Software Engineer

Plan:it; West of England; Hybrid; GBP 54,000 - 66,000; Full time

Job summary

Plan:it is building a greenfield platform from scratch in Bristol. This backend-focused role centers on Python, FastAPI, and PostgreSQL, with React/TypeScript on the frontend.

The team values curiosity, quick learning, and clear code reviews, including AI-assisted development as appropriate. Ideal profile includes 2–4 years of software engineering experience, solid backend fundamentals, and comfort discussing design decisions with non-technical stakeholders.

Qualifications

• 2–4 years of software engineering experience.
• Solid backend fundamentals.
• Comfortable in design discussions with non-technical people.

Responsibilities

• Develop and own backend features for a greenfield platform.
• Collaborate with frontend engineers using React/TypeScript.
• Engage with stakeholders to explain technical decisions and trade-offs.
• Contribute to system design discussions and reviews.

Skills

System design

Stakeholder communication

Curiosity

Tools

Python

FastAPI

PostgreSQL

React

TypeScript

Job description

Office: Bristol (hybrid, 50% in office)

Salary: Up to £60k + up to 10% bonus

This one’s a proper greenfield build.

A fast-growing business that helps some of the world’s biggest brands make smarter decisions about packaging and regulation. Three years ago they were around 30 people. Now they’re past 100, with strong growth plans next year.

Until now, a lot of it has run on spreadsheets and email chains. That worked, but it doesn’t scale, and the regulators are asking for more detailed data every year. So they’ve brought in a new technology leadership team and kicked off a brand new platform to replace it. It’s one of the biggest tech investments in the company’s history.

The role is backend-focused: Python, FastAPI, PostgreSQL, with a good working knowledge of React and TypeScript on the front end. If your background is TypeScript on both sides, that’s fine. They’ll back someone who learns quickly. AI-assisted development is encouraged, as long as you can explain and defend what you’ve built in a code review.

What matters most is curiosity and the ability to hold your own with stakeholders. Where the stack goes in six months isn’t set, so they want proof you pick things up, whether that’s side projects, a thesis, or things you’ve built just because.

Ideal profile: 2-4 years of software engineering experience, solid backend fundamentals, comfortable in system design conversations, and happy talking to non-technical people about why you’ve made the decisions you have. Experience building something from the ground up in a smaller company is a bonus.