Software Engineer, Data Infrastructure & Acquisition - Birmingham, United Kingdom

Speechify; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A technology company specializing in text-to-speech is looking for a Software Engineer for Data Infrastructure & Acquisition in Birmingham. The role involves building and maintaining data collection workflows and collaborating with teams to enhance product offerings. Ideal candidates have a strong software development background, experience with cloud technologies, and effective communication skills in a fast-paced environment.

Benefits

Competitive salaries

Friendly atmosphere

Opportunities for significant impact

Qualifications

• 5+ years of industry experience in software development.
• Proficiency in bash/Python scripting in Linux environments.
• Experience handling multiple tasks and adapting to changing priorities.

Responsibilities

• Find new sources of audio data for our ingestion pipeline.
• Operate the cloud infrastructure for our ingestion pipeline on GCP.
• Collaborate closely with Scientists to improve data quality.

Skills

bash/Python scripting

Docker

GCP

Data processing workflows

Communication skills

Education

BS/MS/PhD in Computer Science or a related field

Job description

Software Engineer, Data Infrastructure & Acquisition - Birmingham, United Kingdom

The mission of Speechify is to make sure that reading is never a barrier to learning.

Speechify’s text-to-speech products help people read faster, read more, and remember more across PDFs, books, Google Docs, news articles, websites, and more. Our products include iOS, Android, Mac, Chrome Extension, and Web App experiences. Speechify has received recognition for its design and impact, and operates with a 100% distributed workforce.

Overview

The responsibilities of our Platform team include building and maintaining backend services, including payments, analytics, subscriptions, new products, text-to-speech, and external APIs. This role focuses on all aspects of data collection to support model training operations, enabling high-quality datasets at petabyte-scale with cost efficiency through close integration of infrastructure, engineering, and research.

This is a key role for someone who thinks strategically, thrives in fast-paced environments, and enjoys making product decisions that delight users. We value technical excellence, clear communication, and a strong work ethic in a flat organization that empowers leaders through results.

What You’ll Do

• Be scrappy to find new sources of audio data and bring it into our ingestion pipeline
• Operate and extend the cloud infrastructure for our ingestion pipeline, currently running on GCP and managed with Terraform
• Collaborate closely with our Scientists to improve cost, throughput, and data quality to power next-generation models
• Collaborate with the AI Team and Speechify Leadership to craft the AI Team’s dataset roadmap for Speechify’s next-generation products

An Ideal Candidate Should Have

• BS/MS/PhD in Computer Science or a related field
• 5+ years of industry experience in software development
• Proficiency with bash/Python scripting in Linux environments
• Proficiency in Docker and Infrastructure-as-Code concepts with professional experience on at least one major Cloud Provider (we use GCP)
• Experience with web crawlers and large-scale data processing workflows is a plus
• Ability to handle multiple tasks and adapt to changing priorities
• Strong written and verbal communication skills

What We Offer

• A fast-growing environment where you can help shape the company and product
• An entrepreneurial-minded team that supports risk, intuition, and hustle
• A hands-off management approach so you can focus and do your best work
• Opportunity to make a big impact in a transformative industry
• Competitive salaries, a friendly and laid-back atmosphere, and a commitment to building a great asynchronous culture
• Opportunity to work on a life-changing product used by millions
• Work on products that support people with learning differences like dyslexia, ADD, low vision, concussions, autism, and more
• Engage in AI and audio at the intersection of rapidly evolving technology

Speechify is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. Speechify does not discriminate on the basis of race, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability, age, or other legally protected status.