Senior Backend Engineer - Data Governance

Wise; Greater London; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 102,000; Full time

Job summary

A global technology company in Greater London is seeking a Senior Backend Software Engineer. In this role, you will help build a central platform that transforms how teams manage and interact with data. The ideal candidate has strong backend engineering expertise, proficiency in Java, and a good understanding of data technologies. This role offers a competitive salary package of £80,000 to £102,000 plus RSU, in a diverse and inclusive environment.

Qualifications

• Solid experience as a backend engineer.
• Proficiency in Java or another JVM-based language.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

Responsibilities

• Lay the foundations of core components in data governance.
• Design innovative central platform for data interaction.
• Collaborate with stakeholders across the organization.

Skills

Backend engineering experience

Docker and REST APIs

Distributed systems design and development

Java or JVM-based language proficiency

Understanding of data technologies

Good design documentation

Unit testing

Agile methods knowledge

Excellent communication skills

Risk assessment and impact analysis

Experience with data governance systems

Interest in AI governance

Job description

Company Description

Wise is a global technology company, building the best way to move and manage the world’s money.

Min fees. Max ease. Full speed.

Whether people and businesses are sending money to another country, spending abroad, or making and receiving international payments, Wise is on a mission to make their lives easier and save them money.

As part of our team, you will be helping us create an entirely new network for the world’s money.

For everyone, everywhere.

Job Description

About the role

We are looking for a Senior Backend Software Engineer.

Our Data Governance team builds and operates platform products that empower teams at Wise to govern data themselves.

We’re focused on automating governance and privacy, developing brand-new tools that shape how data is understood and managed across Wise.

In this role, you’ll get the chance to lay the foundations of the core components while collaborating with a wide range of stakeholders.

How we work

At Wise, we champion automation, programmatic implementation, and reusable design. We’re looking for teammates who can think holistically about the data ecosystem before diving into the implementation, leveraging support from our broader platform community.

As we continue to scale, we’re continuously iterating on our services—prioritising availability, security, and effortless usability. We need engineers who can transform complex requirements into straightforward solutions, empowering our teams to move faster and with greater confidence in our mission.

What will you be working on?

You will be at the forefront of creating an innovative central platform that will revolutionize how our teams interact with data. From managing data systems and streamlining access to boosting discovery and guaranteeing secure lifecycle management, you’ll help design the future of data at Wise.

This system will become the go‑to resource for engineers, analysts, data scientists, platform experts, external auditors, regulators, and top executives including the CISO, DPO, CTO, CPO, and CEO. Your contributions will shape the most impactful homepage, driving our organization's data journey forward.

What do you need?

• Solid experience as a backend engineer with exposure to developing services, Docker and REST APIs
• Strong fundamentals in distributed systems design and development
• Proficiency in Java or another JVM based language
• A good understanding of data technologies ideally with experience with relational databases, big data, data warehouses and marts, and stream processing technologies (Kafka, S3, Flink, Snowflake, Iceberg)
• Product‑first mindset and a desire to design and build tools that solve real user problems
• Mastery of fundamental software engineering practices like good design documentation, unit testing, peer code reviews, and a preference for agile methods
• Excellent communication, presentation, interpersonal and organisational skills to communicate effectively new processes and workflows, and interact with teams from different areas of the organisation
• Ability to assess risk and impact to the business and individuals from a privacy and data protection perspective
• Experience with enterprise data catalogue / governance systems or eagerness to master them is preferable
• Interest in AI governance, Data Security, Data Privacy

What do we offer?

Starting salary: £80,000‑102,000 + RSU

Additional Information

For everyone, everywhere. We’re people building money without borders—without judgement or prejudice, too. We believe teams are strongest when they are diverse, equitable and inclusive.

We’re proud to have a truly international team, and we celebrate our differences.

Inclusive teams help us live our values and make sure every Wiser feels respected, empowered to contribute towards our mission and able to progress in their careers.