Senior Backend Developer (Django/Python) in London

Updraft is an award-winning, FCA-authorised, high-growth fintech based in London. Our vision is to revolutionise the way people spend and think about money, by automating the day-to-day decisions involved in managing money and mainstream borrowings like credit cards, overdrafts, and other loans.

We have built scale and are getting well recognised in the UK fintech ecosystem with over 800k users of our mobile app that has helped users swap approximately £500 million of costly credit-card debt for smarter credit, putting hundreds of thousands on a path to better financial health. The product is highly rated by our customers, with ratings of 4.8 on Trustpilot, 4.8 on the Play Store, and 4.4 on the iOS Store.

We are looking for exceptional talent to join us on our next stage of growth with a compelling proposition – purpose you can feel, impact you can measure, and ownership you'll actually hold. Expect a hybrid, Bengaluru-hub culture where cross-functional squads tackle real-world problems with cutting-edge tech; generous learning budgets and wellness benefits; and the freedom to experiment, ship, and see your work reflected in customers' financial freedom. At Updraft, you'll help build a fairer credit system.

Responsibilities:

• Design and develop efficient, scalable server-side components that integrate seamlessly with client applications.
• Contribute to architectural improvements and maintain high standards of code performance and maintainability.
• Build and extend backend features using internal and third-party APIs (e.g., Modulr, Truelayer, Checkout.com) to support lending products including loan applications, collections, and payments.
• Develop internal tools to automate operational workflows, significantly reducing manual effort and increasing team efficiency.
• Collaborate with the data team to deliver data-driven enhancements such as dynamic pricing and personalised user experiences.
• Work alongside front-end and product teams to build innovative solutions that empower users to manage their finances more effectively.
• Experience designing and scaling backend services from scratch, with a solid understanding of microservices architecture and distributed systems.
• Commercial experience in high-scale startups, likely 5-7+ years working on backend systems.
• Comfortable with integrating third-party APIs (e.g., Modulr, Truelayer, Checkout.com) to build lending, collections, and payment systems.
• Experience in fintech preferred but not essential.
• Proven ability to build internal tools that automate operations and save engineering hours.
• Collaborative mindset, working closely with data, product, and front-end teams to deliver impactful features.
• Strong awareness of security practices including best practices around performance, maintainability, and data integrity.

We are a small team, so it is important that the successful candidate is not only technically highly competent but also a great cultural fit with shared ambition with the rest of the team. As an early-stage employee in a fast-moving startup, you have the opportunity to shape the structure of the organisation, team, and technical architecture.

We offer share options in a potentially high-value business with an amazing platform in place, mentorship and support from an experienced executive team, and a great employee benefits package including medical insurance. We welcome applications from all and are fully committed to diversity and equality as an equal opportunities employer.