Software Engineer

Digital Waffle; Sheffield; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A technology-focused company in Sheffield is looking for an Automation Engineer to build resilient automation tools against complex anti bot environments. The ideal candidate should have strong skills in Python, Node.js, or Go, with expertise in browser automation frameworks like Playwright or Puppeteer. The role demands building systems that effectively handle captcha challenges and support automation strategies in an evolving technical landscape. This is a unique opportunity for engineers who excel in solving complex technical puzzles.

Qualifications

• Strong experience with Python, Node.js, or Go.
• Expert level understanding of browser automation frameworks.
• Demonstrable experience with anti bot environments.
• Understanding of captchas, fingerprinting, and proxy infrastructure.
• Experience designing scalable, distributed automation systems.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain high scale crawlers and automation scripts.
• Design browser automation that can adapt to anti bot systems.
• Integrate captcha solving services while respecting guidelines.
• Implement fingerprinting and session handling for stability.
• Build systems that operate reliably under rate limits.
• Monitor detection feedback and refine approaches.

Skills

Python

Node.js

Go

Browser automation frameworks

Creative mindset

Analytical mindset

Tools

Playwright

Puppeteer

Job description

Automation Engineer (Advanced Anti Bot and Captcha Handling)

We are looking for an Automation Engineer with deep experience working around complex anti bot environments. This includes understanding how platforms like Cloudflare, DataDome, Akamai, Perimeter, Imperva, reCAPTCHA, and other captcha systems classify and challenge automated traffic. The focus is on building resilient, compliant automation tools that can operate reliably at scale despite these protective layers. This role suits an engineer who enjoys technical puzzles, understands how anti bot systems work internally, and can design automation workflows that remain stable, efficient, and legally compliant.

Responsibilities

• Building and maintaining high scale crawlers and automation scripts for complex, protected environments.
• Designing browser automation that can adapt to anti bot systems such as Cloudflare, DataDome, Akamai, Perimeter, Imperva, and others.
• Integrating captcha solving services where appropriate while respecting all legal and ethical guidelines.
• Implementing fingerprinting, session handling, and behavioural simulation to improve automation stability.
• Building systems that operate reliably under rate limits, behavioural analysis, and risk scoring models.
• Monitoring bot detection feedback and refining approaches to improve performance and resilience.
• Working with product and engineering teams to refine automation strategy as protection mechanisms change.

Qualifications

• Strong experience with Python, Node.js, or Go.
• Expert level understanding of browser automation frameworks such as Playwright or Puppeteer.
• Demonstrable experience working with anti bot environments including WAFs, behavioural scoring, and dynamic challenges.
• Understanding of captchas, fingerprinting, traffic shaping, session management, and proxy infrastructure.
• Experience designing scalable, distributed automation systems.
• A creative, analytical mindset and strong technical ownership.

Preferred Skills

• Experience designing scalable, distributed automation systems.
• A creative, analytical mindset and strong technical ownership.