Software Engineer

Who are we?

Smarkets: Predicting the Future of Betting

Smarkets runs one of the world’s most sophisticated prediction markets, handling over £29 billion in volume since 2010 and engaging 200,000+ traders globally. We’re a technology company that happens to revolutionise betting - from sports to political markets, to delivering the sharpest prices and the fairest odds.

Our stack is designed for scale, reliability, and speed: Linux, Kafka, Postgres, Kubernetes, with Python 3, C++17, and React powering our platform. We build infrastructure that institutions trust while keeping trading accessible to everyone. Our edge? We’ve thrived through every market cycle, competitor, and industry revolution.

At the heart of our success are our people. We create a high-performance environment where exceptional talent can thrive, blending deep business experience with a commercial mindset to drive strategic growth.

If you’re ready to help shape the future of prediction markets with cutting-edge technology and a customer-first philosophy, Smarkets is where you belong.

The Role

As a Mid-Level Software Engineer within our Engineering org, you will play a pivotal role in designing, developing, and maintaining the services that power Smarkets' business operations products. You will collaborate closely with engineering managers, technical leadership, and product managers to lead complex technical projects aligned with the Smarkets product roadmap.

Smarkets is looking for talented and passionate engineers like you for an exciting opportunity to create a unified and high-performing system that will not only optimize our services but also elevate Smarkets to new heights of success.

We believe in using the best tools for the job. We support two programming languages - a fast compiled language (Rust) for critical path operations and a slower interpreted one (Python) for other tasks. Our Kafka pub/sub MQ, the heart of our system, offers high availability, low latency, and message persistence. We provide gRPC and HTTP APIs for various metadata, while PostgreSQL and ElasticSearch serve as our go-to databases.

Responsibilities:

• Design, implement and maintain complex designs/features written in Python and Rust
• Implement alerting and monitoring to ensure the stability of our services
• Help reinforce the standard for code quality, by writing tests and reviewing merge requests
• Continuously improve engineering processes including CI/CD
• Mentor technically your direct teammates
• Work closely with Product and other engineering teams to scope and lead complex business goal-aligned projects
• Be the champion of the stack by demonstrating first-hand how to implement functionalities in the right way, with an eye to the horizon and your mind on the present

Role Requirements:

• 4+ years of experience as a software engineer
• Familiarity with Python or at least one compiled language (Java, C++, Rust, Go) and are keen on learning Rust
• Previous experience with building distributed systems in a modern cloud environment
• Previous experience with DevOps engineering stacks/tools/practices including GitLab and K8S
• Previous experience with message queues (e.g. Apache Kafka) and SQL databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL)
• Previous experience working in Sports Betting or Finance industries
• Strong written and spoken communication skills in English
• The ability to effectively collaborate with cross-functional teams
• Proficiency in utilising AI-driven development tools (e.g., GitHub Copilot, ChatGPT) to accelerate coding, debugging, and documentation workflows.

Our Values

Our values are at the heart of everything we do - guiding how we work, collaborate, and innovate. They reflect what we expect of ourselves and each other to deliver the best results, while fostering a positive, high-performing environment:

• Push to Win: We set ambitious goals and relentlessly pursue them, always striving for excellence.
• Make Others Better: We lift each other up, share knowledge, and celebrate team success over individual achievement.
• Give a Shit: We care deeply about our work, our users, and the impact we make.
• Be a Pro: We take ownership, act with integrity, and consistently deliver to a high standard.
• Bring the Energy: We bring positivity, curiosity, and enthusiasm to everything we do, inspiring those around us.

Culture Fit: These values define how we succeed as a team. If this isn’t you, this may not be the right place. We hire people who thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative, and ambitious environment.

Perks & Benefits

We offer a competitive salary and benefits package, alongside a dynamic, collaborative environment where your work truly makes an impact and your voice is heard. Our team is diverse, driven, and ambitious - united by a strong work ethic and a hunger to innovate and win.

Our benefits are designed around Health, Wealth, and Development, supporting you both professionally and personally.

These include:

• Stock Options: Vest over 4 years, your success is our success.
• Pension Scheme: Competitive plan via Aviva, with up to 6% matched contributions if you opt in.
• Health Insurance: Comprehensive coverage to keep you and your family healthy.
• Enhanced Parental Leave: Enhanced maternity and paternity leave to support you through life’s most important moments.
• Stay Fuelled: Enjoy fresh, chef-made breakfast and lunch every day, plus a constant supply of fruit, snacks, tea, coffee and soft drinks, because great work starts with great food.
• Cycle-to-Work Scheme: Support for sustainable commuting and staying active.
• Learning & Development: £1,000 annual education budget for courses, conferences, books, or training.
• Holiday: 25 days paid leave + bank holidays, with the option to carry over 5 days.
• Flexible Working: Hybrid model with 3 days in the office and 2 days from home to fit your lifestyle.
• Global Working: Work from anywhere in the world for up to 20 days a year.
• Team Energy: Regular socials, hackathons, and events — because collaboration and fun go hand-in-hand.

What happens next

We aim to have a simple and speedy hiring process, and we want to make sure that we are right for you as much as the other way around.

• CV application review - We will review it as quickly as possible
• Let’s chat - Quick chat with our team about your experience and the role
• Experience and Mindset Chat - with the Hiring Manager
• Technical Interview - Live Coding
• In Office Interview - Lunch with other colleagues in the team + LT chat

Diversity & Inclusion

We’re an equal opportunities employer and celebrate diversity in all its forms. If you need any adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know — we’re happy to accommodate your needs.