Senior Staff Engineer

DEPOP; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job description

Depop is looking for an experienced Staff Engineer to join our team. You will be motivated to solve Depop's most challenging technical problems within and across our backend, platform, and data domains. Your extensive technical experience will enable you to identify and address common pain points, enhancing productivity and streamlining practices for our engineering teams.

Responsibilities:

• Work closely with Backend, Platform, and Data teams to identify and resolve constraints, improving developer experience and efficiency (Cross-Team Collaboration)
• Identify and address backend challenges before they escalate, ensuring system reliability and smooth operations (Proactive Problem-Solving)
• Apply deep backend knowledge to resolve issues, contribute substantial code solutions, and improve team productivity (Technical Expertise & Code Contributions)
• Design backend systems and data pipelines with scalability, maintainability, and developer experience in mind (Scalable System Design)
• Align technical decisions with business strategy, drive organizational change, and adopt industry trends to future-proof systems (Strategic Leadership & Innovation)

Requirements:

• Proven track record of solving complex technical challenges and building scalable, high-traffic applications (Extensive Engineering Expertise)
• Strong understanding of cloud environments (we use AWS) and system design principles with a focus on reducing complexity and cognitive load (Cloud & System Design Mastery)
• Ability to quickly learn and adapt to new technologies, anticipate issues, and prevent problems from escalating (Problem-Solving & Adaptability)
• Experience mentoring engineers, being a technical go-to person, and effectively communicating complex concepts (Mentorship & Communication)
• Proficient in testing at various levels (unit, integration, etc.) and analyzing problem-solving insights to improve outcomes (Robust Testing & Analysis)

Must haves:

• Ability to persevere through setbacks with energy and drive, ensuring project delivery
• Approachable and supportive demeanour, capable of building strong relationships across all levels
• Skilled in aligning technical decisions with business strategy, working closely with engineering leadership
• Ability to navigate complex political situations tactfully, ensuring initiatives progress smoothly
• Comfort with ambiguity, uncertainty, and risk, maintaining agility in changing situations
• Openness to actively seek and act on feedback and coaching, enhancing organisational effectiveness
• Knowledge of event-driven architectures and different data storage systems

Nice to haves:

• Experience with ecommerce and marketplace systems in a business-to-consumer environment
• Proficiency with Infrastructure as Code, ideally using Terraform
• Experience using Datadog for monitoring and observability
• Track record of successfully implementing company-wide technical initiatives