Staff Software Engineer - Europe

Plaid5 days ago

Location

London

Type

Full Time

Salary

GBP 150,000 – 250,000

Level

Staff

Role

Staff Software Engineer

Posted

Mar 13, 2026

Full TimeStaff

The role

Summary

Plaid Europe is seeking a Staff Software Engineer to lead technical direction for their European open banking platform. The role involves driving engineering strategy, maintaining technical excellence, and enabling fintech global expansion by building a robust financial infrastructure across European markets.

What you'll do

Technical Leadership: Set technical direction across Europe's product surface area, translating product strategy into clear engineering roadmaps with precise scoping and sequencing

Hands-on Engineering: Own high-leverage projects, prototype to de-risk initiatives, and dive deep into complex technical challenges

Technical Excellence: Maintain high engineering standards through design reviews, architectural decisions, and code quality oversight

Cross-functional Collaboration: Partner closely with Engineering Manager and Product Manager to identify opportunities and maintain team focus on highest-leverage work

Platform Integration: Maintain strong connections with US engineering teams to ensure alignment and leverage shared infrastructure

What we look for

Technical

Backend ProgrammingStrong programming skills in Go, Python, or similar backend languages

System ReliabilityExperience operating and scaling high-availability systems (four 9s) in production

Distributed SystemsDeep understanding of distributed systems architecture and infrastructure

Education

Computer ScienceBachelor's or equivalent degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related technical field preferred

Experience

Technical Leadership8+ years of software engineering experience, including technical lead role in product engineering team

Team ScalingProven track record of effective delegation and scaling impact through enabling senior engineers

Skills

Required skills

Backend DevelopmentExpert-level backend programming in Go or Python

System ArchitectureAdvanced distributed systems design and implementation

Technical LeadershipAbility to translate product strategy into technical roadmaps

Nice to have

Payments DomainExperience in payments infrastructure or processing

Fintech ExperienceBackground in financial infrastructure, credit, lending, or identity systems

Open BankingFamiliarity with open banking APIs and bank connectivity patterns

Compensation & benefits

Salary

GBP 150,000 – 250,000 (annual)

Stock options

Available

Benefits

Diverse Work Environment

Commitment to building an inclusive team that values diverse experiences and perspectives

Global Impact

Opportunity to work on cutting-edge financial technology with global reach

Career Growth

Technical leadership role with potential for significant professional development

Interview process

1
Initial Screening — Phone or video call with recruiting team to discuss background and role fit
2
Technical Interview — In-depth technical discussion covering system design, coding skills, and architectural expertise
3
Leadership Assessment — Evaluation of technical leadership capabilities and strategic thinking
4
Final Interview — Meeting with senior leadership to assess overall alignment with Plaid's mission and team dynamics