Senior Backend Engineer (contract)

Senior Backend Engineer (Contractor)

On-site

Full time

Methods Business and Digital Technology Limited

Methods is a £100M+ IT Services Consultancy who has partnered with a range of central government departments and agencies to transform the way the public sector operates in the UK. Established over 30 years ago and UK-based, we apply our skills in transformation, delivery, and collaboration from across the Methods Group, to create end-to-end business and technical solutions that are people-centred, safe, and designed for the future.

Our human touch sets us apart from other consultancies, system integrators and software houses - with people, technology, and data at the heart of who we are, we believe in creating value and sustainability through everything we do for our clients, staff, communities, and the planet.

We support our clients in the success of their projects while working collaboratively to share skill sets and solve problems. At Methods we have fun while working hard; we are not afraid of making mistakes and learning from them.

Predominantly focused on the public-sector, Methods is now building a significant private sector client portfolio.

Methods was acquired by the Alten Group in early 2022.

Requirements

On-site, Full time.

This role will require you to have ACTIVE Security Clearance, with a willingness to move to DV

As a Senior Backend Engineer, you’ll play a hands-on role in developing and supporting backend services, collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to deliver high-quality, secure, and maintainable software. The role is embedded within a supportive engineering team that values clean code, continuous improvement, and shared learning.

Requirements

What You'll Be Doing as a Senior Software Engineer (Backend):

• Develop and maintain robust backend services using Python and FastAPI or Django
• Design and maintain relational database schemas in PostgreSQL, Azure SQL Server
• Deploy and manage containerised services in Kubernetes Service
• Collaborate with DevOps engineers to implement CI/CD pipelines using GitHub Actions
• Support integration with data platforms including Azure Data Factory
• Contribute to code quality through unit tests, code reviews, and adherence to best practices
• Write clear technical documentation and collaborate with multi-disciplinary teams
• Participate in sprint planning, estimation, and retrospectives
• Collaborate with stakeholders to translate business requirements into technical specifications
• Present technical solutions to leadership and non-technical stakeholders

Your Impact:

• Enable delivery of secure, performant backend services within public sector data platforms
• Help clients adopt cloud-native best practices for backend development
• Support data-driven decision-making through resilient, well-integrated APIs

Requirements:

You Will Demonstrate:

• Solid experience in backend development using Python and FastAPI
• Strong understanding of RESTful API design principles
• Proficient in relational databases, especially PostgreSQL
• Experience deploying microservices to Kubernetes (preferably AKS)
• Familiarity with DevOps tools like GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps and Docker
• Experience working with cloud platforms (especially Azure)
• Comfort working in Agile delivery teams and using Git-based workflows
• A collaborative mindset with clear written and verbal communication
• Strong communication skills for translating complex technical concepts
• Track record of successful project delivery in a technical leadership capacity

You may also have some of the desirable skills and experience:

• Experience of event streaming platforms like Kafka and messaging systems such as NATS
• Knowledge of the Go language or a willingness to learn
• Experience in secure development practices for public sector environments
• Exposure to frontend integration or full-stack workflows
• Experience with technical project management
• Experience with high-performance, large-scale data systems
• Defence or Public Sector experience
• Consultancy experience