Senior Backend Developer (Django/Python)

Updraft; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading fintech company in London seeks a Backend Developer to design and develop efficient server-side components. The role requires a solid understanding of microservices architecture and experience in high-scale startups, ideally with 5-7 years of backend system experience. Candidates will collaborate closely with product and data teams, providing impactful solutions to enhance customer financial management. The company values diversity and offers a hybrid working culture with notable employee benefits.

Benefits

Share options

Medical insurance

Mentorship from executive team

Qualifications

• 5-7+ years working on backend systems in a commercial environment.
• Experience in fintech preferred but not essential.
• Ability to build internal tools that automate operations.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop efficient, scalable server-side components.
• Contribute to architectural improvements and maintain code performance.
• Build backend features using internal and third-party APIs.
• Develop tools to automate operational workflows.
• Collaborate with data team to enhance user experiences.

Skills

Experience designing and scaling backend services

Commercial experience in high-scale startups

Comfortable with integrating third-party APIs

Collaborative mindset

Strong awareness of security practices

Job description

Updraft. Helping you make changes that pay off.

Updraft is an award winning, FCA-authorised, high-growth fintech based in London. Our vision is to revolutionise the way people spend and think about money, by automating the day to day decisions involved in managing money and mainstream borrowings like credit cards, overdrafts and other loans.

• A 360 degree spending view across all your financial accounts (using Open banking)
• A free credit report with tips and guidance to help improve your credit score
• Native AI led personalised financial planning to help users manage money, pay off their debts and improve their credit scores.
• Intelligent lending products to help reduce cost of credit

We have built scale and are getting well recognised in the UK fintech ecosystem.

• 800k+ users of the mobile app that has helped users swap c £500 m of costly credit‑card debt for smarter credit, putting hundreds of thousands on a path to better financial health
• The product is highly rated by our customers. We are rated 4.8 on Trustpilot, 4.8 on the Play Store, and 4.4 on the iOS Store.
• We are selected for Technation Future Fifty 2025 – a program that recognizes and supports successful and innovative scaleups to IPOs - 30% of UK unicorns have come out of this program.
• Updraft once again featured on the Sifted 100 UK startups - among only 25 companies to have made the list over both years 2024 and 2025.

We are looking for exceptional talent to join us on our next stage of growth with a compelling proposition – purpose you can feel, impact you can measure, and ownership you’ll actually hold. Expect a hybrid, Bengaluru-hub culture where cross‑functional squads tackle real‑world problems with cutting‑edge tech; generous learning budgets and wellness benefits; and the freedom to experiment, ship, and see your work reflected in customers’ financial freedom.

At Updraft, you’ll help build a fairer credit system.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop efficient, scalable server‑side components that integrate seamlessly with client applications.
• Contribute to architectural improvements and maintain high standards of code performance and maintainability.
• Build and extend backend features using internal and third‑party APIs (e.g., Modulr, Truelayer, Checkout.com) to support lending products including loan applications, collections, and payments.
• Develop internal tools to automate operational workflows, significantly reducing manual effort and increasing team efficiency.
• Collaborate with the data team to deliver data‑driven enhancements such as dynamic pricing and personalised user experiences.
• Work alongside front‑end and product teams to build innovative solutions that empower users to manage their finances more effectively.

• Experience designing and scaling backend services from scratch, with solid understanding of microservices architecture and distributed systems.
• Commercial experience in high‑scale startups. Years of experience is a poor yard stick but likely 5-7+ years working on backend systems.
• Comfortable with integrating third‑party APIs (e.g., Modulr, Truelayer, Checkout.com) to build lending, collections, and payment systems.
• Experience in fintech preferred but not essential
• Proven ability to build internal tools that automate operations and save engineering hours.
• Collaborative mindset, working closely with data, product, and front‑end teams to deliver impactful features.
• Strong awareness of security practices including best practices around performance, maintainability, and data integrity.

We are a small team so it is important that the successful candidate is not only technically highly competent, but also a great cultural fit with shared ambition with the rest of the team.

As an early stage employee in a fast moving startup you have the opportunity to shape the structure of the organisation, team and technical architecture.

• Share options in a potentially high value business with an amazing platform in place
• Mentorship & support from an experienced executive team
• A great employee benefits package including Medical insurance

We welcome applications from all and are fully committed to diversity and equality as an equal opportunities employer.