Senior Software Engineer

SAQAYA is a fast-growing, global tech company with operations in the UK, Spain, and Egypt. We specialize in connecting top-tier engineering talent with world-class UK clients, delivering state-of-the-art solutions in the shipping and data analytics industry.

Our team thrives on innovation, collaboration, and the pursuit of technical excellence. If you’re passionate about quality, eager to make a tangible impact, and ready to work with a forward-thinking team, you’ll feel right at home here.

We are looking for a Senior Software Engineer to join a collaborative and forward-thinking engineering team. This role is focused on developing, maintaining and enhancing high-quality software applications using modern open-source technologies and AWS cloud services.

The successful candidate will combine strong hands-on engineering skills with a passion for problem solving, software quality, continuous improvement and mentoring others.

💻 Key Responsibilities

Develop, maintain and enhance software applications, primarily using Python and Java.
Work with MySQL, DynamoDB and Redshift to build reliable and scalable solutions.
Design and contribute to the development of new software applications and technical solutions.
Develop and maintain high-performance, enterprise-scale applications.
Write comprehensive unit tests and actively participate in code reviews.
Apply TDD, CI/CD, pair programming and other Agile engineering practices.
Investigate, debug and resolve complex software issues, taking full ownership of problems through to resolution.
Ensure applications meet high standards of security, performance, reliability and overall quality.
Follow established coding standards, secure development practices, source-control processes and build procedures.
Collaborate closely with engineering leaders and other teams to identify opportunities for continuous improvement.
Mentor and coach other members of the engineering team, supporting their technical and professional development.
Share knowledge and promote engineering best practices across the team.

🤖 AI & Innovation

Use AI-powered development tools, such as GitHub Copilot and other intelligent coding assistants, to improve productivity and software development practices.
Act as an advocate for responsible AI adoption throughout the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC).
Explore and promote innovative approaches to software engineering and continuous improvement.
Encourage a culture where experimentation, learning and knowledge sharing are valued.

🛠️ Essential Skills & Experience

Strong commercial experience developing software using Python at a senior engineering level.
Strong knowledge of MySQL and experience working with DynamoDB and Redshift.
Commercial experience developing applications on AWS, including IaaS and PaaS services.
Proven experience developing high-performance, enterprise-scale applications.
Strong understanding of Object-Oriented Programming and software development principles.
Hands-on experience with Agile engineering practices, including CI/CD, TDD and pair programming.
Strong experience writing automated unit tests and working with testing frameworks.
Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to take ownership of complex technical challenges.
Good understanding of secure coding principles and application security.
Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Experience working within Agile methodologies such as Scrum or XP.
Hands-on experience with AI-assisted development tools.

⭐ Desirable Skills & Experience

Experience working with big data and data products.
Previous experience mentoring, coaching or supporting other developers.
Exposure to additional technologies and programming languages, such as Java, NoSQL, Machine Learning, JavaScript, TypeScript or Go.
Experience with microservice architectures.
Experience with application containerisation.
Experience contributing to technical leadership and driving engineering improvements.

🤝 What We Value

We are looking for someone who demonstrates:

Curiosity and innovation – always looking for better ways to solve problems.
Execution and goal orientation – focused on delivering high-quality results and achieving milestones.
Customer focus – understands the importance of creating meaningful business value.
Continuous development – actively invests in their own learning while helping others grow.
Ownership and accountability – takes responsibility for problems, decisions and outcomes.
Collaboration – creates an environment where colleagues can succeed and share knowledge.

🎯 Success in the Role

Quality

Consistently following engineering standards and best practices.
Creating effective automated tests.
Delivering reliable, secure and maintainable software.
Promoting a strong culture of quality.

Efficiency

Delivering work in line with agreed estimates and milestones.
Identifying opportunities to improve engineering efficiency and processes.

Communication

Active and positive participation within the team.
Proactively communicating risks, blockers and impediments.
Sharing technical knowledge and best practices.

Professionalism

Demonstrating strong technical expertise.
Taking ownership of complex problems.
Keeping business value at the centre of technical decisions.
Promoting excellent technical design.

Leadership

Supporting colleagues through mentoring, coaching and pairing.
Helping to raise engineering standards across the team.
Creating opportunities for others to develop and succeed.