Software Engineer - Backend (up to £160k)

Dex; Greater London; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Dex is seeking a backend engineer to join a team building a mission-critical AI-powered defence intelligence platform. You will work on a Rust and Python-based stack, designing features and infrastructure for reliable, low-latency operation in edge and embedded environments.

Expect challenging fault-tolerant systems, extreme connectivity conditions, and rigorous RFC-driven development with code reviews. You will collaborate with open-source contributors and apply cutting-edge techniques to

Qualifications

• Backend developer with strong experience in systems languages and distributed systems.
• Experience with edge computing and latency optimization.
• Familiarity with REST, GraphQL, gRPC/Protobuf, and Arrow.
• Experience with Rust or a comparable language.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement features and infrastructure for a mission-critical backend.
• Engineer for extreme conditions: intermittent connectivity and embedded systems.
• Ensure robustness through testing and benchmarking.
• Join a Rust and Python-based stack and learn from open-source contributors.

Skills

Rust

Distributed systems

Edge computing

Latency optimization

API/Backend interfaces

Platform engineering

Tools

REST

GraphQL

gRPC/Protobuf

Apache Arrow

Job description

This role is with one of Dex's trusted partner companies. We work closely with their teams to truly understand their culture, goals, and what they're looking for, so we can match you with the right opportunity and give you context about the role before you commit to a process.

Dex is an AI recruiter agent that helps you run your job search. Tell Dex your stack, seniority, and what you want to build. We will manage your applications and surface other opportunities that are a fit.

The role

This company builds AI software for real-time defence intelligence. Their systems operate on semi-autonomous platforms, turning raw sensor data into actionable insights. The backend infrastructure faces extreme constraints: intermittent connectivity, embedded compute, low-bandwidth radios, and air-gapped networks where trust is never assumed. They're backed by leading investors and are one of Europe's fastest-growing companies.

You'll join a team where reliability isn't a feature, it's the product. Your code will run in high-stakes environments, directly impacting people in critical situations. This isn't about scaling typical web services; it's about engineering robust, fault-tolerant systems for the most challenging operational contexts. Expect a culture built on rigorous RFCs, code review, and a shared commitment to unblocking colleagues.

The work

• Design and implement features, algorithms, and infrastructure for a mission-critical backend.
• Engineer for extreme conditions: intermittent connectivity, resource-constrained embedded systems, and untrusted networks.
• Ensure system robustness and reliability through comprehensive testing and benchmarking.
• Contribute to a Rust and Python-based stack, with opportunities to learn from prominent open-source contributors.
• Solve complex distributed systems problems where partial degradation and failure modes are the default.

What You Bring

• Strong backend development experience in a systems language (Rust, Java, Go, C++, or similar).
• Proven ability to build and operate complex distributed systems, with a focus on failure modes.
• Deep expertise in at least one area: edge computing, latency optimization, or platform engineering.
• Familiarity with backend interface tools like REST, GraphQL, gRPC/Protocol Buffers, and Arrow.

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