At a Glance
- Tasks: Design and develop scalable onboarding systems for a global money management platform.
- Company: Wise, an inclusive tech company transforming how the world manages money.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, RSUs, and a diverse, supportive work environment.
- Other info: Dynamic role with opportunities for technical leadership and career growth.
- Why this job: Join a mission-driven team making a real impact on millions of customers worldwide.
- Qualifications: Proven backend expertise in Java and experience with distributed systems.
The predicted salary is between 145000 - 182000 £ per year.
This job is with Wise, an inclusive employer and a global technology company, building the best way to move and manage the world’s money. 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. Our mission is to guide personal customers through setting up their Wise account and resolving their first international money needs in a way that's clear, easy, and delightful. Onboarding is one of the most critical moments in a customer's journey with Wise. Get it right, and we build trust from day one.
Because we sit at this key point in the customer journey, we deal with high volumes of traffic and need to balance speed, scale, and reliability with a smooth user experience. This makes it an exciting space for engineers who want to solve complex problems at scale while having a direct, visible impact on millions of customers.
How we work: At Wise, we believe in autonomy, alignment, and impact. As an IC5 engineer, you won't just be executing tasks - you will be a visionary. You will own fundamental components and shared systems, collaborate across multiple teams, and define the long-term technical strategy for onboarding. We value open communication, high technical standards, and a genuine focus on solving real customer problems.
What will you be working on?
- Scalable Onboarding Architecture: Designing systems that can support rapid growth in new markets and customer segments without compromising speed or reliability.
- Cross-Team Technical Alignment: Defining the technical contracts and integration points between Onboarding and other teams across Wise, such as Marketing, FinCrime, and KYC.
- End-to-End Journey Ownership: Building and evolving robust, scalable onboarding flows from account creation through to a customer's first successful transfer.
- System Health & Performance: Leading initiatives to improve the maintainability, latency, and cost efficiency of our core onboarding systems.
Qualifications
What do you need?
- Deep Backend Expertise: Solid, production-proven experience with Java (or similar OOP languages) and modern (micro)service architectures.
- Distributed Systems Knowledge: Strong experience building and scaling distributed, high-throughput systems.
- Advanced Architecture Skills: Experience owning and designing fundamental components, shared libraries, or core infrastructure used across multiple teams.
- Technical Leadership: The ability to set a clear technical vision for your area of ownership, and to mentor and grow engineers around you.
- Product & Customer Mindset: A strong track record of building customer-facing products, with a good sense of how technical decisions affect the end user.
- Strong Communication: Excellent collaboration skills, with the ability to explain complex technical concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences, and to align stakeholders across teams.
Nice to Have:
- Experience working closely with Frontend and/or Mobile engineers and design teams.
- Background in high-growth consumer products or fintech.
- Experience leading company-wide technical initiatives or working groups.
What do we offer: Starting salary: 145,000 - 182,000 + RSUs.
If you're interested in multiple roles, please apply for just one—the one you're most excited about. If you submit multiple applications requiring the same assessment, we'll continue your recruitment journey using your first application, and any duplicate applications will be automatically closed. This helps ensure a fair and consistent interview process.
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.
Senior Staff Software Engineer employer: Wise
Wise is an exceptional employer that fosters a culture of inclusivity and innovation, making it an ideal place for a Lead ML / Data Scientist to thrive. With a hybrid working model, generous personal development budgets, and a commitment to employee growth, you will have the flexibility and resources to excel in your role while contributing to meaningful projects that redefine how money moves globally.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Staff Software Engineer
✨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 Staff Software Engineer
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.
