Senior Golang Software Engineer

United States Digital Space LLC; Basingstoke; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

WPP's privacy-first data collaboration platform is seeking a Senior Backend Engineer to design, build, and maintain scalable backends powering its global services.

You will work with cross-functional teams, optimize databases, implement secure APIs, and lead reliability efforts using Go, microservices, gRPC, Docker and Kubernetes in a cloud environment.

This hybrid role offers collaboration across product, frontend and DevOps with a focus on performance, security and maintainability.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in backend development with Go.
• Strong knowledge of distributed systems and microservices.
• Experience with gRPC, RESTful APIs and cloud platforms.
• Containerization and orchestration with Docker and Kubernetes.
• Relational databases design and PostgreSQL optimization.
• Event-driven architectures with Kafka; CI/CD and automated testing.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement scalable backend services and APIs.
• Identify and resolve performance bottlenecks under high load.
• Maintain relational databases for data integrity and scalability.
• Apply security best practices and ensure regulatory compliance.
• Develop automated testing strategies to ensure reliability.
• Collaborate with product, frontend and DevOps teams for deployments.
• Mentor junior engineers and contribute to knowledge sharing.
• Implement monitoring and logging to detect production issues.

Skills

Go

Distributed systems

gRPC

Microservices

RESTful APIs

Cloud platforms

Docker

Kubernetes

PostgreSQL

Kafka

CI/CD

Testing

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

CI/CD

Job description

the company is WPP's privacy-first data collaboration technology, trusted by global businesses to unlock the full potential of their first-party data without risk. Its patented, cross-cloud, decentralized collaboration technology leverages advanced Privacy-Enhancing Technologies (PETs) to radically transform how companies generate audience intelligence and drive better customer experiences. As the foundational infrastructure underpinning WPP Open, the company powers trusted data collaboration across every cloud, client, and capability.

Job Overview:

As a Senior Backend Engineer, you will be responsible for designing, building, and maintaining scalable, high-performance backend systems that power the company's data collaboration platform. You will work closely with cross-functional teams, including frontend engineers, product managers, and infrastructure teams, to deliver robust and efficient solutions. This role requires deep expertise in backend development, system architecture, and database management, with a focus on performance, security, and reliability.

Core Responsibilities:

• Design and implement scalable, high-performance backend services and APIs that support business needs.
• Identify and resolve performance bottlenecks to ensure smooth operation under high loads.
• Design, optimize, and maintain relational databases to support data integrity and scalability.
• Implement security best practices to protect data and ensure compliance with industry regulations.
• Develop automated testing strategies to maintain code quality and system reliability.
• Work with product, frontend and DevOps teams to ensure seamless integration and deployment of backend services.
• Provide mentorship to junior engineers and contribute to team knowledge sharing.
• Implement monitoring and logging solutions to proactively detect and address issues in production.
• Stay updated on emerging technologies and apply best practices to improve system efficiency and maintainability.

Additional company wide requirements:

• Understand and comply with the company's security and privacy policies, maintaining a strong focus on information security in all backend-related activities.

Requirements:

• 5+ years of experience in backend development, with expertise in Go. Experience with Python and/or Java would be advantageous.
• Strong understanding of distributed systems, gRPC, microservices architecture, and RESTful APIs.
• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP) and containerization (Docker, Kubernetes).
• Solid understanding of database design, query optimization, and administration for relational (e.g. PostgreSQL) databases.
• Knowledge of scalability strategies, microservices architecture, load balancing, caching, and event-driven architectures, in particular Kafka.
• Strong experience with CI/CD pipelines and automated testing to ensure reliable deployments.
• Excellent problem-solving skills with the ability to diagnose and resolve complex technical issues.
• Strong collaboration and communication skills to work effectively in a cross-functional team.

Who you are:

You're open:We are inclusive and collaborative; we encourage the free exchange of ideas; we respect and celebrate diverse views. We are open-minded: to new ideas, new partnerships, new ways of working.

You're optimistic:We believe in the power of creativity, technology and talent to create brighter futures or our people, our clients and our communities. We approach all that we do with conviction: to try the new and to seek the unexpected.

You're extraordinary:we are stronger together: through collaboration we achieve the amazing. We are creative leaders and pioneers of our industry; we provide extraordinary every day.

What we'll give you:

Passionate, inspired people – We aim to create a culture in which people can do extraordinary work.

Scale and opportunity – We offer the opportunity to create, influence and complete projects at a scale that is unparalleled in the industry.

Challenging and stimulating work – Unique work and the opportunity to join a group of creative problem solvers. Are you up for the challenge?

We believe the best work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why we've adopted a hybrid approach, with teams in the office around four days a week. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.

WPP is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to particular characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers.

Please read our Privacy Notice (https://www.wpp.com/en/careers/wpp-privacy-policy-for-recruitment) for more information on how we process the information you provide.