Junior Software Engineer

abound; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 32,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

Abound in London is seeking a Junior Software Engineer to join our engineering team. This hybrid role requires a London office presence at least three days a week, ideal for early-career developers to build production systems in a fast-growth fintech.

You’ll be mentored by experienced engineers, work across Python, Java, React, and SQL, and learn Open Banking integrations as you grow. Join us to help build scalable platforms that power fair personal finance, with ownership-driven culture and

Qualifications

• 0–2 years of professional software engineering experience, or equivalent from degree/internships/personal projects.
• Proficiency in Java and Python; comfortable writing and debugging in both.
• Hands-on experience building frontend interfaces with React.
• Understanding of core programming concepts: data structures, OO design, unit tests.
• Familiarity with SQL and relational databases.
• Comfortable using Git for version control.
• Genuine interest in fintech and how financial products work.
• Attention to detail; small mistakes matter in lending.
• Fast learner, capable of picking up new tools quickly.
• Thrives in a fast-moving environment and in a large, evolving codebase.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain features in backend services across the lending lifecycle.
• Participate in full software development lifecycle: design, tests, reviews, deployments.
• Write clean, well-tested code in Python and Java with mentorship from senior engineers.
• Collaborate with Product and Design to translate requirements into working software.
• Help troubleshoot and resolve system issues during business hours as part of a rota.
• Write and optimize SQL queries against Postgres databases.
• Gradually own parts of the platform as experience grows.
• Build and improve frontend features in React and expand full-stack skills.

Skills

Java

Python

React

SQL

Git

Open Banking

Tools

FastAPI

Docker

AWS

Job description

About Abound

We're redefining consumer lending in the UK, and beyond. Using advanced AI and Open Banking data, we make fair, affordable personal finance available to more people. While traditional lenders rely almost entirely on credit scores, we look at the full financial picture - how much you spend, and what you can afford to repay to build a deeper, more accurate understanding of each customer's unique financial situation.

And we've shown it works at scale. We've issued over £1.3bn in loans directly to customers while delivering market-leading credit performance - for every 10 defaults the industry expects, we see only 3. We also reached profitability just 2.5 years after launch.

Backed by £2bn+ of funding from top-tier investors including Citi, GSR Ventures, and Deutsche Bank, we're recognised as one of Europe's fastest-growing fintechs (Sifted, CNBC). Now, we're expanding into new markets and product lines - and we're looking for ambitious people who want to learn fast, take ownership, and grow with us.

About the role

We're looking for a Junior Software Engineer to join our engineering team in London. This is a hybrid role, with a minimum of three days a week in our London office. This is a great opportunity for someone early in their career who wants to grow quickly, work on real production systems, and learn how a high-growth fintech operates from the inside.

You'll work alongside experienced engineers who will support you through code reviews, pairing and mentorship. We maintain a culture of ownership, and we value engineers who are curious about the business and keen to work with stakeholders to improve processes and the customer experience.

There are opportunities across platform engineering, B2B customer integration, conversion optimisation and business process automation. You'll work on a best-in class Open Banking decision-making platform and learn how to build systems that operate with low latency, at scale.

Our technology stack: Python (including FastAPI, OpenTelemetry, procrastinate, SQLAlchemy, Uvicorn), Java, React, Postgres, MySQL, Liquibase, Retool, Docker, AWS

What you'll be doing

• Build and maintain features in our backend services, which can span any part of the lending lifecycle - from finding and onboarding new customers, to helping underwriters assess affordability, through to paying out and collecting loans
• Take part in the full software development lifecycle: contributing to designs, writing tests, reviewing code and helping with deployments
• Write clean, well-tested code in Python and Java, with guidance and feedback from senior engineers
• Work with colleagues in Product and Design, as well as internal users, to understand requirements and turn them into working software
• Help troubleshoot and resolve system issues that affect our customers, as part of a supported team rota during business hours
• Write and improve SQL queries against our Postgres databases
• Gradually take ownership of parts of the platform as your experience grows
• Build and improve frontend features in React, and grow your skills across the full stack

Who you are

• 0-2 years of professional software engineering experience, or equivalent experience from a degree, bootcamp, internships or personal projects
• Working knowledge of Java and Python - you don't need to be an expert, but you're comfortable writing and debugging code in both
• Hands-on experience building frontend interfaces with React
• An understanding of core programming concepts such as data structures, object-oriented design and writing unit tests
• Familiarity with SQL and relational databases
• Comfortable using Git for version control
• A genuine interest in fintech and how financial products work
• A sharp eye for detail - in lending, small mistakes can have a real impact on customers
• You learn fast, pick up new tools and concepts quickly, and enjoy doing so
• You thrive in a fast-moving environment, are comfortable finding your way around a large, evolving codebase, and take initiative to work things out
• Good problem-solving skills and a methodical approach to debugging
• Clear communicator who asks questions, takes on feedback and works well in a team
• Keen to work across the full stack, from backend services and databases through to the frontend
• Able to work from our London office at least three days a week

Ideally you'll also have

• Experience with async Python or frameworks such as FastAPI
• Basic familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP or Azure) or Docker
• Knowledge of lending products or Open Banking

How we work at Abound

To be successful here, our culture needs to energise you. Here is how we operate:

• High Bar & Real Ownership: We are a high-performing team, and we hire people who raise the bar and take pride in great work. We own outcomes, not tasks.
• We Work Hard: We care about impact, not face time. At key moments, we go the extra mile to deliver for customers and the business.
• MVP & Iteration Culture: We ship fast, learn from real cu