> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://careers.byteful.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Software Engineer (Backend / Distributed Systems) > This is a full-time, in-person (Manchester, UK) position. Compensation will be based on experience and role. We anticipate relocating our in-person operations to **London, UK** in**2027** . Applicants applying for **Manchester-based in-person roles** should be open to the possibility of relocation. **Location: Manchester City Center** **Type: Full-time** [Software Engineer PDF version.](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GskYhj2Xwsl5MfAD9QCIid46Z3fl-zxD/view?usp=sharing) ## Role overview We are looking for a full-time, in-person Junior–Mid Level Software Engineer to join our team in Manchester and grow into a high-impact backend and infrastructure role. You will design, build, and scale the core infrastructure that powers high-performance proxy and networking systems used by web-scraping, automation, and agentic AI companies. We support thousands of customers across 200+ countries, processing more than 15 billion proxy requests per month and handling petabytes of data flowing through our network. We’ve grown the business bootstrapped to \$2M ARR, with +318% YoY platform sign-up growth — and we’re continuing to scale fast. This is a fast-paced, bootstrapped startup environment. We move quickly, ship frequently, and prioritise engineers who take real ownership, learn fast, and are willing to work extremely hard to deliver production-ready systems without layers of bureaucracy. You will work on distributed systems, backend services, API development, payments infrastructure, and performance-critical networking components. If you enjoy building systems that operate under real-world load, shipping features quickly, and owning problems end-to-end, this role will suit you. ## About Ping Proxies Ping Proxies builds critical infrastructure for companies operating in web-scraping, browser automation, and agentic AI. Our customers depend on us for stable residential and ISP proxy networks that operate at scale. Reliability, latency, and system design are not optional — they are core to our product. We are a profitable, bootstrapped startup growing quickly and investing heavily in engineering. We build real infrastructure, not surface-level SaaS features. This role sits at the centre of that effort. ## Key responsibilities ### Backend engineering & API development (primary focus) * Develop APIs using Flask and FastAPI. * Design and build backend services using Go and/or Python, including high-performance Go systems that support proxying, request routing, and log ingestion at scale. * Rapidly design, build, and ship new API features that directly support customer use cases (we move fast — this is a bootstrapped startup). * Maintain clean, well-structured, well-documented services for internal and external consumers. * Integrate and maintain Stripe Payments infrastructure and billing systems. ### Distributed systems & infrastructure * Design systems that handle high throughput and concurrency. * Work with Postgres, Redis, and Kafka in production. * Improve system reliability, performance, and observability. * Contribute to architectural decisions around scaling, fault tolerance, and resilience. * Debug production issues across networking and backend layers. ### DevOps & platform engineering * Work with Docker and Kubernetes in production environments. * Deploy and manage services on Linux infrastructure. * Manage and optimise infrastructure on DigitalOcean. * Contribute to infrastructure-as-code practices (e.g., Ansible). * Improve CI/CD pipelines and deployment processes. ### Speed & ownership * Ship production-ready features quickly without sacrificing reliability. * Work in short feedback loops in a fast-moving environment. * Take ownership from idea → architecture → implementation → deployment. * Balance pragmatism and long-term system design. ## What success looks like * New API features shipped quickly and reliably. * Stable backend Go & Python services that scale with customer demand. * Clean, well-designed systems that are easy to extend. * Reduced incidents and improved observability. * Payments and billing systems that operate reliably and accurately. * Meaningful contribution to a high-performance in-office engineering culture. ## Requirements ### Must have * At least 1-5 years experience with Go and/or Python.  * Experience building APIs with Flask or FastAPI (or similar technologies). * Understanding of backend architecture and interest in distributed systems. * Experience working with Postgres. * Experience with Git and Docker * Linux basics. * Comfortable working in-person in Manchester (Deansgate), 5 days per week. * Strong ownership mindset and ability to move quickly. ### Nice to have * Experience integrating Stripe Payments or similar billing systems. * Experience with Kafka and Redis in production. * Familiarity with Kubernetes. * Experience building infrastructure products, networking tools, or proxy systems. * Experience with tools such as N8N, Attio, or similar internal tooling stacks. * Experience managing infrastructure on DigitalOcean. * Familiarity with Ansible or other configuration management tools. * Experience with tracing and Prometheus. * **Willingness to relocate in the future is a plus. We plan to relocate our head office to London within the next few years, and we would reassess compensation as part of any relocation.** ## What we offer * In-person collaboration in a central Manchester (Deansgate) office. * High ownership and autonomy, with real responsibility from day one. * Real infrastructure challenges in web-scraping, automation, and agentic AI industries. * A fast-paced, bootstrapped startup environment where your work has direct impact. * The chance to help shape the company as we scale, not just contribute code. * A steep learning curve. You will be thrown in the deep end daily and expected to swim, with support from the team. * A young, ambitious team in their mid-twenties building a fast-growing business. * A path to senior or lead engineering roles as the company grows. ## How to apply Please include: * A short explanation of why this role interests you. * Examples of systems or APIs you’ve built. * Any GitHub or project links (if available). * A brief description of a distributed system or architecture you’ve designed. Apply on platform or email [careers@byteful.com](mailto:careers@byteful.com) with your application.