At a Glance
- Tasks: Design and build scalable backend systems that impact millions of customers.
- Company: Join Virgin Media O2, a leader in transforming data-driven business solutions.
- Benefits: Enjoy flexible work-life balance, competitive salary, and comprehensive support.
- Other info: Collaborative culture focused on diversity and personal growth.
- Why this job: Make a real difference with your code while shaping the future of technology.
- Qualifications: Expertise in Python, cloud environments, and strong architectural instincts required.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
Job Description hackajob is collaborating with Virgin Media to connect them with exceptional professionals for this role.
- Location
- Birmingham, Leeds, London, Manchester, Reading, Lanarkshire
Virgin Media O2 is transforming how it uses data to run the business.
Across pricing, network operations, customer care, and personalisation, we are building the products and services that help the company make better decisions, faster.
As a Staff Software Engineer, you will be at the centre of that work.
You’ll design and build backend systems that handle real scale and real consequences: services that shape how we invest in our network, how we retain and grow our customer base, and how we support millions of customers when things go wrong.
Your code will run in production, and your judgment will shape the technical direction of the teams around you.
This is a role for someone who wants to solve hard problems with good engineering.
You’ll work across team boundaries, influence architectural decisions, and set the standard for how we build software.
You’ll do this primarily by writing code, not by stepping away from it.
Who we are
At Virgin Media O2 we’re going All In, to remove bias and barriers for our people and our candidates.
We’re working hard to achieve bold ambitions, to help us better represent the diverse communities we serve across the UK.
As an equal opportunities employer, we support and encourage you, to be your authentic self throughout your application journey.
- The must haves
- Expert-levelproficiencyin Python, witha track recordof building production systems that are testable, maintainable, and built to last.
- Strong architectural instincts. You design systems that balance scalability, reliability, and cost, and you explain the trade-offs clearly to both engineers and stakeholders.
- Hands-on experience with cloud environments.
Our stack includes Big Query, Cloud Run, Spanner and Vertex.
You should be comfortable making infrastructure decisions, not just working within what exists.
- Familiarity with infrastructure-as-code (Terraform), and modern CI/CD practices.
- End-to-end ownership of services: from design through to production operation, monitoring, and incident response. You build it, you run it.
- The ability to see past the immediate problem. Youidentifysystemic issues, propose long-term strategies, and ensure the platform can support what comes next.
- A track recordof raising the bar beyond your own team, through code review, architectural guidance, orestablishingpractices that others choose to adopt.
- Clear communication across audiences. You can translate technical complexity for non-technical stakeholders and bring clarity to ambiguous problems for the engineers around you.
- A natural instinctfor developing the people around you, through pairing, constructive feedback, and leading by example.
- The other stuff we are looking for
- Experience with data-heavy applications, whether that’s ETL/ELT pipelines, data lakes, or working alongside data science and ML teams.
- Confidence working across multiple teams and stakeholders, turning business problems into well-defined technical solutions.
- Knowledge of Vertex AI or GCP's broader AI/ML services.
- Experience working in regulated or large-scale telecoms environments.
- What's in it for you
We know that benefits mean so much more than the ‘stuff’ we can give you, so we offer a wide range of support, rewards, and tools, all focused on helping you to prioritise what really matters.
All work and no play just isn’t our style! We’re constantly evolving our approach to enable you to find a great work life balance.
Next steps
If we feel like a place where you can belong, we’d love to learn more about you.
Once you’ve submitted an application the next steps of the process, if successful, is likely to include a two-stage interview process.
When you apply, you’ll be asked about any adjustments you might need to support the recruitment process.
Let us know, and we’ll be sure to discuss it with you.
Thanks for your patience in the meantime and for showing an interest in joining the Virgin Media O2 family.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Software Engineer (Birmingham)
✨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 Virgin Media 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 Virgin Media.
✨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 Virgin Media.
✨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 Virgin Media 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 Senior Software Engineer (Birmingham)
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 Virgin Media.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Virgin Media 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 Virgin Media
✨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 Virgin Media 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.
