Staff Software Engineer - Back End

Capital One; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension scheme

Private medical insurance

Season-ticket loans

Cycle-to-work

Enhanced parental leave

Open-plan workspace

Job summary

Capital One – London is seeking a Staff Software Engineer – Back End to shape the technical landscape, drive innovation, and support multiple teams toward a shared vision.

Based in London with a hybrid model (3 days in-office and 2 remote), you will lead technical strategy, mentor engineers, and partner with senior stakeholders to deliver scalable backend systems.

Qualifications

• Deep expertise in Java.
• Expertise in system design and distributed architectures.
• Experience leading multi‑team technical initiatives.
• Strong cloud experience across AWS, Azure, and GCP.
• Ability to translate technical concepts for stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Own and drive the technical strategy across multiple teams.
• Coordinate efforts of several teams to align with business goals.
• Define best practices and reusable frameworks to boost productivity.
• Build relationships with senior leadership, product owners, and architects.
• Represent Capital One in external technical forums.
• Mentor engineers and foster continuous learning.

Skills

Java

System design

Distributed architectures

Technical leadership

Cloud platforms

Multi-team strategy

Job description

Staff Software Engineer – Back End

Capital One – White Collar Factory (95009), United Kingdom – London office.

Overview

Do you love shaping the technical landscape and driving innovation across the organisation? Are you passionate about solving complex business problems and supporting multiple teams toward a shared technical vision?

At Capital One, you'll be part of a community of technical leaders who drive engineering excellence, foster innovation, and deliver impactful solutions that meet real customer needs.

Responsibilities

• Own and drive the technical strategy for a significant business outcome or technology domain, spanning multiple teams and influencing the overall technical direction.
• Lead and coordinate the efforts of multiple teams, ensuring their collective work aligns with broader business objectives and technology strategy.
• Proactively identify emerging patterns, define and evangelise best practices, and establish reusable frameworks that enhance engineering productivity.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders, including senior leadership, product owners, and architects.
• Represent Capital One in external technical forums, contributing to vendor/industry discussions.
• Drive service quality standards and practices for your domain, guiding complex incident resolution.
• Develop and advocate for strategies to proactively manage technical debt across multiple teams.
• Actively mentor and develop engineers, fostering a culture of continuous learning.

Qualifications

• Deep expertise in Java.
• Deep expertise in system design and distributed architectures.
• Track record of leading technical initiatives across multiple teams.
• Strong experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP).
• Proven experience setting a multi‑team technical vision and strategy.
• Strong track record of technical leadership and influence without authority.
• Experience driving engineering standards and best practices across organisations.
• Experience of steering Communities of Practice or technical forums.
• Strong business acumen and ability to translate technical concepts for various audiences.

Location & Working Model

This is a permanent position based in our London office. We have a hybrid working model: you’ll be based in our London office 3 days a week (Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays) and work from home on the remaining days.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and bonus potential.
• Pension scheme and generous holiday entitlement.
• Private medical insurance with flexible benefits options.
• Season‑ticket loans, cycle‑to‑work scheme, and enhanced parental leave.
• Open‑plan workspaces and accessible facilities designed to inspire and support you.
• Career progression supported through Capital One University training programmes and external providers.