Principal Backend Engineer

Gradient Labs

AT GRADIENT LABS, WE'RE BUILDING THE AI CUSTOMER OPERATIONS PLATFORM FOR FINANCIAL SERVICES. Founded in 2023, we now work with some of the biggest names in banking and fintech. Our platform runs specialist agents, purpose-built for financial services, to eliminate manual work across customer support and back-office operations. Together, they give product and operations teams the visibility and control to trust every outcome. We're a team of builders from companies like Monzo, Wise, Mastercard, Revolut and Google. If you're excited to tackle some of the hardest problems in AI and help shape the future of customer operations, we'd love to hear from you.   🎯 HOW YOU’LL MAKE AN IMPACT This isn't a maintenance role or a feature factory. At Gradient Labs, you will own systems that matter — from the first architectural decision through to production, scale, and everything that breaks along the way. You'll work on the infrastructure that makes autonomous AI agents actually reliable in the real world. That means building for failure, designing for observability, and shipping with conviction — not waiting for a perfect spec that will never arrive. * Build the OS for AI Agents — Contribute to a safe, scalable platform that lets us iterate on autonomous agent capabilities faster than anyone else. You are building the infrastructure that makes AI actually work in production. * Ship Resilient Systems — Design and own systems that hold up under failures, retry storms, and resource starvation — with full observability baked in. Reliability is a baseline, not an aspiration. * Take Products from 0 → 1 → Scale — Scope something from scratch, make the early architectural calls, and stay responsible for it as it grows. We build with conviction and we see things through. * Move Fast, Ship Often — Iterate in small increments. Multiple deploys a day. Comfort with ambiguity is not optional — it is the job. The mission moves faster than the roadmap. 💡 WHAT YOU’LL BRING * Substantial tenure building production software at a fast-growing company — fintech, AI, consumer tech, or any environment where pace and stakes were both high * Proven experience owning complex, high-stakes systems end to end — not handing off at merge, but staying accountable through observability, iteration, and scale * Deep fluency in Go (Golang) and comfort operating across a modern backend stack (PostgreSQL, Temporal, GCP, Kubernetes) * A product instinct that goes beyond technical elegance — you think from the customer backwards and bring that into every architectural decision * Senior, Staff, Principal or Distinguished level in practice — someone who has operated with real scope and real accountability * Genuine excitement for autonomous AI as a platform shift, not a trend — you want to build the infrastructure that makes agents genuinely reliable * Strong opinions, loosely held — conviction without ego, and always willing to be wrong in pursuit of the right answer WHY JOIN GRADIENT LABS? This is a unique chance to be part of a team working with cutting-edge technology to reshape how businesses will operate in the future. Over the next 10 years, every company will need to embrace AI-powered operations to stay competitive, and this role puts you right in the middle of that transformation. You’ll tackle challenging and new problems, work with some of the most exciting brands across different industries, and be surrounded by a passionate, smart team that’s driven to build something groundbreaking.

GWI

Location: London Office requirement : 2 days in the office - Significant travel required Employment type: Permanent   Seniority level: Principal   At GWI we’re always looking for extraordinary people who thrive on making an extraordinary impact. Right now we’re looking for an Forward Deployed Engineer to play a key role in our Solutions Consultants Team in London. If that’s you, and making a difference gets you out of bed in the morning, keep reading. It could be the start of something, well, extraordinary.   SOUNDS GREAT, WHAT WILL I BE DOING? 🤔 As our Lead / Principal Forward Deployed Engineer you'll be embedded directly with our most strategic accounts, owning the end-to-end technical deployment of our agentic AI platform. This isn't a support role, and it isn't a solutions consultant with a fancy title — you'll write production code, own technical outcomes, and be the reason our biggest customers succeed and expand. You'll operate with the autonomy of a founding engineer and the commercial instinct of a GTM leader. A few things you'll be responsible for: 👉 Embed with our Tier 1 enterprise accounts and own end-to-end deployments of our agentic AI platform — from discovery through to production, including bespoke integrations, data pipelines, and workflow automations. 👉 Lead AI agents into production in complex environments (legacy systems, security, compliance), turning cutting-edge capability into measurable business outcomes. 👉 Partner with Enterprise AEs in late-stage sales cycles — leading proof-of-concept builds and assessing technical readiness to de-risk and accelerate the close. 👉 Surface patterns from the field and feed them back to product and engineering, acting as the bridge between customer reality and roadmap. 👉 Build out the FDE practice as it scales: repeatable deployment playbooks, success metrics, and mentoring mid-level FDEs. It's also fun; shaking things up is what working for GWI is all about. You'll need to be flexible, comfortable with continuous change, and working in a high-tempo environment.   WHAT DO I NEED TO BRING WITH ME? 🧳 You’ll need to be able to demonstrate the core skills this role requires. You don't have to tick all the boxes right away; the important thing is that you’re willing to learn. Here’s what the team will be looking for in you: 👉 Significant experience in software engineering, solutions engineering, or a customer-facing technical role — with meaningful time spent shipping production code in complex enterprise environments. 👉 Demonstrable experience deploying AI or data-heavy products into large organisations — real production deployments, not just POCs. 👉 Strong full-stack or backend engineering fundamentals: Python essential, plus comfort across APIs, SQL, cloud infrastructure (AWS/GCP/Azure), and data pipelines. 👉 The ability to work through ambiguity and turn it into a concrete technical plan. 👉 Clear communication across technical and business audiences — you can tailor the same idea for an engineering lead and a commercial stakeholder. 👉 Willingness to travel to client sites across the UK and Europe (approximately 30–50% of the time).   Nice to have: 👉 Hands-on experience with LLM deployment, AI agents, or agentic workflow automation. 👉 A background in a high-growth B2B SaaS or AI-native company. 👉 Experience in one or more of GWI's core verticals: financial services, media & agencies, consumer goods, or technology. 👉 Prior experience in an FDE, solutions architect, or technical account management function at a company with a named-account enterprise motion.   Equally important is attitude. We want people who think big (to make an impact), ask why (to find a better way), and show respect (to everyone, at every level, all the time). Those are our values, and they’re a big part of what we’re looking for in you. WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME? 🎁 At GWI, you’ll find meaningful work, visible impact, and a culture that empowers you to do your best. Our package includes: 🌴 Time to recharge – 25 days’ annual leave, plus office closures over the holidays. 🧘 Health & wellbeing – Health cash plan, enhanced family benefits, carer days, and mental health support. 💸 Financial benefits – Competitive salary, 4% pension matching, and recognition programs that celebrate success. 🏡 Flexibility & balance – Flexitime, early Friday finishes, hybrid and remote options, plus a “work from home” budget. 💪 Career growth – Accredited learning, leadership development, and global career mobility. 🌎 Community & impact – DE&I initiatives, volunteering opportunities, donation matching, and payroll giving.   Put all that together and GWI is the friendliest, most fulfilling place any of us has ever worked.   DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION Diversity is fundamental to who we are—both as a data company and as a workplace. Our data reflects global realities, and so must our teams. We strive to ensure our workforce is as diverse and inclusive as the insights we provide to our clients. As a Disability Confident employer, we welcome applications from disabled candidates and are committed to providing all necessary adjustments during the hiring process. We also actively encourage applications from underrepresented and marginalized communities. At GWI, you will find a place where you can contribute meaningfully, grow professionally, and belong fully.   #li-hybrid #LI-NIKOSSS1

Gram Games

Who We Are: Gram Games is the studio behind popular titles like 1010!, Six!, Merge Dragons!, and Merge Magic!, with more exciting projects in the pipeline. We are proudly part of the Zynga & Take-Two Interactive family. We do things differently here: we work in small self-managing teams, giving you an incredible amount of ownership, autonomy, and impact.  At Gram, everyone is expected to have a razor-sharp focus on creating a tangible impact on their team, their work environment, and on the overall company strategy. If you are motivated by autonomy, constant improvement, collaboration, and a sense of belonging, this is the place for you. POSITION OVERVIEW: As a Principal Software Engineer, you will lead the architecture and development of highly advanced software systems. You will provide strategic technical direction, mentor senior engineers, and ensure that software solutions meet business and technical requirements. WHAT YOU’LL DO: * Define architectural standards and frameworks for software development. * Own the development of critical systems that require high reliability. * Be involved in developing technical roadmaps and attend planning sessions. * Evaluate and embrace new technologies to solve business needs. * Support the engineering team in developing skills and promoting teamwork. * Monitor project timelines and work progress to ensure quality. * Provide technical leadership and mentorship to software developers. * Ensure the technical feasibility and prioritization of new game features. WHAT YOU BRING: * Strong experience in software development, with a proven track record of delivering high-quality, scalable systems. * Proficiency in C# with essential knowledge of Unity. * Proficiency in client-backend integrations. * Strong understanding of software architecture and design principles. * Excellent problem-solving skills, with the ability to break down complex technical challenges. * Dedication to maintaining code quality through code reviews and alignment with industry standards CI/CD Processes. * Having a very strong understanding of Git and code repository management. * Ability to analyze product code and propose improvement solutions for better performance. * Familiarity with game development and understanding of the gaming industry. * A hands-on management style, with involvement in end-to-end process tracking. * Excellent communication and leadership abilities. * Skill in coordinating with other teams leads to synchronising the development processes. * Understand general business concepts to interpret critical metrics for the business/product (such as DAU, ARPDAU, etc.). * Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in Computer Science or a related field. WHAT WE OFFER YOU: In return for bringing your expertise to this top-priority role, we offer some of the best benefits in the gaming industry. * Highly competitive salary * Private medical care * Company bonus scheme * Relocation assistance for those moving to the UK * Awesome onsite chef serving breakfast, lunch, and lots of treats (naughty and nice) * Life insurance and a favorable pension scheme * Healthcare cash plan including dental and optical coverage * Amazing tech to work with and consoles to play and relax with everywhere you look #LI-Hybrid We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer, which means we are committed to creating and celebrating diverse thoughts, cultures, and backgrounds throughout our organization.  Employment with us is based on substantive ability, objective qualifications, and work ethic – not an individual’s race, creed, color, religion, sex or gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin or ancestry, alienage or citizenship status, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, status as a victim of domestic violence or sex offenses, reproductive health decision, or any other characteristics protected by applicable law. As an equal opportunity employer, we are committed to providing the necessary support and accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities, health conditions, or impairments (subject to any local qualifying requirements) to ensure their full participation in the job application or interview process. Please contact us at jobs@gram.gs to request any accommodations or for support related to your application for an open position. Please be aware that Zynga does not conduct job interviews or make job offers over third-party messaging apps such as Telegram, WhatsApp, or others.  Zynga also does not engage in any financial exchanges during the recruitment or onboarding process, and will never ask a candidate for their personal or financial information over an app or other unofficial chat channel.  Any attempt to do so may be the result of a scamp or phishing attack, and you should not engage.  Zynga’s  in-house recruitment team will only contact individuals through their official Company email addresses (i.e., via a zynga.com, take2games.com, naturalmotion.com, smallgiantgames.com, themavens.com, gram.gs email domain).