Junior Backend Engineer

Picnic; London; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

Join Picnic as a Junior Backend Engineer and help revolutionize digital ads. You'll work on developing backend services and scalable systems, utilizing Node.js, Python, and AWS, while delving into AI tools to optimize engineering workflows. Our collaborative startup culture encourages innovation, learning, and growth.

Benefits

Competitive salary (£30-40k depending on experience)

Flexible hybrid working

33 days holiday including bank holidays

Inclusive parental leave policy

Company pension contribution

Work from Roam policy

Private medical insurance

Qualifications

• Demonstrated projects or work experience in Node.js and Python.
• Understanding of cloud infrastructure (AWS, GCP).
• Evidence of independent learning and exploration of new tools.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain scalable systems and APIs.
• Design and run cloud-native data pipelines.
• Contribute to AI-driven product features.

Skills

Proficiency in Node.js

Proficiency in Python

Strong problem-solving skills

Familiarity with cloud infrastructure

Enthusiasm for AI tools

Tools

AWS

Docker

Kubernetes

Job description

Picnic's mission is to create a more user-friendly, ad-funded web. With 70% of people finding digital ads annoying, brands are wasting ad spend on ineffective and potentially damaging ad experiences. We're a fast-growing, founder-led startup dedicated to revolutionising digital ads by leveraging innovative backend technologies, AI, and data-driven insights.

As part of our growth plans, we're looking for a brilliant Junior Backend Engineer who is passionate about backend development, data, cloud infrastructure - and who is deeply curious about new technologies, especially AI, and how they can be used to both build better products and optimise the way engineers work.

Requirements

Who are we looking for?

A Junior Backend Engineer who thrives on structured thinking, self-direction, and genuine curiosity. This role is ideal for someone who enjoys understanding how systems work end-to-end, asks smart questions, and is proactive in learning and delivering.

You'll work closely with our experienced engineering team to design, build, and maintain scalable systems and APIs that underpin our data-driven products. Your day-to-day work will include developing backend services, shaping data flows, and contributing to infrastructure - primarily using Node.js, Python, and AWS serverless technologies.

We're also investing heavily in AI - both in how we build user-facing features and in how we work internally. You'll have the opportunity to help shape and implement features powered by LLMs, as well as use AI tools like ChatGPT and Copilot to speed up your workflow, deepen your understanding, and unblock yourself quickly.

This is a high-ownership role, where attention to detail, independence, and a willingness to explore are critical to success.

What will you be doing?

• Build & Maintain Backend Services: Develop robust, well-tested APIs and microservices using Node.js and Python
• Work with Data at Scale: Help design and run cloud-native data pipelines that power analytics and user features
• Ship AI-Driven Features: Contribute to products that incorporate LLMs and other AI capabilities, from prototype to production
• Use AI to Move Faster: Embrace tools like ChatGPT, Copilot and others to debug, explore unfamiliar code, learn new concepts, and accelerate delivery
• Take Ownership of Problems: Break down ambiguous problems into actionable chunks, define success, and iterate quickly
• Collaborate Cross-Functionally: Work with product, design and commercial teams to deliver features that align with business goals
• Document & Communicate Clearly: Write clean, thoughtful code — and explain your assumptions and decisions along the way
  
  

What We're Looking For?

We're not just looking for raw technical ability - we're looking for mindset. You should be:

• Deeply curious: You enjoy figuring out how things work and don't stop at the surface level
• Structured and thoughtful: You bring logic and rigour to your work, even when the problem is messy
• Proactive and independent: You don't wait to be told what to do — you try, you explore, and you ask good questions
• Excited by AI: You're genuinely interested in how LLMs and AI tools can be used to build smarter features and work more efficiently
• Grounded in engineering fundamentals: You understand how to test, debug, version, and review code in a way that's sustainable and scalable
  
  

Must-Have Skills:

• Proficiency in Node.js and/or Python, demonstrated through projects, work experience, or contributions
• A working understanding of cloud infrastructure (e.g. AWS, GCP, or similar), with an interest in serverless and event-driven architecture
• Familiarity with basic data pipeline patterns and workflows
• Strong problem-solving skills and an ability to communicate clearly
• Evidence of independent learning - whether through side projects, open source, blog posts, or thoughtful exploration of new tools
• Enthusiasm for using and building with AI tools and models
  
  

Nice-to-Have Skills:

• Experience with containerisation (Docker, Kubernetes)
• Exposure to crawling/scraping frameworks
• Familiarity with Typescript, Puppeteer, or other parts of our tech stack
• Interest in data analytics, ML pipelines, or performance measurement
  
  

Benefits

Why will you want to work for Picnic?

We're a small but ambitious startup with an entrepreneurial spirit. You'll join a team that's collaborative, curious, and focused on meaningful outcomes. We care deeply about:

• Making bold decisions to keep scaling
• Staying open-minded and creative
• Working together to build lasting value
• Trusting by default - and always learning from failure
  
  

Join us at Picnic and be part of a team that is not only reimagining digital ads but also pushing the boundaries of backend engineering and data innovation.

What can Picnic offer you?

We prioritise trust, flexibility, belonging and high performance and are proud to be recognised as a top place to work by Culture100 and Flexa.

• Competitive salary (£30-40k depending on experience)
• Flexible hybrid working (typically in the office a few days per week so you will live in/around London)
• 33 days holiday including bank holidays + Christmas shutdown
• Inclusive parental leave policy
• Company pension contribution
• Work from Roam policy, Summer Fridays, great off-sites
• Private medical insurance and salary exchange benefits
  
  

Check out our Flexa profile to learn more