Junior Software Engineer jobs in United Kingdom

Department: Platform Engineering

Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time

Location: Milton Keynes

Compensation: £42,500 / year

About Kinetic

Kinetic was founded in 1998 with one aim: to develop the most innovative software to help university accommodation and conferencing teams deliver the best student and customer experiences possible.

Fast forward 25 years, and we are now the technology partner of choice to the worlds' leading universities, colleges and accommodation providers. We are ranked #1 on the APUC framework for student accommodation management, conferencing and events management, and multifunctional management systems. Our big hairy audacious goal (BHAG) is to achieve £50m net revenue by 2032 and for every person in a university to experience a Kinetic product.

We supply mission-critical software for over 350 customers worldwide, and we are trusted partners to over 80% of universities in the UK!

Since 2015, Kinetic has been part of the Volaris Group. Volaris help strengthen and grow vertical market software companies so, like Kinetic, they become leaders in their industry.

About the Role

We are looking for a Software Engineer to join our growing team. You’ll play a critical role in the support and evolution of our products by owning feature development for our payment platform and backend services, resolving production issues, and developing third party integrations.

You’ll also work closely with non-technical stakeholders to gather requirements, manage technical risks, and help shape the technical roadmap. This role requires strong communication skills, sound engineering judgment, and the ability to work collaboratively in a fast-moving Agile environment.

• Design, develop, and maintain backend services for our payment platform in JavaScript/TypeScript, as well as our backend services in C# (.NET), and Golang.
• Operate and maintain systems in Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and Amazon Web Services (AWS) environments.
• Ensure PCI compliance standards are upheld throughout the system.
• Work with the support team to triage, investigate, and resolve technical support tickets related to the payment platform and other customer facing services.
• Collaborate with product owners, engineers, and non-technical stakeholders to gather requirements and translate them into technical solutions across both our payment platform and backend services.
• Contribute to defining the technical plan for upcoming services and features — breaking down work into tickets, providing estimations and planning delivery.
• Communicate technical challenges clearly and proactively, suggesting feasible alternatives when needed.
• Participate in code reviews and promote best practices across the engineering team.

• 3+ years of experience.
• Proficient in at least one of: C# (.NET Core), JavaScript/TypeScript or Golang.
• Experience working with cloud platforms (GCP or AWS).
• Strong understanding of relational and NoSQL databases (MongoDB, Firestore, SQL Server).
• Familiarity with CI/CD and infrastructures automation tools (Jenkins/Github Actions/Docker/Terraform).
• Familiarity with RESTful APIs and event-driven architectures.
• Knowledge of PCI DSS Compliance.
• Strong troubleshooting and debugging skills; experience working in production environments.
• Ability to break down complex problems and communicate them clearly to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Passionate about delivering high-quality, maintainable software that solves real business problems.
• Comfortable with ambiguity and working in dynamic Agile development environments.

• Familiarity with authentication and authorisations platforms (Auth0).
• Experience developing payment platforms and integrating with third–party payment providers.
• Comfortable writing and maintaining bash scripts and working in Linux/macOS dev environments.
• Exposure to Cucumber and behaviour-driven development (BDD) testing practices.
• Familiarity with CQRS patterns.

At Kinetic, we believe work should come with rewards that make a real difference. Here’s just a taste of what you can expect when you join us:

• 25 days holiday (plus bank holidays) - with extra days the longer you’re with us
• Two paid wellbeing days each year, with a budget to enjoy some time out with someone important to you
• Enhanced pension contributions to support your future
• Two paid days a year to give back through volunteering, charity work, or sustainability projects with our Green Team
• Salary sacrifice schemes for electric vehicles and cycle-to-work
• 24/7 access to our Employee Assistance Programme for confidential advice and support
• A full annual health check to keep you at your best
• A flexible benefits platform - from life assurance and learning opportunities to retail discounts and cinema tickets
• A genuine people-first culture where your growth and wellbeing come first
• Performance-related bonus scheme to reward your contribution
• Regular socials - from team get-togethers to all-company celebrations, with each department owning a budget for their events
• The opportunity to attend group conferences, away days and learning forums both in the UK and abroad - network with other talent

We’ve created a welcoming office environment, with well-stocked kitchens offering free breakfast, fresh fruit, hot and cold drinks, and a range of tuck shop goodies to keep you fuelled throughout the day.

Kinetic is an equal opportunity employer, fostering diversity and committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.