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.
RequirementsWhat 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
- 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
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
- 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
Top Skills
What We Do
Methods is the leading digital transformation partner for the UK public sector. We care deeply about making our public services better and have been doing this for 28 years.
Methods partners with a range of central government departments and agencies to transform the way public sector operates in the UK. Our mission is to help safeguard public-facing services and apply digital thinking to make sure the future of our public services is centred around citizens.
Committed to having social impact, we enjoy an enviable track record of delivering real savings and benefits. We do this by helping you move from vertically integrated legacy infrastructure to a platform business model – allowing you to keep infrastructure costs low and focus on doing what you do best i.e. delivering front-end services.
With Methods, you access a range of specialist skills and industry expertise to transform your organisation for the digital age, break free of expensive suppliers, and take control of your customer relationships and operating model.
Further information on Methods Group can be found at www.methods.co.uk.
