Senior Staff Engineer

Company Description

Depop is the community-powered circular fashion marketplace where anyone can buy, sell and discover desirable secondhand fashion. With a community of over 35 million users, Depop is on a mission to make fashion circular, redefining fashion consumption. Founded in 2011, the company is headquartered in London, with offices in New York and Manchester, and in 2021 became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Etsy. Find out more at www.depop.com 

Our mission is to make fashion circular and to create an inclusive environment where everyone is welcome, no matter who they are or where they’re from. Just as our platform connects people globally, we believe our workplace should reflect the diversity of the communities we serve. We thrive on the power of different perspectives and experiences, knowing they drive innovation and bring us closer to our users. We’re proud to be an equal opportunity employer, providing employment opportunities without regard to age, ethnicity, religion or belief, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy or maternity, marriage and civil partnership, or any other protected status. We’re continuously evolving our recruitment processes to ensure fairness and are open to accommodating any needs you might have.

If, due to a disability, you need adjustments to complete the application, please let us know by sending an email with your name, the role to which you would like to apply, and the type of support you need to complete the application to adjustments@depop.com. For any other non-disability related questions, please reach out to our Talent Partners.

Depop is looking for an experienced Staff Engineer to join our team. You will be motivated to solve Depop’s most challenging technical problems within and across our backend, platform, and data domains. Your extensive technical experience will enable you to identify and address common pain points, enhancing productivity and streamlining practices for our engineering teams.

Responsibilities:

• Work closely with Backend, Platform, and Data teams to identify and resolve constraints, improving developer experience and efficiency (Cross-Team Collaboration)

• Identify and address backend challenges before they escalate, ensuring system reliability and smooth operations (Proactive Problem-Solving)

• Apply deep backend knowledge to resolve issues, contribute substantial code solutions, and improve team productivity (Technical Expertise & Code Contributions)

• Design backend systems and data pipelines with scalability, maintainability, and developer experience in mind (Scalable System Design)

• Align technical decisions with business strategy, drive organizational change, and adopt industry trends to future-proof systems (Strategic Leadership & Innovation)

Requirements:

• Proven track record of solving complex technical challenges and building scalable, high-traffic applications (Extensive Engineering Expertise)

• Strong understanding of cloud environments (we use AWS) and system design principles with a focus on reducing complexity and cognitive load (Cloud & System Design Mastery)

• Ability to quickly learn and adapt to new technologies, anticipate issues, and prevent problems from escalating (Problem-Solving & Adaptability)

• Experience mentoring engineers, being a technical go-to person, and effectively communicating complex concepts (Mentorship & Communication)

• Proficient in testing at various levels (unit, integration, etc.) and analyzing problem-solving insights to improve outcomes (Robust Testing & Analysis)

Must haves:

• Ability to persevere through setbacks with energy and drive, ensuring project delivery

• Approachable and supportive demeanour, capable of building strong relationships across all levels

• Skilled in aligning technical decisions with business strategy, working closely with engineering leadership

• Ability to navigate complex political situations tactfully, ensuring initiatives progress smoothly

• Comfort with ambiguity, uncertainty, and risk, maintaining agility in changing situations

• Openness to actively seek and act on feedback and coaching, enhancing organisational effectiveness

• Knowledge of event-driven architectures and different data storage systems

Nice to haves:

• Experience with ecommerce and marketplace systems in a business-to-consumer environment

• Proficiency with Infrastructure as Code, ideally using Terraform

• Experience using Datadog for monitoring and observability

• Track record of successfully implementing company-wide technical initiatives

Additional Information

Health + Mental Wellbeing

• PMI and cash plan healthcare access with Bupa

• Subsidised counselling and coaching with Self Space

• Cycle to Work scheme with options from Evans or the Green Commute Initiative

• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) for 24/7 confidential support

• Mental Health First Aiders across the business for support and signposting

Work/Life Balance:

• 25 days annual leave with option to carry over up to 5 days

• 1 company-wide day off per quarter

• Impact hours: Up to 2 days additional paid leave per year for volunteering

• Fully paid 4 week sabbatical after completion of 5 years of consecutive service with Depop, to give you a chance to recharge or do something you love.

• Flexible Working: MyMode hybrid-working model with Flex, Office Based, and Remote options *role dependant

• All offices are dog-friendly

• Ability to work abroad for 4 weeks per year in UK tax treaty countries

Family Life:

• 18 weeks of paid parental leave for full-time regular employees

• IVF leave, shared parental leave, and paid emergency parent/carer leave

Learn + Grow:

• Budgets for conferences, learning subscriptions, and more

• Mentorship and programmes to upskill employees

Your Future:

• Life Insurance (financial compensation of 3x your salary)

• Pension matching up to 6% of qualifying earnings

Depop Extras:

• Employees enjoy free shipping on their Depop sales within the UK.

• Special milestones are celebrated with gifts and rewards!