Senior Distributed Systems Engineer

Inshur; England; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading insurance technology firm based in Brighton is seeking a Senior Distributed Systems Engineer. This role emphasizes AI-native workflows and distributed systems architecture, with responsibilities including designing complex systems and mentoring the team. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in Go or Java and experience with AI tools like Claude Code. The position offers a budget of £80,000 - £100,000 along with extensive benefits including healthcare and a generous holiday allowance.

Benefits

30 days of holiday plus bank holidays

Private healthcare for you and your family

Life insurance at 3x your salary

Parental leave at full pay

Flexible working hours

Wellbeing stipend

Qualifications

• Experience with Claude Code or similar tools to plan and architect complex systems.
• Deep understanding of microservices and event-driven design.
• Solid understanding of Go or Java programming languages.

Responsibilities

• Own the design and implementation of distributed systems.
• Leverage AI tools to validate system scalability and security.
• Mentor team members on effective AI-driven workflows.

Skills

AI-Native / Agentic Workflow

Distributed Systems Architecture

Golang / Java / Polyglot Mindset

Testing & Quality Assurance

Innovation & Growth Mindset

Job description

Overview

Senior Distributed Systems Engineer to join INSHUR. We’re based in Brighton, with a hybrid working model allowing collaboration in the office and remote work. You’ll connect with colleagues at least once a week in the Brighton office. You’ll work on re-inventing insurance in exciting markets across the UK, US, and the Netherlands, with plans to expand. You’ll report to an Engineering Manager and join a friendly team of 8-10 committed to pioneering AI engineering workflows and transforming team practices through agentic collaboration.

What you'll do

As a Senior Distributed Systems Engineer, you will act as a pathfinder, orchestrating AI agents to research, plan, and implement complex distributed systems while demonstrating to the wider team how to leverage these tools to increase velocity and quality.

• Orchestrate Architecture: Own the design and implementation of distributed systems and event-driven architectures (Java/NodeJS/Go/GCP/Kubernetes), utilizing AI agents to validate scalability and security patterns before implementation.
• AI-Native Development: Leverage tools like Claude Code to research, plan, and write code, delivering features at a velocity that exceeds standard manual engineering estimates.
• Mentorship & Evolution: Act as a force multiplier for the team by demonstrating agentic workflows and running internal sessions on how to effectively "steer" AI to solve engineering problems.
• Quality & Governance: Verify AI-generated outputs against engineering standards to avoid introducing AI-generated technical debt.
• Pathfinding: Establish a personal AI-native workflow to ingest existing repository patterns and propose department-wide improvements to the developer experience.

Skills & Qualifications

We prioritise aptitude and passion, with core essentials and additional skills that could set you apart.

• Essentials to thrive in the role:
  • AI-Native / Agentic Workflow: Experience with Claude Code or similar tools to plan, architect, and code, and the ability to explain how you steer agents to achieve complex goals.
  • Distributed Systems Architecture: Deep understanding of microservices, event-driven design, and GCP, important for validating AI-generated outputs.
  • Golang / Java / Polyglot Mindset: Solid understanding of Go or Java (e.g., Spring) and ability to use AI to bridge syntax gaps rapidly.
  • Testing & Quality Assurance: Ability to enforce TDD/BDD standards even when code is AI-generated.
  • Innovation & Growth Mindset: Passion for bringing new workflows to scale-up environments and learning in the open.
• Additional skills that could set you apart:
  • Scaling Experience: Experience with distributed systems at significant scale.
  • Advanced Tooling Proficiency: Track record using AI coding assistants to solve legacy code issues.
  • Mentorship Track Record: Experience sharing knowledge and upskilling teams on new technologies or methodologies.

You’ll love it here if you

• Thrive navigating ambiguity and find clarity in uncertain situations.
• Take pride in being accountable and owning your responsibilities.
• Enjoy a fast-paced environment where change happens quickly.
• Enjoy innovating with AI and other technologies to find creative solutions.
• Are solutions-focused and driven to overcome challenges.
• Embrace resilience and adapt to setbacks with a positive attitude.
• Are intellectually curious and eager to learn, explore new ideas, and improve understanding.

Collaborating with AI

We see AI as a powerful collaborator. AI is a tool to enhance processes and help you shine; it is not used to make final hiring decisions. We encourage you to use AI tools to assist you, and you can learn more about how we collaborate with AI in our process.

What to expect from the process

• Screen & Intro: 30-minute video call with the Talent Team.
• HM Interview: 45-60 minute video call with the Engineering Manager and Head of Engineering.
• The "Agent" Test: A live technical task using Claude Code or your preferred agent.
• Final Stage: 45-60 minute interview with the broader team and People Team.

We encourage you to ask questions about the role and the company throughout the hiring process.

What we offer

Budget for this role is £80,000 - £100,000, with consideration given to experience and location. We offer stock options and a pension, plus a benefits package focused on long-term growth and wellbeing. Highlights include:

• 30 days of holiday per year plus bank holidays
• Private healthcare for you and your family
• Life insurance at 3x your salary
• Parental leave (13 weeks) at full pay
• Workplace nursery scheme with pre-tax fees
• Ride to work scheme
• Workplace pension
• Flexible working hours
• Personal training allowance and regular learning opportunities
• Wellbeing stipend and 24/7 Employee Assistance Program

We provide a laptop, monitor, and all necessary equipment.

About Us

INSHUR is on a mission to lead insurance solutions for the on-demand economy, building the insurance infrastructure for tomorrow’s autonomous vehicles and focusing on embedded insurance solutions and integrations for partners such as Uber, Amazon, Bolt, FREENOW and OLA since 2016.

We are a global team of around 220 people across the US, UK, and the Netherlands, valuing generosity, inclusivity, diversity, openness, and high-quality results. We support learning in the open and encourage long-term, high-impact decisions, prioritising wellbeing.

Equal opportunities: INSHUR believes in a diverse team and does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, marital status, disability, or age. Our team includes 46% women, 31% from BAME/BIPOC backgrounds, and 12% LGBTQ+, across 30+ nationalities. We follow a structured hiring process to foster inclusivity and equity. While this position is advertised as full-time, flexible arrangements (e.g., part-time, job-sharing) can be discussed for the right candidate. We can provide interview adjustments on request.