Senior Backend Engineer
Work Location: UK (Remote) - You must be UK based with a full right to work
Type: 6 to 12 months contract (with potential of converting to permanent)
Reports to: CTO
Experience Level: Senior / 5–10 years
Salary: £75,000 to £80,000 (Flexible - Depending on experience)
About Our Client
Key requirements: Python, Fast APIs, AWS (Lambda), AI code generation tools: Cursor, Copilot or similar. Also experience working with AI/ML, and curiosity about AI is essential for this role.
Our client is an early stage AI start-up in the education sector. They’re on a mission to redefine how students learn through intelligent tutoring and empower teachers with data-driven insights into learning progress using ML, GenAI, and modern data systems. Their cross-functional team of engineers and product leaders is building a platform that powers both mobile and web apps for users. They’re now on the lookout for a hands-on Senior Backend Engineer who can take ownership of backend architecture, scale system performance, and mature their DevOps and CI/CD practices.
What You’ll Do
* Design, build, and maintain scalable backend services and RESTful APIs using Python (FastAPI/Django/Flask) (Essential)
* Architect and optimise AWS infrastructure (Lambda, ECS, EC2, RDS, S3, CloudFront, etc.) for reliability and cost efficiency
* Build and manage PostgreSQL databases hosted on Amazon RDS, including schema design, query optimisation, and backups
* Collaborate with frontend engineers (React/React Native/Swift) to integrate APIs with web and mobile apps
* Lead DevOps automation - CI/CD (GitHub Actions), infrastructure as code (Terraform/CDK), observability (CloudWatch, Grafana)
* Work closely with AI engineers to integrate and deploy machine learning pipelines into production systems
* Implement security, monitoring, and data governance best practices
* Mentor team members, set coding standards, and contribute to architectural decisions with the CTO
What You’ll Bring
* 5+ years of experience in backend development (Python, Node.js, or Go)
* Strong expertise in AWS (Lambda, ECS, EC2, RDS, S3) - highly desirable, and DevOps pipelines (advantage but not essential)
* Exposure to integrating AI/ML services or APIs into production systems
* Experience working with AI code generation tools such as Cursor, Copilot, or a similar tool. This essential, as the team work these tools for speed and efficiency.
* Deep understanding of PostgreSQL (schema design, optimisation, migrations) and RDS management
* Proven experience building RESTful APIs for high-performance web and mobile applications
* Familiarity with Swift or React Native API integration workflows
* Experience with containerisation (Docker, ECS/EKS/Kubernetes)
* A passion for start-up environments — ownership, speed, and hands-on problem solving
Why Join
* Join an early-stage founding team shaping the platform and product direction from the ground up
* Work with cutting-edge AWS and AI technologies in a fast-paced, high-autonomy culture
* Collaborate closely with experienced product and AI leaders
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