Senior/Lead Software Engineer 🇦🇺 (Python/Django)

about 1 month ago
Full time role
Hybrid · Remote · Victoria, AU... more
Help us use technology to make a big green dent in the universe!

Kraken powers some of the most innovative global developments in energy.

We’re a technology company focused on creating a smart, sustainable energy system. From optimising renewable generation, creating a more intelligent grid and enabling utilities to provide excellent customer experiences, our operating system for energy is transforming the industry around the world in a way that benefits everyone.

It’s a really exciting time in energy. Help us make a real impact on shaping a better, more sustainable future.

Our team
All technology is written and maintained by a multi-discipline engineering team of around 550 people. This includes server-side, client-side and mobile engineers working closely with UX experts, copywriters and designers. We follow a Kanban-like approach, using Google docs and Asana to specify and manage work; Github, CircleCI and Terraform Enterprise as part of an immutable-infrastructure, continuous delivery pipeline; and Loggly, Sentry and Cloudwatch to measure performance and monitor production.  Kraken is a great place to learn, work with some talented engineers and level-up your skills. Some of our coding conventions are open-source .  

Our technology
On the server-side, we mainly use Python. Most of our websites are powered by Django, Django-REST-framework and GraphQL (Graphene). We use AWS heavily, employing most of the "Hashistack" (eg Packer, Consul, Terraform) as part of a continuous deployment pipeline. See, for example, Django, ELB health checks and continuous delivery.  


What you'll do...

  • You will be working in a multi-disciplinary software engineering team; solving design challenges; domain modeling; solving technical problems; engineering solutions for smart meters, writing robust fault-tolerant software primarily in Python and Django, Celery, and async processing
  • We have lots of difficult design challenges to solve. The energy market is complicated, outdated, and process-heavy - there's an awful lot of domain modeling that we need to get right. Strong attention to detail is essential.
  • We have difficult technical problems to solve. With the advent of smart meters, we'll soon be processing millions of meter readings a day.
  • There's a great opportunity for disruption in the energy market. The big suppliers still dominate but are not exactly popular. The energy landscape is changing as we move to more disaggregated forms of generation, with less predictability, more dynamism, and smarter technology. Octopus Energy was the first UK supplier to introduce a "tracker" tariff whose prices track the daily wholesale prices: http://www.cleanenergynews.co.uk/news/efficiency/octopus-offerstransparency-with-wholesale-price-tariff
  • You'll be working for a company that’s fighting climate change. Our parent company is the largest investor in solar generation in the UK and is funding wind and anaerobic digestion. As a supplier, we're helping people to use greener technology and renewable energy, all helping move the world towards a lower carbon future.

What tech stack you'll have (in rough priority order)

  • Python
  • Django (or equiv. web framework)
  • Domain modelling
  • HTTP and REST APIs
  • Writing robust and fault-tolerant software
  • Celery and async processing
  • Postgres
    • Plus experience in the following would be a bonus:
  • AWS
  • Terraform, Packer, Consul
  • React and Redux

What you will love about us

  • Our company culture - We are an organisation where people learn, decide, and build quicker. Where people work with autonomy, alongside a wide range of amazing co-owners, on projects that break new ground. We want your hard work to be rewarded with perks you actually care about! We won best company to work for in 2022, on Glassdoor we were voted 50 best places to work in 2022 and our Group CEO, Greg has recorded a podcast about our culture and how we empower our people.
  • Flexible working environment - genuine work life balance here, we are in the top 5 companies in the UK, we treat you as a human, and do our best to make work and life merge smoothly together 
  • Equity Options Scheme - you own your own part of the business, share options in the whole Octopus Energy Group so we all work together towards success 
  • Office - have a certain tech requirement? We’ll do our best to get it. We also have drinks, snacks and a coffee machine at the office space on Bourke street.
  • Your development is important - we support and help with development including internal and external courses, learning, study support etc, all bespoke to you 

Studies have shown that some groups of people, like women, are less likely to apply to a role unless they meet 100% of the job requirements. Whoever you are, if you like one of our jobs, we encourage you to apply as you might just be the candidate we hire. Across Octopus, we're looking for genuinely decent people who are honest and empathetic. Our people are our strongest asset and the unique skills and perspectives people bring to the team are the driving force of our success. As an equal opportunity employer, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected attribute. Our commitment is to provide equal opportunities, an inclusive work environment, and fairness for everyone.