produce the best work in the industry while ensuring we have fun along the way. We’re regularly cited as having a fantastic workplace culture and have been recognised by Sifted magazine as having one of the highest Glassdoor ratings for a UK fintech company and the industry's most generous employee share package. Named one of the world’s most innovative fintechs by Global Finance Magazine, we were also recognised by the Financial Times as one of Europe’s fastest-growing companies for two consecutive years—and a UK Best Employer for 2026.
Thought Machine’s Site Reliability Engineers are the guardians of mission-critical systems for the world’s most influential financial institutions. As a member of our elite, globally distributed team, you’ll be entrusted with running and maintaining the robust production infrastructure that powers our customers' cutting‑edge Core Banking and Payments platforms. This is an opportunity to make a tangible impact on the global financial landscape while collaborating with brilliant minds to solve complex engineering challenges.
This role will be part of the Site Reliability Engineering team at Thought Machine HQ in London, tackling the challenges of automating complex fleet management operations, mentoring team members, promoting communities of best practice within engineering as well as designing operational processes that provide effective interfaces between Thought Machine and our SaaS customers. The SRE team is deeply involved in tackling the technical challenges of executing Thought Machine’s growth ambitions - expect to be working with senior stakeholders in the organisation and with our customers, and working on programmes and initiatives that are critical to the success of the company.
Duties:
- Supporting the product engineering teams in building highly fault‑tolerant, scalable applications by participating in design discussions, engaging in RFCs and code reviews.
- Executing various department strategies - contributing to the design and scoping work for team members around disaster recovery, backup, redundancy and capacity planning activities.
- Being part of a global on‑call rotation responsible for identifying and fixing bottlenecks in SaaS customer environments.
- Regular maintenance of production systems that host Vault products.
- Driving the evolution of our SaaS products by defining and designing features that foster exceptional reliability and an unparalleled user experience.
- Implementing and regularly testing DR strategies to ensure the highest level of resilience and fault tolerance of the platform.
- Maintain and promote high‑quality written documentation of assets, processes and runbooks that are used by the team in their day‑to‑day operations.
- Working with your Manager in growing team members in their technical skills as well as their understanding of Vault Products.
Requirements:
- You have a track record of delivering high‑impact projects with focus on long‑term scalability, ensuring that human intervention scales sub‑linearly with usage growth.
- You possess an up‑to‑date understanding of design patterns relevant to hosting and networking architectures.
- You proactively champion product development, driven by a desire to build truly exceptional products, not just solve immediate challenges.
- You’re a high‑agency individual who can independently drive projects to completion by effectively scaling your individual output with the appropriate delegation of work to team members.
- You have a strong background working in either Python, Golang or Java, having used one of these programming languages to execute a significantly sized project or initiative.
- You have experience working with Kubernetes or other container orchestration systems.
- You have experience with automation/configuration management, e.g. Terraform, Puppet, Chef, Ansible.
- You have expertise in one or more of the following areas: Database Administration, Networking, Observability Tools (such as Prometheus, Jaeger) or automation infrastructure.
- You have extensive experience working with either GCP or AWS.
We actively hire candidates who demonstrate technical excellence in their field and welcome people of all ages and backgrounds, providing everyone with equal access to professional development. You are encouraged to apply even if your experience doesn’t accurately match the job description. We also encourage applications from those with different abilities, including candidates with ADHD, autism, dyslexia or dyspraxia.
Senior Site Reliability Engineer employer: Thought Machine
Thought Machine is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work culture that fosters innovation and collaboration. With a focus on employee growth, the company provides ample opportunities for professional development while ensuring a healthy work-life balance through flexible working hours and comprehensive benefits. Located in the UK, Thought Machine stands out for its commitment to empowering engineers to work closely with clients, making a tangible impact in the cloud technology space.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Site Reliability Engineer
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to current employees at Thought Machine on LinkedIn or other platforms. Ask them about their experiences and any tips they might have for your application process. It’s all about making connections!
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for the interview by brushing up on your technical skills. Since you’ll be tackling complex engineering challenges, make sure you can discuss your past projects in detail, especially those involving Python, Golang, or Java.
✨Tip Number 3
Show your passion for innovation! During interviews, share your thoughts on the future of fintech and how you can contribute to Thought Machine's mission of ridding banks of legacy technology. They love forward-thinkers!
✨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, it shows you’re genuinely interested in joining the Thought Machine team.
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Site Reliability Engineer
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to highlight your experience with cloud technologies and automation. We want to see how your skills align with our mission to revolutionise banking!
Showcase Your Projects:Don’t just list your skills; share specific projects where you’ve made a significant impact. We love seeing real examples of how you've tackled challenges, especially in scalable applications or infrastructure.
Be Clear and Concise:When writing your application, keep it straightforward. Use clear language and avoid jargon unless it's relevant. We appreciate a well-structured application that gets straight to the point!
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it shows you’re keen on joining our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at Thought Machine
✨Know Your Tech Inside Out
Make sure you brush up on your knowledge of Python, Golang, or Java, as well as Kubernetes and automation tools like Terraform. Be ready to discuss specific projects where you've used these technologies, showcasing your problem-solving skills and how you’ve tackled scalability challenges.
✨Understand the Company Culture
Thought Machine values collaboration and a fun workplace culture. Research their mission to rid banks of legacy technology and think about how your personal values align with this. Prepare to share examples of how you’ve contributed to a positive team environment in past roles.
✨Prepare for Scenario-Based Questions
Expect questions that assess your ability to handle real-world challenges, such as managing production systems or implementing disaster recovery strategies. Think through scenarios where you’ve had to identify and fix bottlenecks, and be ready to explain your thought process.
✨Show Your Mentorship Skills
As a Senior Site Reliability Engineer, mentoring is key. Be prepared to discuss how you’ve helped others grow technically and how you promote best practices within teams. Share specific examples of how you’ve led initiatives or supported colleagues in their development.