Senior Backend Engineer
Messy spend management is tricky business. And tedious processes are a lose-lose situation for all involved, not just finance. At Pleo, we're changing that. We build spend solutions that make managing money seamless, empowering, and surprisingly effective for finance teams and employees alike—with a vision to help all businesses ‘go beyond’.
The word ‘Pleo’ actually means ‘more than you’d expect’, and living by that mantra has been the secret to our success over the last 10 years.
Now, we’re at a pivotal moment in our journey; every move we make has a direct impact on our 40,000+ customers, our business, and our collective success. We need people who take pride in uncovering customer needs, who turn complex problems into simple solutions, challenge the way things are done (respectfully), and always aim high. With great ambitions driving us forward, we can’t say we’ve got this whole thing figured out. And frankly, that’s half the fun! What we can say is that we’re a driven, progressive, and, importantly, a kind bunch of 850+ people from over 100 nationalities, all committed to delivering the future of business spending, together.
About the role
We're looking for a Senior Backend Engineer to join our team at Pleo. In this role, you'll help build and scale our backend systems and be part of exciting projects as we continue to grow our product and service offerings. If you're passionate about solving complex technical challenges and want to work in a culture that values transparency, collaboration, and a deep commitment to innovation then this role is for you.
What you’ll be doing
As a Senior Backend Engineer, you will:
- Lead initiatives to design, build, and maintain scalable microservices primarily using Kotlin.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams to develop innovative solutions across Platform, Services, SMB, and other domains.
- Analyze system performance and implement optimizations to ensure high reliability and scalability.
- Participate in code reviews, post-mortems, and provide mentorship to other engineers.
- Proactively address technical debt and guide the team through technical challenges and migrations.
What you bring
You'll thrive in this role if you have:
- Expertise in server-side languages, especially Kotlin, and experience with distributed systems, microservices, and cloud environments (e.g., AWS, Kubernetes).
- Proficiency with relational databases like PostgreSQL, testing frameworks (e.g., JUnit, Testcontainers), and observability tools like Grafana.
- Strong problem-solving skills and a collaborative mindset to mentor and upskill your teammates.
- A proven ability to lead large projects, manage ambiguity, and maintain high standards for code quality and reliability.
- A passion for innovation and driving impactful solutions within a fast-paced scale-up environment.
Who you’ll be working with and reporting to
You’ll report to our Engineering Manager and work closely with cross-functional product teams, including Credit , Platform, Partnerships, SMB and more. Our collaborative team is dedicated to building world-class solutions, and you’ll have the opportunity to partner with other departments to drive success. While the specific team you'll be working with will be decided later, our hiring process remains streamlined and consistent across all roles. This allows us to evaluate your skills and potential, ensuring a great fit for the team you eventually join. No matter which domain you land in, you will be part of a dynamic, collaborative environment where you'll tackle complex challenges, build reusable components, and contribute to shaping the future of our product.
How you’ll develop in this role
In your first six months at Pleo, you’ll:
- Lead backend initiatives to improve system performance and scalability.Collaborate with teams to drive innovation in product and infrastructure.Grow your expertise in Kotlin and distributed systems while mentoring other engineers.Contribute to shaping the future of our product as Pleo scales globally.
- We’re committed to supporting your growth, whether through taking on larger projects, stepping into leadership roles, or expanding your technical expertise.
Salary Range
The annual salary for this position varies based on your location:
- United Kingdom: £80,000 - £85,000
- Spain/Portugal: €87,000 - €93,000
We’re happy to share more about our approach to pay and this range during your first call with us!
Check out our Engineering Hiring Blog Post to get an in-depth overview of our hiring process and what to expect. Enjoy the reading!
Show me the benefits!
- Your own Pleo card (no more out-of-pocket spending!)
- Lunch is on us for your work days - enjoy catered meals or receive a lunch allowance based on your local office 🍜
- Comprehensive private healthcare - depending on your location, coverage options include Vitality, Alan or Médis
- We offer 25 days of holiday + your public holidays
- For our Team, we offer both hybrid and fully remote working options
- Option to purchase 5 additional days of holiday through a salary sacrifice
- We use MyndUp to give our employees access to free mental health and well-being support with great success so far ❤️🩹
- Paid parental leave - we want to make sure that we're supportive of families and help you feel that you don't have to compromise your family due to work 👶
About your application
- Please submit your application in English; it’s our company language so you’ll be speaking lots of it if you join 💕
- We treat all candidates equally: If you are interested please apply through our application system - any correspondence should come from there! Our lovely support team isn't able to pass on any calls/ emails our way - and this makes sure that the candidate experience is smooth and fair to everyone 😊
- We can only achieve our goals if our team reflects the diversity of the world around us - and that starts with you, hitting apply, even if you are worried you might not tick all the boxes. We embrace and encourage people from all backgrounds to apply - regardless of race/ethnicity, colour, religion, nationality, gender, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, neurodiversity, socio-economic status, culture or beliefs.
- When you submit an application we process your personal data as a data processor. Find out more about how your data is used in the FAQs section at the bottom of our jobs page.
Got any questions?
Read our FAQApply for this role
We’re looking for new friends, gifted minds, team players, restless talents and passionate problem solvers.
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And it doesn’t stop there. Why not have a browse at our other open roles in this department?
How Pleo hires
1
The first call(s)
Let’s get to know each other. We want to find out more about you, your motivations, and give you more information about the role.
2
The challenge
The task is deliberately open-ended and based on something you'll actually work on. There are no right or wrong answers here.
3
The team interview
Expect to share a (virtual) meeting room with two to three people you'll work with regularly if you get the job.
4
The final interview
A call with someone in leadership who’ll walk you through the big picture and chat about how your role will figure into that.
FAQ
This is a big decision for both of us. If you join us, we’ll spend a lot of time together working on some pretty cool things. That's why we've designed a hiring process that allows everyone to make the right choice. Read more about how we hire here.