Senior Backend Engineer - Kotlin in London

Senior Backend Engineer - Kotlin in London

London Full-Time 60000 - 80000 £ / year (est.) Home office (partial)
Wise

At a Glance

  • Tasks: Design and develop backend services using Kotlin and Java for a global money management platform.
  • Company: Join Wise, a leading tech company revolutionising how the world moves money.
  • Benefits: Competitive salary, remote work options, and opportunities for professional growth.
  • Other info: Inclusive culture focused on respect, empowerment, and career progression.
  • Why this job: Be part of a mission-driven team creating impactful financial solutions for millions.
  • Qualifications: Experience in backend development, particularly with Kotlin, Java, and cloud infrastructure.

The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.

Wise is a global technology company, building the best way to move and manage the world’s money. As part of our team, you will be helping us create an entirely new network for the world's money. Underneath this, we are building a platform that allows customers to easily schedule top-ups or business collections. The platform is also built on top of our internal Payin Platform rails; which is a critical component to the Wise money-movement machine and we’re looking for an engineer motivated to come and help us build for this.

We aim to allow customers to give a one time permission (pre-authorization) for Wise to pull money across any payment method, a USD bank account or a EUR issued bank card.

  • Design, develop, test, and maintain backend services written in Java and Kotlin using the Spring Boot framework, deployed on cloud infrastructure (AWS).
  • Build and maintain RESTful APIs that serve millions of customers across web and mobile platforms.
  • Design and implement database schemas, write and optimise SQL queries against PostgreSQL databases handling high-volume transactional data.
  • Build and maintain event-driven architectures using Apache Kafka for asynchronous processing of financial events across distributed services.
  • Write automated tests (unit, integration, and end-to-end) to ensure correctness and reliability of financial systems.
  • Conduct code reviews for team members, ensuring code quality, security, and adherence to engineering standards.
  • Collaborate with product managers, designers, analysts, and engineers across other teams to deliver cross-functional projects.
  • Identify and resolve performance bottlenecks, scalability issues, and technical debt in existing systems.
  • Ensure development follows security best practices, particularly around handling of sensitive financial data and compliance with financial regulations.
  • Ability to break down complex projects into incremental milestones that deliver customer value.
  • Experience in developing web applications and distributed systems in a production environment.
  • Experience with common design and architectural patterns coupled with a passion for writing clean code that is performant and well tested.
  • Following and advocating best coding practices, continuous delivery and code reviews.
  • Experience working with relational and non-relational databases, query optimisation and designing schemas is a plus.
  • Knowledge of Java and Spring boot and experience with a messaging system, like Kafka, is a plus.

You’ll understand how our values can help you guide your work. You’ll help us scale-up and build a world class global banking product by finding solutions to our technical challenges and opportunities.

We're people building money without borders — without judgement or prejudice, too. 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.

Senior Backend Engineer - Kotlin in London employer: Wise

Wise is an exceptional employer that prioritises the well-being and professional growth of its employees. With a dynamic work culture that fosters innovation and collaboration, team members are encouraged to develop their skills while contributing to meaningful resilience strategies on a global scale. Located in a vibrant city, Wise offers competitive benefits and unique opportunities for career advancement, making it an ideal place for those seeking a rewarding and impactful career.

Wise

Contact Details:

Wise Recruitment Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫

We think this is how you could land Senior Backend Engineer - Kotlin in London

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 Senior Backend Engineer - Kotlin in London

Kotlin
Java
Spring Boot
AWS
RESTful APIs
PostgreSQL
SQL Query Optimisation

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.