Software Engineer - Java (DBA team)

Starling Bank; London; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading digital bank in the UK is seeking a Software Engineer for its DBA team in London. The role involves building an application for PostgreSQL databases and collaborating with various teams to optimize database performance and manage infrastructure. The ideal candidate should have a strong Java background, experience in cloud environments, and knowledge of database administration.

Benefits

25 days holiday plus public holidays

Generous family-friendly policies

Private Medical Insurance

Life insurance at 4x salary

Annual leave increase with length of service

Access to retail discounts

Qualifications

• Experience of software development, preferably Java.
• Experience of using infrastructure as code, preferably Terraform.
• Strong ability to solve complex technical problems.

Responsibilities

• Build and manage PostgreSQL database application.
• Monitor and optimize database performance.
• Collaborate with teams to assess and meet database needs.

Skills

Java

Postgres Administration

Cloud Environments

Infrastructure as Code

Docker

Kubernetes

Problem Solving

Tools

Terraform

AWS

GCP

Job description

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Software Engineer - Java (DBA team), London

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Client:

Starling Bank

Location:

London, United Kingdom

Job Category:

Other

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EU work permit required:

Yes

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Job Reference:

da6b6c38409d

Job Views:

17

Posted:

17.06.2025

Expiry Date:

01.08.2025

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Job Description:

Starling is the UK’s first and leading digital bank on a mission to fix banking! Our vision is fast technology, fair service, and honest values. All at the tap of a phone, all the time.

We are about giving customers a new way to spend, save and manage their money while taking better care of the planet which has seen us become a multi-award winning bank that now employs over 2300 across five offices in London, Cardiff, Dublin, Southampton, and soon to be Manchester. Our journey started in 2014, and since then we have surpassed three million accounts (and four account types!) with 350,000 business customers. We are a fully licensed UK bank but at the heart, we are a tech first company, enabling our platform to deliver brilliant products.

Our technologists are at the very heart of Starling and enjoy working in a fast-paced environment that is all about building things, creating new stuff, and disruptive technology that keeps us on the cutting edge of fintech. We operate a flat structure to empower you to make decisions regardless of what your primary responsibilities may be, innovation and collaboration will be at the core of everything you do. Help is never far away in our open culture, you will find support in your team and from across the business, we are in this together!

The way to thrive and shine within Starling is to be a self-driven individual and be able to take full ownership of everything around you: From building things, designing, discovering, to sharing knowledge with your colleagues and making sure all processes are efficient and productive to deliver the best possible results for our customers. Our purpose is underpinned by five Starling values: Listen, Keep It Simple, Do The Right Thing, Own It, and Aim For Greatness.

Hybrid Working

We have a Hybrid approach to working here at Starling - our preference is that you're located within a commutable distance of one of our offices so that we're able to interact and collaborate in person. We don't like to mandate how much you visit the office and work from home, that's to be agreed upon between you and your manager.

About the Role:

Working within our engineering team, you will be responsible for the application and infrastructure used to support our PostgreSQL databases. This will include:

• Working within the DBA team to build out our Database Manager application used to manage and monitor our databases.
• Actively deliver on knowledge sharing across the team on Java
• Working with our teams to understand their database needs and make adjustments from an application and infrastructure standpoint.
• Monitoring and optimising the performance of databases
• Query analysis to understand how our databases are being used
• Allocating for systems requirements and planning future needs
• Working within the team to understand how to manage and maintain Postgres database infrastructure

Requirements

The ideal candidate will have experience in the following:

• Experience of software development. Preferably Java
• Experience of using infrastructure as code. Preferably Terraform
• Experience working in cloud environments (AWS or GCP)
• Understanding of Postgres from an administrative and developer perspective
• Self-motivated person able to drive change, take initiative and own their work
• Strong ability to solve complex technical problems
• Ability to communicate at all levels of the business to understand the users needs
• Knowledge of docker, or Kubernetes
• Used to working at a senior level able to communicate effectively to achieve their goals

Interview Process

Interviewing is a two way process and we want you to have the time and opportunity to get to know us, as much as we are getting to know you! Our interviews are conversational and we want to get the best from you, so come with questions and be curious. In general you can expect the below, following a chat with one of our Talent Team:

• First Interview - 30 minutes
• Technical Interview - 90 minutes
• Final Interview - 45 minutes
• 25 days holiday (plus take your public holiday allowance whenever works best for you)
• An extra day’s holiday for your birthday
• Annual leave is increased with length of service, and you can choose to buy or sell up to five extra days off
• 16 hours paid volunteering time a year
• Salary sacrifice, company enhanced pension scheme
• Life insurance at 4x your salary & group income protection
• Private Medical Insurance with VitalityHealth including mental health support and cancer care. Partner benefits include discounts with Waitrose, Mr&Mrs Smith and Peloton
• Generous family-friendly policies
• Perkbox membership giving access to retail discounts, a wellness platform for physical and mental health, and weekly free and boosted perks
• Access to initiatives like Cycle to Work, Salary Sacrificed Gym partnerships and Electric Vehicle (EV) leasing

About Us

You may be put off applying for a role because you don't tick every box. Forget that! While we can’t accommodate every flexible working request, we're always open to discussion. So, if you're excited about working with us, but aren’t sure if you're 100% there yet, get in touch anyway. We’re on a mission to radically reshape banking – and that starts with our brilliant team. Whatever came before, we’re proud to bring together people of all backgrounds and experiences who love working together to solve problems.