Staff Software Engineer (Platform Capabilities)

Funding Circle UK; Greater London; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Funding Circle UK is seeking an experienced Staff Engineer in London (Hybrid) to lead platform capabilities, guide architecture, and enable product teams to move quickly with robust, scalable foundations.

The role requires deep technical leadership, hands‑on capability, and a passion for embracing emerging AI tools to transform engineering processes across the organization.

Qualifications

• Lead high‑level architecture, standards and engineering performance.
• Technical lead for a platform domain, with hands‑on capability.
• Experience with Python, Ruby, or Java.
• Coaching, mentoring and sponsoring engineers.

Responsibilities

• Own high‑level solution design and technology decisions within the Group.
• Articulate how platform choice impacts customer and commercial outcomes.
• Leverage Generative AI to drive innovation and efficiency.
• Collaborate with product teams to shape roadmaps and target architectures.
• Troubleshoot hands‑on when needed, enabling teams to become self‑sufficient.
• Present solutions and tradeoffs to stakeholders across the company.
• Represent Funding Circle externally at events and in the community.

Skills

Engineering leadership

Platform domain

Generative AI

Hands-on coding

Stakeholder mgmt

Job description

Mission

We're on a mission to back the UK’s small businesses like no one else. Small businesses are the backbone of the economy, and we’re here to help them win. We’ve built a platform that uses clever data to get them the funding they need in minutes, not weeks. At Funding Circle, we have the restless energy of a fintech start‑up with the stability of a public company. It’s a unique mix that gives Circlers the autonomy to take ownership and the scale to make an impact that truly counts. We’re a high‑performing team that chooses to lift each other up. We challenge, we champion, and we have each other’s backs because we know that when we stand together, we move faster and build better. The impact is real: last year alone, the businesses on our platform generated £7.2bn for the UK economy.

Location and Compensation

London (Hybrid). 2 days in the office. Competitive salary and benefits.

About the Role

We are looking for an experienced Staff Engineer with an excellent track record of building successful platforms for internal teams or as a SaaS. The role sits within our Platform Capabilities Engineering Group, providing technical leadership for the core platforms that enable our product teams to build business functionality fast and predictably. Staff Engineers are among the most senior leaders in our Technology function and as such are responsible for raising the bar and enabling us to achieve the incredible.

Responsibilities

• Take accountability for high‑level solution design, standards, engineering performance, and technology decisions within the Group.
• Possess sound commercial acumen and a solid understanding of how tech drives the top and bottom line. Understand and articulate how our platform drives customer and commercial outcomes.
• Proactively identify and leverage the latest Generative AI tools and techniques to drive innovation and transform our engineering processes, helping the organization become fully "AI native".
• Collaborate with customer‑facing product teams to build an informed roadmap and shape the technical direction. Translate this into target system and data architecture with clear milestones.
• Perform deep‑dives and troubleshoot issues in a hands‑on capacity, but seek to enable the teams rather than becoming a dependency for future issues.
• Exhibit excellent stakeholder‑management skills and present technology solutions, risks, and tradeoffs to any audience across Funding Circle, influencing without reporting authority.
• Represent Funding Circle externally at events, leveraging network to share industry trends and insights, and attracting talent.

We’re Looking For

• An engineering leader who can lead on solving high‑level problems while also deep‑diving into technical challenges in a hands‑on capacity.
• Experience operating as the technical lead for a platform domain, either as a staff equivalent or a SaaS founding/lead engineer.
• Understanding of the importance and limitations of internal platforms, experienced with deciding when to invest in centralisation vs bespoke, and driving adoption.
• Experience with at least one major programming language, e.g., Python, Ruby, Java.
• True advocate for an empowered engineering team over 10x engineers, passionate about coaching, mentoring, and sponsoring.
• A strong passion for critically assessing and applying emerging technologies to solve complex engineering challenges and driving transformational change across the organization.
• Proven experience in adopting and applying emerging technologies, particularly Generative AI, to solve complex engineering challenges and drive transformational change across an organization.

Why Join Us

We back you to build an incredible career. As a flexible‑first employer, we use a "best of both" approach. We’ll see you in our London office to collaborate – with barista coffee and subsidised Just Eat lunches on us. We are recognized as The Sunday Times Best Companies to Work For 2026.

Benefits

• Flexibility: We provide a benefit allowance you can tailor to your own life and family.
• Health: This includes private medical and dental, health assessments, and access to a digital GP.
• Wealth: We offer life assurance, share schemes, and financial coaching.
• Development: You get a dedicated annual learning allowance to help you level up.
• Lifestyle: We have electric car and cycle‑to‑work schemes, plus season ticket loans.

We also have award‑winning parental leave policies. We’re here to support you through the big life moments, from fertility treatments to new additions to the family.

We’re building a place where everyone truly feels they belong. Even if your past experience doesn't align perfectly with every requirement, we'd still love to hear from you.

Ready to join a mission that matters? We’d love to chat!