Staff Backend Engineer

At Pearson, we’re committed to a world that’s always learning and to our talented team who makes it all possible. We are bold thinkers and standout innovators who motivate each other to explore new frontiers in an environment that supports and inspires us to always be better. With a rich heritage that combines 150 years of experience in publishing with the latest learning technology and digital services, we help people learn whatever, wherever and however they choose.

Role Overview

The role will require experience of successfully developing and managing bleeding edge digital products and capabilities, supporting innovation labs or incubators, rapid prototyping and launching minimum viable products. In addition, the Employee will rely on their extensive experience in the application of new technology to drive engaging consumer-grade applications, ideally in a learning environment. The Employee will have in-depth knowledge of and experience in the use of new technologies to support the development of effective and engaging consumer applications and will serve as a subject matter expert supporting Product and Technology teams in this regard.

The scope is across the engineering department across multiple teams and this role will report to the Director of Engineering.

Key Responsibilities

Technical Leadership :

Lead the design and architecture of high-complexity digital solutions in line with strategical product vision

Collaborate with cross-functional teams to define technical requirements, specifications, and solutions that align with business goals.

Stay up-to-date with the latest industry trends, technologies, and best practices to continuously improve our backend and / or full stack solutions

Engineering Excellence :

Develop high-quality, reusable, and maintainable code following best practices and coding standards.

Conduct code reviews, provide constructive feedback, and mentor engineers to foster a culture of continuous improvement.

Identify and resolve performance bottlenecks, optimize application performance, and ensure a smooth user experience.

Improve our processes and tooling to enable us to deliver with confidence – test automation, CI / CD, observability, etc.

Delivery :

Lead and participate in all phases of the software development lifecycle, including planning, designing, developing, testing, and deploying backend and / or full stack solutions. This is a hands-on role.

Work closely with product managers, designers, and other stakeholders to ensure timely and accurate delivery of features and improvements.

Proactively manage technical debt and ensure the long-term sustainability of the codebase.

Collaboration and Communication :

Foster a collaborative and inclusive team environment, promoting open communication and knowledge sharing.

Effectively communicate technical concepts, trade-offs, and solutions to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Qualifications & Skills

Proficiency with back-end programming languages and related frameworks. We use a PHP stack currently, and in the long term we want to migrate to a JVM stack, potentially Kotlin.

Nice to have but not mandatory front-end skills and experience .

Considerable experience in building and maintaining digital products ( websites, supporting mobile apps, AR / VR solutions, etc.) .

Strong understanding of the whole development lifecycle including code reviews, pipelines, software delivery, etc.

Master security principles .

Strong understanding of software quality assurance principles and execution .

A problem-solving mind-set with great attention to detail .

Product development expertise : experience of working with agile methodologies; able to lead and motivate cross functional mission teams .

Strong customer empathy and ability to translate customer insights into winning digital products .

Passion for education and learning .

Innovator mindset who investigates and validates new market and product opportunities based on emerging trend .

Proficiency in English, both spoken and written.

Experience in working with distributed teams.

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.

Why join Mondly by Pearson?

Opportunity to work on impactful projects that reach millions of users worldwide.

Collaborative and inclusive company culture that values diversity and innovation.

Competitive salary and benefits package.

Flexible work arrangements, including remote work options.

Diversity : At Pearson we value the power of an inclusive culture and a strong sense of belonging. We promote a culture wheredifferences are embraced as strengths and opportunities are equal and accessible.

Flexible working : Pearson is committed to hybrid working practices and has adopted flexible remote and virtual working. Where possible our employees can choose to manage their attendance to the office more flexibly.

How to apply : Thank you for your interest in applying for a role at Pearson. Please submit an updated CV and cover letter (optional) in English. If you have any additional questions or require further information, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.

We look forward to receiving your application - Pearson Recruitment

What to expect from Pearson

Did you know Pearson is one of the 10 most innovative education companies of 2022?

At Pearson, we add life to a lifetime of learning so everyone can realize the life they imagine. We do this by creating vibrant and enriching learning experiences designed for real-life impact. We are on a journey to be 100 percent digital to meet the changing needs of the global population by developing a new strategy with ambitious targets. To deliver on our strategic vision, we have five business divisions that are the foundation for the long-term growth of the company : Assessment & Qualifications, Virtual Learning, English Language Learning, Workforce Skills and Higher Education. Alongside these, we have our corporate divisions : Digital & Technology, Finance, Global Corporate Marketing & Communications, Human Resources, Legal, Strategy and Direct to Consumer. Learn more at

We value the power of an inclusive culture and also a strong sense of belonging. We promote a culture where differences are embraced, opportunities are accessible, consideration and respect are the norm and all individuals are supported in reaching their full potential. Through our talent, we believe that diversity, equity and inclusion make us a more innovative and vibrant place to work. People are at the center, and we are committed to building a workplace where talent can learn, grow and thrive.

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