At a Glance
- Tasks: Design and build scalable backend services to enhance customer verification experiences.
- Company: Join Wise, a global tech company revolutionising money management.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, RSUs, and a diverse, inclusive work culture.
- Other info: Dynamic team environment with opportunities for career growth and innovation.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by transforming financial experiences for customers worldwide.
- Qualifications: 10+ years in Java, strong system design skills, and mentoring experience.
The predicted salary is between 111000 - 145000 £ per year.
hackajob is collaborating with Wise to connect them with exceptional professionals for this role.
Wise is a global technology company, building the best way to move and manage the world's money. Min fees. Max ease. Full speed. Whether people and businesses are sending money to another country, spending abroad, or making and receiving international payments, Wise is on a mission to make their life easier and save them money. As part of our team, you will be helping us create an entirely new network for the world's money. For everyone, everywhere.
We are the Global KYC and Onboarding squad in the Servicing department and we have a mission: to enable teams at Wise to expand and fine-tune the business in a "config change" manner all across the globe, while remaining compliant and safe for the customers. There are three teams in the squad: Business Onboarding Verification, Personal Onboarding Verification and Wise Platform Verification (this is our B2B platform). All of the teams are diverse, cross-functional groups passionate about solving complex problems with elegant solutions. We bring together backend and frontend engineers, mobile developers, designers, data analysts, and product managers who collaborate closely to deliver exceptional customer experiences.
Our teams are responsible for the critical verification journeys that business and personal customers complete before using Wise's products. We own the entire verification lifecycle – from document collection flows and automated review systems to agent tooling and compliance monitoring. We operate with high autonomy, make data-driven decisions, and celebrate both technical excellence and customer impact. As a team that touches both regulatory requirements and customer experience, we have unique opportunities to innovate in a space traditionally resistant to change.
By joining one of our teams, you'll directly impact these customers by transforming a traditionally frustrating experience into one that's fast, intuitive, and fair. Your code will help individuals and small businesses access global banking faster, enable entrepreneurs to pay international employees on time, and allow people like you and your teammates support their families across borders without friction. We're not just building verification systems – we're removing barriers that stand between our customers and their financial freedom.
We need like-minded engineers in all the teams in the squad, so we'll use the interview process to discover where your unique skills shine brightest. Ultimately, we want to match you with the team that perfectly aligns with your experience and sets you up for success!
As a Senior Backend Engineer (IC4), you'll provide technical leadership within your team, designing and implementing scalable, resilient systems that power our verification platform. You'll tackle complex engineering challenges, mentor other engineers, and collaborate with product and design to create solutions that make verification faster, more accurate, and more customer-friendly.
What You'll Do:
- Design, build and maintain high-performance, scalable backend services using Java, Spring Boot, and cloud technologies
- Lead technical initiatives that improve our verification systems, focusing on automation, reliability, and performance
- Collaborate with product managers to translate business requirements into technical solutions
- Mentor junior engineers, providing technical guidance and code reviews
- Drive architectural decisions and technical strategy for verification systems
- Build internal tools that help our verification agents work efficiently
- Contribute to our engineering culture through knowledge sharing and best practices
What We're Looking For:
- You have 10+ years of Java 8+ knowledge, recent experience with Spring framework
- Experience in working with SQL and NoSQL database
- Strong system design skills with experience building distributed, high-throughput services
- Track record of leading technical initiatives and mentoring other engineers
- Strong understanding of security best practices and data protection principles
- Excellent problem-solving skills and attention to detail
- Ability to communicate complex technical concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences
- Experience with financial or KYC verification systems is a plus
Interested? Find out more: How we work – a practical guide, Wise Tech Stack (2025 update), Our Engineering career map, Scaling our Infrastructure; how we make it work.
Starting salary: Base salary of £111000 - £145000 + RSU.
For everyone, everywhere. We're people building money without borders — without judgement or prejudice, too. We believe teams are strongest when they are diverse, equitable and inclusive. We're proud to have a truly international team, and we celebrate our differences. Inclusive teams help us live our values and make sure every Wiser feels respected, empowered to contribute towards our mission and able to progress in their careers.
If you want to find out more about what it's like to work at Wise visit Wise.Jobs.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Staff Software Engineer - Global KYC and Onboarding in Bristol
✨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 Wise 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 Wise.
✨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 Wise.
✨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 Wise 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 Staff Software Engineer - Global KYC and Onboarding in Bristol
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 Wise.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Wise 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 Wise
✨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 Wise 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.
