At a Glance
- Tasks: Design and build innovative software solutions for ecosystem restoration.
- Company: Join Zora Ecosystems, a mission-driven scale-up focused on regenerating nature.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive salary, equity, hybrid work, and a £1,000 learning budget.
- Other info: Collaborative culture blending tech, science, and meaningful impact.
- Why this job: Make a real environmental impact while working with cutting-edge technology.
- Qualifications: Proven full-stack experience and passion for ecological challenges.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 £ per year.
Who are we? Our mission is to regenerate natural ecosystems responsibly so that the planet and its communities can thrive. We aim to regenerate 1 million hectares of land globally. Zora Ecosystems accelerates nature recovery using data, technology, and ecological science. We build systems that enable ecosystem restoration at scale, blending software engineering with geospatial analytics and environmental data science. We combine our technology and domain expertise with on-the-ground relationships to mobilise landowners, investors, government bodies, and communities around large-scale nature restoration programmes. We are a venture-backed scale-up entering a new phase of growth. After our success working with landowners to deliver projects on the ground, we are now expanding to the demand-side of the market. Partnering with large corporates and regulated utilities providers, we will be providing landscape-level solutions across a wide range of nature-based interventions, targeting a broad scope of outcomes that includes water quality, flood risk, carbon sequestration, biodiversity uplift, and many more.
Your mission: We’re looking for a Senior Software Engineer to help design and build the next generation of solutions here at Zora Ecosystems. This is a greenfield-heavy role where you’ll work across the stack, lead technical decisions early, and see your work directly influence product direction and project outcomes. You’ll join a small, highly collaborative engineering team, with real ownership over complete systems. You’ll take end-to-end accountability for key areas, help set engineering direction, and raise the bar on delivery, quality, and operational excellence.
What you’ll be doing:
- Owning the technical design and delivery of core product and platform services
- Working across the full lifecycle: discovery, design, implementation, deployment, and iteration
- Leading architectural decisions and technical direction for new systems, balancing speed, quality, and long-term maintainability
- Building APIs, data pipelines, and user-facing features as the product evolves
- Writing high-quality, well-tested, maintainable code; setting standards and patterns that others can build on
- Collaborating closely with product owners, data scientists and domain experts
- Improving developer experience, tooling, and engineering practices (CI/CD, observability, runbooks etc.)
- Turning ambiguous problems into well-defined, shipped solutions; breaking down work, managing technical risk, and communicating trade-offs
- Mentoring and supporting other engineers through pairing, feedback, and pragmatic coaching
- Helping keep our systems secure, resilient, and cost-effective in cloud environments
Core Experience:
- Proven experience delivering and operating production systems end-to-end
- Full-stack experience including at least one modern back-end language (e.g. Python, TypeScript, Go)
- Comfortable working with cloud infrastructure (AWS, GCP, or Azure)
- Experience working with APIs, services, and data stores
- Familiarity with version control, CI/CD, and containerised workflows
- Strong system design skills: able to design services and data flows that are robust, observable, and scalable
- Experience driving technical initiatives independently (or leading small groups) from problem definition to delivery
- Passion for solving ecological challenges
Ways of working:
- Able to work independently on complex, loosely scoped problems
- Comfortable with ambiguity and evolving requirements
- Curious, pragmatic, and motivated by learning
- Communicates clearly and collaborates well with others
- Cares about outcomes, code quality, and maintainability; influences others through example and thoughtful feedback
Nice to have:
- Experience working on greenfield or early-stage products
- Exposure to data platforms, analytics, or geospatial systems
- Experience with Kubernetes or workflow orchestration tools
- Experience with infrastructure-as-code (e.g. Terraform) and cloud security practices
- Experience working in a startup or scale-up environment
What We Offer:
- Mission-driven work restoring nature at scale
- Hybrid working environment in London
- Competitive salary and equity
- 25 days of annual leave + bank holidays, private healthcare, and workplace pension
- £1,000 annual learning & development budget
- Collaborative team culture blending tech, science, and impact
- New MacBook Pro or choice of equipment
If you are passionate about building greenfield systems that make a real environmental impact, we want to hear from you! Apply now and join Zora Ecosystems on our mission to regenerate the planet.
Senior Software Engineer in Southampton employer: Zora Ecosystems
Zora Ecosystems is an exceptional employer for those passionate about making a tangible impact on the environment through technology. With a mission-driven culture, employees enjoy a hybrid working environment in London, competitive salaries, and generous benefits including 25 days of annual leave, private healthcare, and a £1,000 learning budget. The collaborative team atmosphere fosters personal growth and innovation, allowing engineers to take ownership of projects that contribute to large-scale ecosystem restoration.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Software Engineer in Southampton
✨Tip Number 1
Get to know the company inside out! Dive into Zora Ecosystems' mission and values. When you understand what drives us, you can tailor your conversations to show how your skills align with our goals in regenerating natural ecosystems.
✨Tip Number 2
Network like a pro! Connect with current employees on LinkedIn or attend industry events. Building relationships can give you insider info about the role and help you stand out when it comes to interviews.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for technical challenges! Brush up on your coding skills and be ready to tackle real-world problems during interviews. We love seeing candidates who can think critically and solve issues on the spot.
✨Tip Number 4
Show your passion for ecological challenges! Share examples of how you've used technology to make a positive impact. We want to see that you're not just a tech whiz, but also someone who cares about making a difference.
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Software Engineer in Southampton
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV:Make sure your CV reflects the skills and experiences that align with our mission at Zora Ecosystems. Highlight your full-stack experience and any relevant projects that showcase your ability to tackle ecological challenges.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Share your passion for software engineering and how it connects to our goal of regenerating ecosystems. Be specific about why you want to join us and what you can bring to the team.
Showcase Your Technical Skills:We’re looking for someone who can lead technical decisions and build robust systems. Include examples of your work with APIs, cloud infrastructure, and any greenfield projects you've tackled. This will help us see your potential impact!
Apply Through Our Website:To make sure your application gets the attention it deserves, apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to keep track of your application and ensure you’re considered for this exciting opportunity!
How to prepare for a job interview at Zora Ecosystems
✨Know Your Tech Stack
Make sure you’re well-versed in the technologies mentioned in the job description, especially modern back-end languages like Python or TypeScript. Brush up on your cloud infrastructure knowledge too, as they’re looking for someone comfortable with AWS, GCP, or Azure.
✨Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills
Prepare to discuss how you've tackled ambiguous problems in the past. Think of specific examples where you turned complex challenges into clear, actionable solutions. This will demonstrate your ability to manage technical risks and communicate trade-offs effectively.
✨Emphasise Collaboration
Zora Ecosystems values teamwork, so be ready to talk about your experience working closely with product owners, data scientists, and other engineers. Highlight instances where you’ve mentored others or contributed to improving team practices, as this shows you care about collective success.
✨Passion for the Mission
Since Zora is all about ecological restoration, express your passion for environmental challenges. Share any relevant projects or experiences that align with their mission, and show how your personal values resonate with their goals. This can set you apart from other candidates.
