Staff Backend Engineer, Forward Deployed
•Foxglove· 7h
EngineeringFull-time$220k-240kAmericas
7h ago
Tem·about 1 month ago
We have built the new way for energy to be transacted.
tem exists to fix a creaking energy market. Today's wholesale system is stacked in favour of the few - a relic of the oil and gas era, riddled with markups and middlemen. We're changing that.
Our product, RED™, is built on a proprietary pricing engine that bypasses the wholesale market, enabling businesses to buy energy produced by renewable generators directly. That means clear, auditable transactions that ensure affordable bills and fair compensation - giving every business real ownership and control over where their energy comes from.
Since launching in 2021, we've saved UK businesses and generators over £25 million, powering a growing network of forward-thinking companies, from Pizza Pilgrims to Silverstone.
Backed by top-tier VCs including Atomico and Albion, we're creating a new category in energy - one that's decentralised, direct, and built on trust.
We’re looking for a Staff Engineer to accelerate product delivery and enable scale across our customer acquisition and customer success platforms. You’ll contribute through hands-on coding, drive architectural direction, and raise the technical bar across the team.
In your first 12 months, you’ll lead the development of systems that redefine how brokers, customers, and internal teams interact with energy services - from real-time pricing workflows to intuitive self-serve tools. You’ll help us launch new products that streamline onboarding, improve service transparency, and lay the groundwork for rapid, sustainable growth.
Build with impact: Architect and deliver end-to-end systems, from internal automation to customer-facing portals, ensuring they are scalable, fast, and user-friendly.
Own the platform: Improve and extend core platforms and developer tooling, making it easier for teams to build, test, and ship quality software.
Drive innovation: Rapidly prototype and iterate on new workflows and product ideas that expand our offering and improve the broker and customer journey.
Partner cross-functionally: Collaborate with Product Managers, Designers, and other Engineers to scope, design, and deliver high-impact solutions.
Raise the bar: Lead by example through code reviews, mentorship, and championing engineering best practices across the team.
Must-Haves:
Track record in fast-paced environments: Experience as a Senior or Staff Engineer in a high-growth startup or scale-up, with a strong bias toward shipping.
System design at scale: Proven ability to design and build complex systems that power both back-end automation and front-end experiences.
Modern tech expertise: Deep experience with Python, Node.js, and AWS serverless architecture (e.g., Lambda, API Gateway, DynamoDB).
Front-end capabilities: Skilled in developing responsive, performant front-ends using modern JavaScript frameworks such as React.
Product-minded mindset: Experience working closely with product and design teams to solve user problems, not just deliver features.
Can deal with ambiguity: Comfortable navigating changing priorities and incomplete information to make strong technical decisions.
Desirable:
Exposure to the energy sector or other regulated industries.
Experience building internal tools or platforms for brokers, sales teams, or support agents.
Familiarity with real-time data processing or agentic/AI-driven systems.
Competitive salary - our current band for this role is £101,000 or equivalent in local currency.
We review salaries twice a year using real-time market data, with transparent, consistent pay for the same role and level.
Stock Options - everyone on the team has ownership in our mission.
25 days holiday + public holidays - Swap public holidays for ones that matter most to you. Plus, get an extra day off for your birthday 🎉.
Remote & flexible working - We’re fully remote with clear core hours, and no internal meetings on Friday afternoons.
Home working & wellbeing budgets:
Up to £1,200 / €1,200 annually to upgrade your remote setup (co-working passes, equipment, etc.).
Up to £150 / €150 monthly on anything that supports your wellbeing - from therapy to gym memberships to meditation apps.
Our processes normally take around 2-3 weeks from first call to offer - please let us know about any adjustments to timelines that may be required.
First call with our Talent Team (30 Mins). This is to understand your experience, motivations, and discuss the role in more detail.
Behaviour Interview with our Engineering Managers (60 Mins). This is your chance to really understand the role, the expectations, and ensure alignment on ways of working.
Technical Interview with the Team (75 Mins). You’ll meet with potential peers in this session and will discuss technical topics and experiences.
Culture-Add Interview with Stakeholders (45 Mins). The final session will be with two cross-functional stakeholders, and will explore how your values align with ours, and is designed to be a genuine two-way conversation, your chance to understand what it’s really like to work at tem.
We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, experiences, and identities, including those that are traditionally underrepresented in the tech and energy sectors. If you’re excited about this role but not sure you meet every requirement, we’d still love to hear from you. Your unique perspective could be exactly what we’re looking for.