Senior Backend Engineer

Motorway; City Of London; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading online car marketplace is seeking a Backend Engineer to build and scale their platform. You will architect new JavaScript features, manage AWS infrastructure, and collaborate with design teams. The ideal candidate has strong JavaScript experience, especially with ES6/7, and proficiency in AWS. This role offers a dynamic environment to impact the future of car selling.

Qualifications

• Significant commercial experience with JavaScript and modern web technologies.
• Experience configuring, deploying, and monitoring applications on AWS.
• Comfortable with relational and NoSQL databases.
• Understanding of web design patterns, including SOLID principles.
• Experience working in a collaborative, agile team environment.
• Familiar with automated testing and continuous integration practices.

Responsibilities

• Architect and develop new code, focusing on features and performance.
• Manage AWS infrastructure for optimal performance.
• Collaborate with product and design teams for user experience.
• Contribute to technical and product strategy.

Skills

JavaScript (ES6/7)

Node.js

Vue

Express

Sequelize

AWS

Relational databases

NoSQL databases

Automated testing

Continuous integration

Job description

About Motorway

Motorway is the UK’s fastest-growing used car marketplace – our award winning, online-only platform connects private car sellers with over 7,500 verified dealers nationwide, who compete to offer the best price. Founded in 2017, our technology makes the process refreshingly easy, earning us an 'Excellent' Trustpilot rating with over 70,000 reviews. We're not just building a platform; we're changing how people sell cars.

Backed by leading investors like Index Ventures and ICONIQ Growth, and following a successful $190 million funding round, we're on a mission to transform the used car market.

About the team

Our team is at the forefront of innovation, creating the most powerful vehicle transaction platform in the UK. We're a passionate and collaborative bunch who love tackling complex challenges and making a real difference in the automotive industry. If you're driven by cutting‑edge technology and want to be part of a team that's transforming the future of car selling, then this is the place for you.

About the role

As a Backend Engineer at Motorway, you'll be a key player in building and scaling our platform. You'll have the opportunity to:

• Architect and develop new JavaScript code, focusing on both new features and performance optimisation.

• Enhance performance and caching strategies as our platform continues to grow.

• Construct highly maintainable, reusable, scalable, and reliable code.

• Manage our AWS infrastructure to ensure optimal performance, monitoring, and alerting.

• Collaborate with product and design teams to deliver exceptional user experiences.

• Contribute to the technical and product strategy of the business.

• Champion and implement software development best practices for high-quality, well-tested, and secure code.

About you

• You have significant commercial experience with JavaScript, particularly with ES6/7 features, and technologies like Node.js, Vue, Express, or Sequelize.

• You possess experience configuring, deploying, and monitoring applications and websites on AWS.

• You're comfortable working with relational and NoSQL databases, including complex queries and performance optimisation.

• You understand web design patterns, including SOLID principles.

• You have experience working in a collaborative, agile team environment.

• You're familiar with automated testing and continuous integration and delivery practices.

You could be a great fit if

• You're passionate about technology and eager to make a significant impact.

• You're thriving in a fast-paced environment and enjoy learning new things.

• You're a team player with excellent communication skills.

• You're proactive and have a strong sense of ownership.

You might not be a great fit if

• You prefer working independently with minimal collaboration.

• You're not comfortable with a dynamic and evolving environment.

• You're less experienced with JavaScript and modern web development practices.

Interview process

Our interview process contains the following stages:

• Initial Screen with Talent Team - 30 minutes

• Hiring Manager Interview - 45 minutes

• Skills Assessment - 60 minutes

• Exec Interview - 60 minutes

You can expect to hear back from us within 2-3 business days of each interview stage. You'll have the opportunity to speak with a talent partner throughout the interview process should you have any questions or need any type of accommodations.