Senior Backend Developer / People Management (m/w/d)

Help us use technology to make a big green dent in the universe!

Kraken powers some of the most innovative global developments in energy.

We’re a technology company focused on creating a smart, sustainable energy system. From optimising renewable generation, creating a more intelligent grid and enabling utilities to provide excellent customer experiences, our operating system for energy is transforming the industry around the world in a way that benefits everyone.

It’s a really exciting time in energy. Help us make a real impact on shaping a better, more sustainable future.

Our team

All technology is written and maintained by a multi-discipline engineering team of around 500 people globally. Our engineers work in ‘super teams’ which are focused on key domains of our platform as well as other innovative products. This also includes server-side, client-side and mobile engineers working closely with UX experts, copywriters and designers.

Teams are empowered to choose a way of working that works for them, often opting for a Kanban-like approach. Notion and Asana are then used to specify and manage work; Github, CircleCI and Terraform Enterprise as part of an immutable-infrastructure, continuous delivery pipeline; and Datadog, Sentry and Cloudwatch to measure performance and monitor production.

Some of our coding conventions are open-source .

Kraken is a great place to learn, work with talented engineers and have a lot of fun.

What you’ll do

• We have lots of difficult design challenges to solve. The utilities market is complicated, outdated and process-heavy - there's an awful lot of domain modelling that we need to get right. Strong attention to detail is essential.
• We have challenging technical problems to solve; like processing tens of millions of meter readings a day. We need the right technology in place to handle this smoothly as well as feeding data into a machine learning pipeline that models and predicts consumption. Or thinking about how we adapt Kraken to improve other utilities like water and broadband.
• There's a great opportunity for disruption across the energy market. The big suppliers still dominate, but are not exactly popular. The energy landscape is changing as we move to more dis-aggregated forms of generation, with less predictability, more dynamism and smarter technology.
• You'll be working for a company that’s fighting climate change. Our generation arm is the largest investor in solar generation in the UK, and is funding wind and anaerobic digestion. As a supplier, we're helping people to use greener technology and renewable energy, all helping move the UK towards a lower carbon future.

What you’ll need

• Good communication in English - other languages such as German, French, Italian or Spanish is a plus
• Experience leading/managing junior engineers or a team
• A general interest in technology and problem-solving; someone diligent and thoughtful. It would be helpful to have experience/expertise in the following (in rough priority order):
• Python: You should have solid knowledge and experience in Python development to create efficient and scalable backend solutions.
• Django (or equivalent web framework): You have worked with Django or an equivalent web framework to support and accelerate web application development.
• Domain modeling: You possess competence in domain modeling and implementing these models into effective backend structures to support complex business logic.
• HTTP and REST APIs, as well as GraphQL: You have in-depth understanding and hands-on experience in developing and implementing both REST and GraphQL APIs, ensuring efficient communication and flexibility between frontend and backend systems.
• Writing robust and fault-tolerant software: You can write robust and fault-tolerant software that runs smoothly and reliably even under adverse conditions.
• Celery and async processing: You have gained experience with Celery and asynchronous processing to efficiently handle tasks in the background and optimize backend performance.
• Postgres: You have knowledge and experience in working with Postgres to develop and manage database applications that meet scalability, performance, and data integrity requirements.

Our Benefits

• An internationally positioned team with flat hierarchies and open and transparent communication
• We rely on flexible working hours
• Share options: You will have the opportunity to participate in the international success of Octopus Energy Group Ltd. through share options.
• Language connects: Take your English skills to the next level with Busuu, our corporate language training provider
• For more exercise: Lease your favourite bicycle from us at a low price
• For a healthy work-life balance: train with Wellpass in over 6000 sports and health facilities all over Germany
• Eating makes you happy: We'll give you a monthly allowance of 108,45€ for your daily lunch (easily via app).
• For a relaxed commute to work: We reimburse you for public transport costs
• One less thing to worry about: we'll cover some of your childcare costs
• Whether online or offline - team cohesion and joint events are part of our everyday working life
• A stylish working environment in our Munich office close to Werksviertel
• For a secure future: the opportunity to take out a company pension scheme through us

Above all, we’re looking for someone who thrives on providing alternative opinions, challenging those around them and being challenged. We would prefer someone who can work in our Berlin office, but will consider remote candidates within Germany. Curious? In the podcast, our tech team tells you more about the work and culture at Octopus Energy. Have a listen (only in German though..)