Senior Software Engineer - Manchester

Zopa; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 125,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading financial technology company in Manchester seeks a Software Engineer to design and implement scalable backend systems using Kotlin and AWS. You'll collaborate with product teams, mentor junior engineers, and ensure high-quality deliverables. This hybrid role requires 2-3 days a week in the office, with the potential for international remote work. Join a diverse and innovative team at the forefront of redefining finance.

Benefits

Flexible working options

International remote work up to 120 days

Supportive workplace culture

Qualifications

• Strong backend engineering experience using Kotlin or Java in a production environment.
• Passionate about building reliable, high-quality products.
• Comfortable working on distributed systems with scale and complexity.

Responsibilities

• Designing, building and running scalable backend systems using Kotlin and AWS.
• Contributing to technical direction, team practices and architectural decisions.
• Mentoring junior engineers and helping to raise the technical bar.

Skills

Backend engineering experience

Kotlin or Java

Distributed systems

Testing and clean code advocacy

Collaboration and mentoring

Job description

Our Story

Our Story

Hello there. We’re Zopa.

We started our journey back in 2005, building the first ever peer‑to‑peer lending company. Fast forward to 2020 and we launched Zopa Bank. A bank that listens to what our customers don’t like about finance and does the opposite. We’re redefining what it feels like to work in finance. Our vision for a new era of banking puts people front and centre – we’ve built a business that empowers everyone to aim high, every day, to move finance forward. Find out more about our fantastic offerings at Zopa.com!

We’re incredibly proud of our achievements and none of it would be possible without the amazing team here. It’s not just industry awards we’re winning, we’ve also been named in the top three UK’s Most Loved Workplaces.

If you embrace unconventional challenges, are unafraid to think differently and are driven to make an outsized impact, you’ll thrive here at Zopa, so join us, and make it count. Want to see us in action? Follow us on Instagram @zopalife

The engineering challenge

Our Software Engineers don't just write code, they solve real financial problems for millions of customers. You'll work on distributed systems processing thousands of transactions daily, build resilient services that handle people's money, and create experiences that make traditionally complex financial products feel simple.

Your Impact

• Designing, building and running scalable backend systems using Kotlin and AWS
• Contributing to technical direction, team practices and architectural decisions
• Collaborating closely with product managers, designers and other engineers
• Mentoring junior engineers and helping to raise the technical bar
• Owning your team’s code, quality and delivery
• Taking part in the full SDLC — including operating your own services in production
• Writing well‑tested, clean code
• Making smart trade‑offs between speed, quality and risk to deliver customer value quickly

Your Toolkit

• Strong backend engineering experience using Kotlin or Java in a production environment
• Passionate about building reliable, high‑quality products — not just writing code
• Comfortable working on distributed systems with scale and complexity
• Advocates for testing, clean code, and automation throughout the development process
• Understands trade‑offs in product delivery and values pragmatism
• Enjoys solving problems collaboratively and mentoring others
• Clear communicator with experience working cross‑functionally
• Excited by fast‑moving environments and full ownership of your work

Our Engineering Culture

• Customer impact over unnecessary complexity
• Team success over individual heroics
• Operational ownership, not just feature delivery
• Continuous improvement through honest feedback

Added Bonus

• Experience with fintech or banking is a plus, but we value problem‑solvers from all backgrounds

We’re expanding!

From September 2025, Zopa will be opening a brand‑new office in Manchester at WeWork, Dalton Place, 29 John Dalton Street, M2 6WF.

At Zopa we value flexible ways of working.

We value face‑to‑face collaboration and a good work‑life balance. This hybrid role requires you to come to our Manchester office 2‑3 days a week.

You’ll also have the option of working from abroad for up to 120 days a year!* But no matter where you are, we’ll make sure you’ve got everything you need to thrive, both in your work and home life, from day one.

*Subject to having the right to work in the country of choice

Diversity Statement

Zopa is proud to offer a workplace free from discrimination. Diversity of experience, perspectives, and backgrounds leads to better products for our customers and a unique company culture for our people. We are made up of nearly 50 nationalities, have a DE&I forum made up of Zopians wanting to make a difference and we are proud of our culture where everyone can bring their full self to work. Our approach to DE&I is reflected in our hiring process so please let us know if you require any reasonable adjustments.