Software Engineer

Software Engineer / Senior Software Engineer£40,000–£90,000 | Manchester | Hybrid WorkingAre you a software engineer who enjoys solving complex technical problems, making your own decisions and taking ownership of what you build?An ambitious, well-funded AI business in Manchester is expanding its engineering team and looking for talented Mid-Level and Senior Software Engineers to help develop and scale its products.The business is building an AI-native platform with interesting engineering challenges around real-time interactions, performance, scalability and reliability. With further investment secured and new products being launched, it's an opportunity to join at a stage where engineers can have a genuine influence on both the product and technical direction.The OpportunityThe CTO places a lot of importance on engineering quality and is building a team of strong engineers who understand software engineering fundamentals, enjoy solving difficult problems and can make sound technical decisions.This isn't an environment where engineers simply pick up tickets from a backlog.You'll be involved in understanding problems, exploring potential solutions, making technical decisions and taking ownership of development through to production.Depending on your experience, you'll have the opportunity to work closely with the CTO, influence architectural decisions and help shape engineering practices as the team grows.Technology & EngineeringThe platform is built using Python (Django/FastAPI) on the backend, React and TypeScript on the frontend, and GCP for cloud infrastructure, although experience with AWS is equally relevant. Engineers with strong TypeScript/Node.js backend experience are also welcome, provided they're happy to develop their Python skills.The team takes an ownership-led approach to engineering, with developers involved in understanding requirements, designing solutions, writing and reviewing code, and supporting what they build in production. There's a strong emphasis on software engineering fundamentals, sound technical decision-making and using AI coding tools to improve productivity without compromising code quality.Required ExperienceStrong hands-on software engineering experience, particularly backend or fullstack development.Experience building, deploying and maintaining production applications.A solid understanding of software engineering fundamentals, system design, APIs and databases.The ability to evaluate different technical approaches and explain the decisions behind them.Experience taking ownership of features or projects beyond simply implementing predefined requirements.An interest in solving problems around performance, reliability and scalability.A willingness to work collaboratively across engineering, product and design.Experience working on customer-facing products would be particularly valuable.You don't need previous AI experience. The business uses AI development tools, but places greater importance on engineers who understand the code they're writing and can make independent technical decisions.Mid-Level and Senior OpportunitiesMid-Level Software Engineer | £40,000–£60,000An opportunity for an engineer who's already taking ownership of features and technical decisions and wants to develop towards a senior position.Senior Software Engineer | £65,000–£90,000A more influential role for an experienced engineer who can independently design and deliver solutions, take ownership of complex technical challenges and contribute to the direction of the engineering team.There's also scope to develop into technical leadership as the business grows, although remaining hands-on as an individual contributor is equally supported.What's on Offer?Salary up to £90,000, depending on experience and level.Hybrid working in Manchester.The opportunity to build and scale an AI-native product.Significant ownership over technical decisions and delivery.Direct access to the CTO and an opportunity to influence engineering direction.A growing engineering team with opportunities for progression.If you're considering your next move and want to work somewhere that values strong engineering, technical ownership and building products that people actually use, apply to find out more.