Senior Back End Engineer - Golang
3 Month rolling contract – Hybrid (3 days per week in London, 2 days WFH)
£650 per day - Inside IR35
Our global media and consumer technology client is seeking a Senior Back End Engineer to join their data engineering team for an initial 3-month rolling contract extendable to 2 years. This role focuses on building and maintaining sophisticated browser automation and web scraping systems, helping to collect and process data from web platforms at scale.
This is a fast-paced, high-impact role suited to experienced engineers who are confident working autonomously and contributing to complex data collection systems with minimal onboarding. The ideal candidate will be available immediately or at short notice, and willing to work flexibly as needed to help clear a growing backlog of work.
** Due to internal client policy for contract workers, you will need to provide and work from your own MacBook for the duration of this contract.
Key Responsibilities
* Develop and maintain large-scale web scraping systems using headless browsers and automation frameworks
* Build robust data extraction pipelines that can handle dynamic web content and complex user interactions
* Design and implement browser automation workflows for data collection across multiple web platforms
* Create tools for managing browser sessions, handling JavaScript-heavy sites, and bypassing common anti-bot measures
* Optimize scraping performance and reliability for high-volume data collection operations
* Collaborate with data engineering and product teams across global organizations
* Deliver high-quality, efficient code in an agile environment with minimal supervision
Requirements
* Extensive commercial experience with Golang / Go Programming Language in back end development
* Strong experience with browser automation tools (Chromedp, Rod, Playwright, or similar)
* Proven ability to build and support web scraping applications at scale
* Deep understanding of web technologies (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, DOM manipulation)
* Knowledge of HTTP protocols, cookies, sessions, and web authentication methods
* Familiarity with Python is advantageous but not essential
* Experience with concurrent processing and rate limiting for web scraping
* Excellent communication and documentation skills
* Comfortable working independently and able to hit the ground running
* Experience working in global, distributed teams
Desirable Skills
* Knowledge of CAPTCHA handling and browser fingerprinting
* Familiarity with data parsing and extraction from various web formats
* Understanding of web performance optimization and caching strategies
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at PCR Digital
We are committed to creating a diverse, inclusive workplace where everyone belongs. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and communities. If you require adjustments at any stage of the process, please let us know, we’re here to support you.
Please do bear in mind that we are only legally able to consider applicants with current relevant right to work in the UK - We are unable to provide any form of Visa Sponsorship for this role.