Lead Software Engineer – Kraken Utilities (OSS / Telco Integrations)

Kraken; Greater London; On-site; GBP 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Kraken is seeking a senior engineering leader to shape Kraken Utilities platform, designing scalable, developer-friendly systems and leading a team of engineers.

You’ll own architecture, drive improvements, build SDKs, and partner with OSS & Integrations to connect telecom and utility networks.

This role focuses on platform-level design, cross-team collaboration, and delivering resilient, high-throughput services in a fast-growing energy tech company.

Qualifications

• Experience leading engineering teams and setting technical direction.
• Strong experience with Python stack and web frameworks.
• Proven ability to design and evolve large-scale, API-driven platforms.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop new components of the Kraken platform for broadband utilities.
• Drive architectural improvements and reduce coupling between integrations and core services.
• Lead and mentor engineers, ensuring code quality through reviews and collaboration.
• Partner with OSS & Integrations to build robust telecom integrations and APIs.

Skills

Leadership

Python

REST APIs

System design

Tools

SDK development

Job description

Help us use technology to make a big green dent in the universe! Kraken powers some of the most innovative global developments in energy. We create the technology that redefines utilities and unlocks a new energy system of the future. By optimising renewable generation, building a more intelligent grid, and empowering utilities to deliver an exceptional customer experience, our operating system is transforming the industry worldwide. It’s an incredibly exciting time to work in energy. Join us on our mission to improve the lives of ONE BILLION humans within the decade and shape a cleaner, better future for everyone.

Kraken is a globally proven technology platform, already licensed to support over 55 million customer accounts, with a target of 100 million by 2027. It is one of the most advanced, AI-driven platforms for utility management—covering billing, CRM, meter data, and intelligent customer communications. We are now extending Kraken beyond energy into water and broadband, forming a new division: Kraken Utilities. Over the past three years, this team has been built from the ground up to re-architect and evolve Kraken for new industries—solving complex challenges like water leak detection, customer experience transformation, and high-volume data processing. We are in a rapid growth phase, with clients including: Severn Trent, Leep, Portsmouth Water, Essential Energy, TalkTalk, and Cuckoo, and a global team of 120+ people.

Where you'll fit in

• This is not a “business-as-usual” engineering role.

You will play a key role in shaping how Kraken integrates with telecom and utility ecosystems—designing systems that are scalable, resilient, and developer-friendly.

What You’ll Own

• Design and develop new components of the Kraken platform for broadband utilities
• You will work closely with (and help shape) the OSS & Integrations function, which is responsible for:

• Partner Integrations
  • Build and maintain integrations with telecom network providers, CPE (router) providers, and call record systems
  • Handle a mix of REST and SOAP APIs to provision and query network state
• API & Platform Development
  • Develop robust APIs connecting Kraken to external telco infrastructure
  • Improve integration reliability and scalability
• Automation
  • Create workflows to streamline operations between Kraken and partner systems

Drive Architectural Improvements

• Reduce tight coupling between integrations and core business logic (e.g. Order Management, Quoting, Charging)
• Improve system stability and developer productivity
• Lead on microservice design, contract testing, and integration patterns
• Build facades and emulators to simulate integrations
• Treat internal developers as first‑class customers
• Design and build an SDK layer for third party developers

Team & Culture Impact

• Help scale Kraken Utilities by embedding a strong engineering and customer‑first culture
• Influence how teams are structured and how systems evolve
• Take ownership of architectural direction and execution

What You Bring To The Party

• We’re looking for an empathetic leader who enjoys solving complex system problems.
  • You’ll be responsible for leading a team of engineers, making decisions on how the team operates and setting the technical direction of the team.
  • You'll be curious about AI developer workflows, ready to experiment and introduce new ways of working
  • This role will involve line management duties, as well as being hands on and close to the code.
  • You’ll be responsible for ensuring the quality of the code being delivered through thoughtful code review.
  • Work with other engineering teams and external engineering teams regularly
  • Work with client delivery to help prioritize, deliver and maintain work required by clients.
  • Be responsible for monitoring and alerting of production systems and where required, lead and manage incidents.

Core Technical Skills

• Experience with Python stack and Web frameworks
• Strong domain modelling skills
• HTTP & REST APIs
• Building robust, fault-tolerant systems

Bonus points

• Experience building SDKs or APIs for other developers

What Makes This Role Different

• You’ll work on platform‑level architecture, not just features
• You’ll design systems that impact multiple teams and external partners
• You’ll help redefine how developers interact with Kraken via SDKs and abstractions

You’ll have real ownership in shaping both technology and team structure.

Kraken is a certified Great Place to Work in France, Germany, Spain, Japan and Australia. In the UK we are one of the Best Workplaces on Glassdoor with a score of 4.7. Check out our Welcome to the Jungle site (FR/EN) to learn more about our teams and culture.

Please note that, in line with our current recruitment policy, we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this position; applicants must have the right to work in the country that they're applying to, at the time of application.