Senior Backend Engineer, Data Serving

Pleo

. Build and own the Data API boundary with clean, versioned, performant endpoints for internal dashboards, customer-facing features, and third-party tools .

Posted 10/6/2026full-timeRemote • United Kingdom, Denmark, Spain, Sweden, India, Germany, PortugalSeniorWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates strong backend engineering capabilities with a focus on building and owning reporting and analytics API services, ensuring performance, reliability, and security. Proficient in database optimization, API design, and integration within fintech or regulated environments.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Backend Engineering ExperienceAPI Design and VersioningPostgreSQL OptimizationKafka ExpertiseKubernetes Deployment

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

SQL QueryingNon-SQL Database FundamentalsRelational Database OptimizationCaching StrategiesMaterialised ViewsAPI Performance TuningKotlin ProgrammingData AggregationService ReliabilityAccess Control Management

Soft Skills

Independent WorkHands-On Delivery

Tools & Technologies

AWSGCPKubernetesKafka

Industry Keywords

FintechPaymentsRegulated Environments

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

AWSGoogle Cloud PlatformKafkaKotlinKubernetesPostgresSQL

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Build and own the Data API boundary with clean, versioned, performant endpoints for internal dashboards, customer-facing features, and third-party tools
Design and optimise read models, indexes, and caching strategies in PostgreSQL and future OLAP stores
Build reliable integrations with Kotlin-based product backend services
Own service reliability and performance, including monitoring, incident response, and SLOs
Define contracts between ingestion/aggregation systems and the serving database with Data Engineers
Secure APIs with industry-standard authentication and authorisation protocols in partnership with the Authorization team
Build a near-real-time data aggregation service across Pleo services
Design metadata, lineage, and governance capabilities
Own access control and permission management, including row- and column-level access and audit trails
Report to the Senior Manager of Data & AI Products and collaborate with Data Engineers, Product Managers, Staff Data Platform Engineering, GenAI Platform, and Data Infrastructure teams
Ship the first production version of the Reporting API and establish access control, tenant isolation, security, performance, reliability, and SLO benchmarks

Requirements

What you’ll need

Strong backend engineering experience building and owning reporting and analytics API services and serving-layer infrastructure
Experience owning API boundary layers, including endpoint design, versioning, contract stability, and protecting consumers from raw data sources
Strong expertise in read-heavy systems, relational database optimisation, indexing, materialised views, caching, and API performance tuning
Solid SQL and non-SQL database fundamentals and strong SQL querying skills
Deep expertise in Kafka
Deep experience with a JVM-based language; Pleo’s product backend is Kotlin-based
AWS or GCP experience with Kubernetes
Familiarity with configuring, deploying, and operating containerised applications in a Kubernetes environment
Experience at the boundary between data systems and product backend services
Ability to move quickly and work independently in a hands-on delivery role
Experience in fintech, payments, or other regulated product environments
English-language application required
Must be physically based in the selected country with a valid right to work
Visa sponsorship is not available

Benefits

Comp & perks

Your own Pleo card (no more out-of-pocket spending!)
Lunch is provided on work days through catered meals or a local-office lunch allowance
Comprehensive private healthcare, with coverage options including Vitality, Alan or Médis depending on location
25 days of annual leave plus public holidays
Hybrid and fully remote working options
Free mental health and well-being support through MyndUp
Paid parental leave