Rightmove Careers
Senior Software Engineer I - Backend (Java)
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Location
London (Hybrid - 2 days in the London Office)
Reports to: Engineering Manager - Customer Tooling
About the Role
At Rightmove, we’re on a mission to make home moving easier and simpler for everyone. Every month, millions of people spend over a billion minutes on our platform, with more than 140 million visits across our website and apps. Behind that experience is a team of passionate engineers building the tools and services that power our operations.
We’re looking for a Senior Backend Engineer to help shape and deliver innovative solutions for our customers. You’ll develop and build unique parts of the platform, offering self-serving products that help customers manage their portfolios and navigate our platform seamlessly.
Our teams are autonomous and cross-functional, combining design, product, engineering, and testing expertise. You’ll collaborate with colleagues to deliver high-quality, reliable solutions for millions of users, thousands of agents, and hundreds of Rightmovers. You’ll play a key role in defining scalable, maintainable, and high-performance solutions to address both business and technical challenges.
For more details about our tools, tech, and team culture, visit our tech blog.
What You'll Be Doing
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Designing and building new features and enhancements using:
- Java 17+
- Spring Boot
- Elasticsearch
- Kafka
- Gradle
- Hibernate
- Couchbase
- SQL
- Docker
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Collaborating with cross-functional teams and stakeholders to shape solutions and align priorities.
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Taking ownership of key technical decisions and delivering end-to-end projects.
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Balancing new feature development with technical debt, while making pragmatic trade-offs.
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Writing high-quality, secure, and extensible code that anticipates future growth.
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Communicating effectively with stakeholders and third parties to ensure alignment with business objectives.
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Championing new and emerging technologies that add value and align with our roadmap.
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Mentoring and supporting junior engineers, fostering a culture of growth, ownership, and continuous improvement.
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Requirements
We’re looking for someone who:
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Brings strong commercial experience with:
- Java 17+
- Spring Boot
- Kafka
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Has successfully led complex projects, including coordinating work across multiple teams.
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Is highly collaborative, organised, and solution-focused.
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Has a deep understanding of Test-Driven Development (TDD) and pipeline optimisation, especially left-shifting delivery.
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Can balance technical priorities with business OKRs through pragmatic decision-making.
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Is passionate about performance, scalability, and understanding user behaviour.
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Proactively introduces new ideas, technologies, and working methods to improve team outcomes.
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Is committed to sharing knowledge, fostering an environment of ownership, and contributing to a psychologically safe and inclusive working culture.
About Rightmove
Our Vision & Mission
Our vision is to give everyone the belief that they can make their move. We aim to make moving simpler by providing individuals with the best tools, expertise, trust, and confidence to drive change.
We are home to the UK’s largest choice of properties, serving as the go-to destination for millions seeking to move home, exploring industry insights, or browsing the market.
Our Culture: The Rightmove Hows
At Rightmove, our foundational values—The Rightmove Hows—drive everything we do. They reflect our culture and ensure we always deliver exceptional results while fostering a supportive, inclusive workplace:
- We create value by delivering results and building trust with partners and consumers.
- We think bigger by acting with curiosity and setting bold aspirations.
- We care deeply by embracing honesty, having fun, and valuing diversity.
- We move together by being a tightly knit team (internally collaborative, externally competitive).
- We make a difference by focusing on measurable impact.
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Commitment to Career Growth
Rightmove invests in its people, supporting their ongoing development through training and mentorship. Additionally, we encourage charity engagement with two paid volunteering days per year. Our employees overwhelmingly agree we’re a great place to work, with 88% affirming it.
Benefits
Rightmove offers a rewarding package that supports both your personal and professional growth:
Benefits & Perks
- Cash plan for dental, optical, and physiotherapy treatments.
- Comprehensive private medical insurance.
- Contributory pension plan and life insurance.
- Employee Assistance Programme (EAP).
- 27 days holiday plus two (paid) volunteering days to give back.
- Holiday buy schemes to maximise time off.
- £165,000 life assurance (equivalent to four times basic salary) for a spouse, family member, or nominated person.
- Competitive compensation package.
- Paid leave for maternity, paternity, adoption, and fertility.
- Travel Loans, bike-to-work scheme, and rental deposit loans.
- Charitable contributions through Payroll Giving with donation matching.
- Deals on travel, electronics, fashion, gym memberships, cinema tickets, and more.
Supportive Work Environment
- Hybrid working with a minimum of two days in the office.
- Consideration for alternative arrangements (e.g., field, home-based roles) during recruitment discussions.
- Equal Opportunity Employer—we never discriminate based on age, disability, sex, race, religion or belief, gender reassignment, marriage/civil partnership, pregnancy/maternity, or sexual orientation.
- Diverse and inclusive culture, promoting a welcoming environment where all employees feel valued and motivated to contribute.
By applying, you confirm that you are aged at least 18 or over and have reviewed our Privacy Policy, which outlines how we handle and protect your personal information.
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