Senior Backend Engineer

Senior Backend EngineerLocation: Elephant and Castle, LondonWork: On-SiteSalary: £80,000-120,000 per year + potential for equityCompany and Role DescriptionQoves is on track to become a category-defining consumer tech company. With over 2.5 million followers across our platforms, we have built one of the largest global communities around beauty, aesthetics, and technology. In only a short time, we have become one of the fastest growing consumer tech companies in the world, pioneering non-invasive, science-backed facial analysis that is transforming the way people understand and improve their looks. This role offers significant ownership and technical influence. You will design and build robust backend systems, integrate cutting-edge AI capabilities, and take full ownership of key product features. You will collaborate across the full software development lifecycle, contribute to architectural decisions, and help raise the engineering bar for the entire team.Key ResponsibilitiesDesign and implement backend features for various product capabilities using Django, FastAPI, and Python.Develop and integrate AI-powered features into the codebase, including computer vision pipelines and LLM-based tools.Participate in product delivery through the entire SDLC, including analysis, design, coding, testing, implementation, and ongoing support to build applications and APIs primarily using Python and Django.Make exemplary contributions in code quality, architectural decisions, and engineering best practices.Optimize applications for maximum speed and scalability.Clearly communicate design decisions and trade-offs to technical and non-technical stakeholders.Collaborate with team members to proactively identify and resolve problems.What We're Looking For5+ years of professional experience in backend development with Python.Strong proficiency with Django and/or FastAPI for building production-grade APIs.Hands-on experience integrating AI or machine learning features, including computer vision or LLM-based systems.Solid understanding of software architecture principles and the ability to contribute meaningfully to architectural decisions.Experience owning work across the full software development lifecycle.Strong sense of code quality, testing discipline, and engineering best practices.Excellent communication skills, with the ability to articulate trade-offs and design decisions clearly.A collaborative, proactive mindset with strong problem-solving skills.Nice to HaveKnowledge of or experience with Temporal, Prefect, or similar workflow orchestration tools.Experience working in a startup or fast-paced product environment.Familiarity with cloud infrastructure and deployment practices.Exposure to frontend technologies or full-stack development.Experience building data pipelines or working with large-scale data processing.Why Join UsWork on technically challenging problems at the intersection of AI, computer vision, and consumer technology.High ownership and autonomy with direct impact on product direction.Collaborate closely with engineering leads and leadership in a fast-paced, high-trust environment.Eligible for quarterly performance bonus.