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Autotrader

Senior Software Engineer, Backend - Full or Part Time

Manchester
£50k – £70k/yr
Posted about 20 hours ago
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About Autotrader

You've probably heard of Autotrader, but do you know what we're all about? We're the most trusted, most visited automotive marketplace in the UK. A heritage brand and a tech innovator.

We bring together vehicle buyers and sellers to give them real choices. Cars may be what we're best known for but we're also the place for pretty much everything else on wheels, from e-bikes to caravans.

In the automotive world, change is a constant, that's why we take our job of untangling the complex car-buying journey very seriously.

At our core, we're all about people. We go our own way while embracing diversity and celebrating our differences. We dedicate ourselves to the idea that we work better together.

Autotrader is a beautiful, surprising and vibrant place to work. We might not be for everyone, but we could be perfect for you.

About The Role

We're looking for Senior Software Engineers to help us build a technology platform for more than just the needs of Autotrader.co.uk.

Utilising our public-facing web services and additional external data sources means that we'll be able to power businesses across the automotive industry.

Spring Boot, Apache Solr, Cloud SQL and Apache Kafka power our platform and process millions of events per day. As a team, our software developers are responsible for ensuring service availability and responsiveness continue to improve. They work on systems that handle thousands of requests per second, with sub-100 millisecond response times, servicing requests from over 50 client applications.

Reasons to use Rodeo

I’m in my final year doing Economics and I don’t know whether to apply for grad schemes now or do a masters first. What do you think?

Honest answer — it depends on where you want to end up. A lot of top grad schemes (Big 4, civil service, banking) don’t need a masters. Let’s look at the ones you’d be competitive for now, and we can decide if a masters actually adds anything.

Also worth knowing: most autumn 2026 applications are open now. Timing matters more than you think.

Start with a chat, not a search bar

Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.

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Graduate Consultant — 2026 Scheme

PwC·London, UK
£35,000/yr

Why you're a good match

Strong

Your economics background and your summer at a regional bank line up with what PwC looks for on the consulting scheme. Applications close in four weeks.

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It searches the market for you

Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.

Why you're a good match

You’ve got the grades and the economics background, and your bank internship is exactly the experience this scheme looks for. Apply soon — deadlines close within the month.

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Strong

Experience fit

Your summer at the bank plus your econometrics coursework map directly to the day-one responsibilities on this scheme — client modelling, market briefings, and deal support.

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Strong

Only hits

No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.

Our tech community value collaboration and teamwork. Interactions like pairing, code reviews and regular stand-ups mean our software developers stay connected.

You might assume that our name, "Autotrader," means you need to be a car enthusiast to work here. But that's not the case. We're looking for people who are passionate about their work and thrive in a collaborative environment.

What We're Looking For

  • In-depth understanding of Java and the JVM
  • Knowledge of server-side frameworks such as Spring
  • Web application design and RESTful API know-how
  • A structured approach to programming and testing, such as TDD
  • Passionate about mentoring and coaching and sharing technical expertise

Although not a requirement, helpful experience includes:

  • Google Cloud
  • SQL/Relational databases
  • Document/Map based storage (e.g., MongoDB)
  • Working with Kafka messaging/streaming

During our application process, you will be asked two questions to help us learn more about you and how you align with our values. These will be used as part of our selection criteria, to determine if we progress your application further.

Benefits and more

We're offering a salary of £50,000 - £70,000, plus an additional 10% of your salary awarded to you in shares each year. These awarded shares will become yours in yearly instalments over the next three years, and you can choose to either sell them or keep them as shares. And you'll receive 28 days holiday, plus bank holidays and comprehensive private medical cover.

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That's not all. You'll be enrolled in our pension scheme, where our standard contributions are 7% and employee contributions are 5%. We also have comprehensive private medical cover, enhanced family leave provisions, a car salary sacrifice scheme, share-save options, and much more.

We always want to give you the support you need and help prioritise your wellbeing, that's why we provide access to 24/7 online GP and dentist, as well as specialist support for assisted fertility, gender dysphoria, menopause, period care plans and lots more.

On top of all that, our hybrid model, Connected Working, combines the best of both worlds – office and home working. You'll spend a minimum of 3 days a week in the office with your team, focused on collaboration and connection.

Additionally, we have our remote-first periods at set times during summer and winter. During these periods, you can work remotely anywhere in the UK and from certain locations abroad.

Discover more about our hiring process and explore our Engineering Blog.

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Skills

Java
JVM
Spring Boot
RESTful API
TDD
Apache Solr
Cloud SQL
Apache Kafka
MongoDB
Mentoring
Coaching
Web Application Design

Location

Manchester, England, United Kingdom

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