Picnic's mission is to create a more user-friendly, ad-funded web. With 70% of people finding digital ads annoying, brands are wasting ad spend on ineffective and potentially damaging ad experiences. We're a fast-growing, founder-led startup dedicated to revolutionising digital ads by leveraging innovative backend technologies and data-driven insights.

As part of our growth plans, we’re looking for a brilliant Junior Backend Engineer who is passionate about backend development, data, and cloud infrastructure.

Who are we looking for?

A Junior Backend Engineer with a strong focus on backend development and a keen interest in data and cloud infrastructure. You will work with our experienced engineering team to design, develop, and maintain scalable backend systems and APIs that drive our product offerings. Your role will involve building robust data pipelines and working with serverless architectures to enhance our products and improve user experiences, primarily using Node.js and Python.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone with the right character, enthusiasm, and drive to kickstart their career in a dynamic, supportive, and innovative environment.

We value passion for backend development, a strong interest in data, and a drive to innovate. If you’re eager to learn, grow, and contribute to building next-generation products using modern cloud technologies, we want to hear from you!

What will you be doing? 

•  Backend Systems & API Development: Design, develop, and maintain scalable backend systems and APIs that power our data-driven products
•  Data Pipeline & Integration: Build and optimise data pipelines and integrations for cloud-based, serverless architectures
•  Cloud & Serverless Solutions: Leverage cloud computing platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure) and serverless infrastructure to build efficient, cost-effective solutions
•  Collaboration & Innovation: Work closely with cross-functional teams to define, design, and ship innovative features while adhering to best practices in backend development
•  Troubleshooting & Optimisation: Troubleshoot, debug, and optimise performance to ensure the reliability and scalability of our systems
•  Stay Updated: Keep abreast of emerging technologies in backend engineering, cloud infrastructure, and data processing, and contribute fresh ideas to the team

Must-Have Skills:

•  Backend Development: Solid experience with Node.js and Python, showcased through personal projects, GitHub repositories, or coding challenges
•  Data & Pipeline Expertise: Familiarity with building and maintaining data pipelines, with an interest in working with large datasets
•  Cloud Infrastructure: Experience or familiarity with cloud computing platforms (e.g., AWS, GCP, Azure) and a preference for working with serverless architectures
•  Software Engineering Fundamentals: Strong understanding of version control, testing, debugging, and API design principles
•  Problem-Solving & Collaboration: A proactive mindset with excellent problem-solving skills and a collaborative approach to team projects
•  Clear Communication: Ability to communicate technical concepts clearly and work effectively within a team

Nice-to-Have Skills:

• Experience with containerisation (Docker, Kubernetes) and microservices architecture
• Exposure to web crawling frameworks
• Basic knowledge of data analytics, data science, or machine learning, with an interest in further developing these skills

Join us at Picnic and be part of a team that is not only reimagining digital ads but also pushing the boundaries of backend engineering and data innovation.

Why will you want to work for Picnic?

We are a small yet highly ambitious startup driven by an entrepreneurial spirit. This position is perfect for individuals who are enthusiastic about working in an organisation at this stage and wish to have a meaningful impact on shaping the Engineering team's direction as we expand. We are deeply committed to:

• Making bold choices to facilitate our growth and scaling efforts
• Maintaining an open-minded approach to foster innovation, creativity, and curiosity
• Collaborating on challenging projects and products
• Embracing trust by default; learning from failures while ensuring safety

As a result, Picnic provides an excellent environment for those who are inherently curious, eager to learn, ready to engage with new technologies or methodologies, and enthusiastic about actively contributing and building solutions!

What can Picnic offer you?

We’re really proud to have recently been recognised by Flexa as one of the most flexible companies in the media space & our people think we’re pretty great too; check out our Flexa profile to learn more about what it’s like to work at Picnic!

• Competitive salary and bonus scheme
• A flexible, hybrid working environment (we’re usually in the office a few times a week so you'll be based in and around the London area)
• 33 days holiday inclusive of Bank Holidays plus some extra time off over Christmas
• An inclusive Parental Leave Policy
• Picnic Pension Contribution
• And lots of other good stuff like socials & offsites, office snacks, Summer Fridays, Work from Roam scheme & access to savings through your salary with The Salary Exchange

£30-40k salary range depending on experience