At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a high-performing engineering team to enhance database technologies and solutions.
- Company: Wise, a global tech company revolutionising money management.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, RSUs, and a diverse, inclusive work culture.
- Other info: Join a dynamic team with excellent career growth opportunities and a focus on operational excellence.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on global money movement while growing your leadership skills.
- Qualifications: Strong background in Python or Java, cloud services, and database technologies.
The predicted salary is between 135000 - 175000 £ per year.
Company Description
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 lives 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.
Job Description
About the team: Database Platform
For our customers, using Wise is as simple as sending money from A to B. Yet behind our app and website is a complex engine of currencies, routes, products and features, generating terabytes of data each day. Database Reliability Engineering is at the core and provides databases as service for the rest of the business, working with the Database Platform team to manage our vast estate of database technologies and solutions. As an Engineering Lead in the wider Platform tribe and Engineering organisation, you will have an opportunity to directly affect database technologies and automation strategy, scalability and reliability, building production systems that are ultimately making things better for all customers.
What you will be working on?
- You will be responsible for the well-being of the team, coaching, mentoring and growing a high-performing team in bringing value by working on high-impact solutions.
- You will support the team with occasional hands-on involvement as a software engineer and systems operator, bringing senior engineering expertise into building solutions.
- You’ll be collaborating with other leads, engineers, product managers in the wider organisation.
Exactly what you’ll be doing day to day will vary, as our team looks at the big picture challenges we see across all of analytics, engineering and business!
What will you be working on?
- You are a strong leader, experienced in problem-solving and guiding engineering teams through the complexities of project delivery using both agile and traditional methodologies.
- You’re an excellent communicator, engaging effectively with cross-functional teams to achieve goals, and are capable of presenting to the wider organisation when necessary.
- You're comfortable taking ownership of vendor negotiations and explaining costs to the business.
What do you need?
- You have a solid background in development, ideally within the Python or Java ecosystems, upholding high coding standards and a thorough understanding of system design and engineering principles.
- You have expertise in leveraging cloud services from providers like AWS or GCP, and have used your platform engineering skills to develop robust, scalable, and efficient infrastructure.
- You have strong knowledge of SQL and/or NoSQL database technologies and have a comprehensive understanding of key concepts such as high availability, scalability, and security.
- You will not settle for unexplained downtime and outages and do not want to solve the same problems repeatedly.
- You have the experience of creating a culture of operational excellence.
- You have knowledge of and/or experience in leading a service reliability engineering team.
Nice to Have:
- Passionate about technology and its relationship with product and user experience.
- You are a security and privacy advocate, understanding concepts such as principle of least privilege, and are able to apply basic security principles at infrastructure and application level.
- Experience with configuration management (Ansible, Packer), CI/CD (GitHub Actions), Infrastructure as Code (Terraform), containers (Docker), container and job orchestration (Kubernetes).
- Experience of workflow orchestration solutions such as Temporal, Cadence, or AWS step functions would be a major bonus.
- Customer is at the heart of everything you do and this empathy drives all decisions you make.
- Ability to articulate complex and technical concepts to non-technical audiences.
- Knowledge/interest in payment platforms, foreign exchange & highly complex systems.
- Be a customer of Wise.
Interested? Find out more:
- How we work – a practical guide
- DEI @ Wise
- Wise Tech Stack (2025 update)
- See what it's like to work at Wise London!
- Our Engineering career map
- Wise Engineering – https://medium.com/wise-engineering
What do we offer:
Starting salary: £135,000 - £175,000 + RSU
Wise Benefits
Additional Information
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. Keep up to date with life at Wise by following us on LinkedIn and Instagram.
Sr Engineering Team Lead - Database - Platform 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.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Sr Engineering Team Lead - Database - Platform in London
✨Tap into Local Tech Meetups
Get yourself to local tech meetups or database management conferences. It's a really great way to meet industry professionals and potentially uncover unadvertised full-time roles. When chatting with people, mention your skills and interests in database management; you never know who might be looking for someone just like you!
✨Contribute to Open Source Projects
Diving into open-source projects can not only sharpen your database skills but also get you noticed by employers. Many companies look for candidates who actively contribute to projects – it shows initiative and a real passion for the field. Plus, it's a perfect excuse to connect with other developers and expand your professional network.
✨Utilise Professional Bodies
Sign up for professional bodies related to database management, like the British Computer Society. They often host events and networking opportunities that can lead directly to job openings in the full-time market. Plus, it adds a nice touch to your professional profile!
✨Showcase Your Skills in a Public Portfolio
As you’re on the hunt for that full-time role, make sure to have a public portfolio that displays your best database projects. This can easily set you apart from the competition. And when you apply for roles, definitely mention it – it shows employers you mean business and are proud of your work!
We think you need these skills to ace Sr Engineering Team Lead - Database - Platform in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show off your database skills:When applying for a full-time role in database management, it’s super important to highlight your skills with specific database technologies like SQL, NoSQL, or any relevant data visualisation tools. We want to see how you've used these tools in real projects, so don't shy away from detailing your hands-on experience!
Tailor your CV for data:Make sure your CV is structured clearly, focusing on your previous experience in database management. Use specific metrics to demonstrate your impact, like how you improved data retrieval times or reduced errors. This isn't just about what you've done; it’s about what you’ve achieved with your skills!
Craft a compelling cover letter:In your cover letter, share what excites you about database management and how you can contribute to Wise. Mention any relevant projects where you tackled challenges or implemented new solutions. Let us know why you want to join our team and how your passion aligns with our goals.
Document your projects:If you've worked on interesting database projects—maybe during your studies or in previous roles—be sure to include those in your application. If you can, link to a portfolio or GitHub repo where we can see examples of your work. Having a tangible showcase of your skills will really make your application stand out!
How to prepare for a job interview at Wise
✨Brush Up on Database Tools
Make sure you're well-versed with popular database management systems like MySQL, PostgreSQL, or MongoDB. Incorporating real-world examples of how you've used these tools in past projects will show that you can put theory into practice, which is something Wise will definitely appreciate.
✨Know Your SQL Inside Out
Get ready for some technical questions focused on SQL queries and database design. We should anticipate coding challenges where you might need to optimise queries or design a database schema on the spot. Practising these problems will build our confidence to impress in the interview.
✨Demonstrate Problem-Solving Skills
Besides just technical know-how, be prepared to answer scenario-based questions that test your critical thinking and problem-solving abilities. Think about how you would approach data integrity issues or handle performance bottlenecks — Wise will want to see your analytical side!
✨Show Your Collaboration Spirit
Since this is a full-time role, it's crucial to highlight how you've collaborated with cross-functional teams or contributed to team projects in the past. Emphasising our interpersonal skills will demonstrate that you’re not just a tech wizard, but also a team player who fits well with Wise's culture.
