Backend Software Engineer (1 Year Contract)

About the RoleWe are looking for a Backend Software Engineer to support the design, development, testing, and maintenance of backend services that power customer-facing digital products and journeys.You will work on APIs, business logic, system integrations, data handling, security, and observability, with a strong focus on building reliable, scalable, and maintainable backend systems.Key ResponsibilitiesDesign, develop, and maintain secure, scalable, and maintainable backend services, APIs, and business logic.Build and maintain RESTful APIs and service integrations supporting digital products, customer journeys, and enterprise systems.Implement backend capabilities including data validation, authentication, authorisation, logging, error handling, and exception management.Design and work with databases, data models, and transactions, ensuring data integrity and application performance.Optimise backend services for performance, scalability, reliability, and availability.Develop and maintain automated backend tests, including unit, integration, API, regression, and performance testing.Implement appropriate monitoring, logging, and observability to support production operations and troubleshooting.Diagnose and resolve backend, API, integration, and production issues.Apply secure development practices throughout the software development lifecycle.Collaborate with frontend engineers, product teams, and other technical stakeholders to deliver end-to-end digital solutions.Support deployment and operation of backend applications within cloud and/or container-based environments.Participate in code reviews and contribute to maintaining strong engineering and code quality standards.RequirementsDegree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Technology, or a related discipline.3–5 years of relevant experience in backend software development.Strong hands-on experience with at least one mainstream backend technology such as Java, .NET, Node.js, or equivalent.Strong understanding of RESTful API design and development, backend architecture, and service integration.Experience working with relational and/or NoSQL databases, including data modelling, transactions, and query optimisation.Experience implementing authentication and authorisation, data validation, logging, and error handling.Experience with automated testing, including unit, integration, and API testing.Good understanding of application performance optimisation, scalability, and reliability.Familiarity with secure software development practices and application security principles.Experience with cloud platforms and/or containerised application deployment.Familiarity with monitoring, logging, and observability tools and practices.Strong problem-solving and troubleshooting skills, with the ability to produce clean, maintainable, and well-tested code.