Senior Software Engineer

We’re not adding AI features - we’re rebuilding what’s possible! Gecko builds software that helps the world’s leading universities connect with their students. We’ve facilitated over 200 million interactions across well over 150 institutions globally, and right now, we’re at one of the most exciting points in our history, building Gecko AI, an intelligence layer that will change how institutions operate at scale. This isn’t a company talking about AI in all-hands meetings and then carrying on as normal. We’re actively using it across the business, across the product and with our customers. We’re dogfooding what we build before we take it to market. The engineers thriving here aren’t waiting for permission to explore AI. They’re already using it to think better, build faster, and challenge what good looks like. We’re looking for a Senior Software Engineer who wants to be part of building that, not watching it happen from the sidelines. What you’ll own 🛠️ At Gecko, ownership is real. You won’t be handed a neat corner of the codebase and left to maintain it. You’ll design complex systems, lead technical refinement, and take services through to production knowing the decisions you make will still matter months after launch. When there's more than one way to build something (and there always is), you'll be the one who lays out the options, makes the trade-offs clear to everyone in the room, and makes the call defensible. You’ll help set and hold engineering standards, mentor engineers earlier in their careers, and write down the why behind technical decisions so future engineers can build on them rather than reverse-engineer them. And from time to time you’ll get close to the people actually using what we build, because the best engineers here understand the problem at a human level, not just a systems level. It shows in what they ship. What you bring 🔭 You’ve got solid senior engineering experience in a product environment that moves fast, makes pragmatic calls, and keeps shipping. Your backend fundamentals are strong, and you've designed enough systems to know there's rarely one right answer; only the right answer for the constraints. You can put multiple credible approaches on the table, talk engineers and non-engineers through the trade-offs, and use the business context to advocate for one. Our stack is PHP/Laravel, but your instincts matter more than your current language. On AI, you’re already using it. Not vaguely interested, not waiting for a company training session. Using it in your workflow, your problem-solving and your thinking. You’re curious about where it’s going and practical about what it can do right now. That’s a real requirement here, not a nice-to-have. You’re also someone who’ll tell the room when something shouldn’t be built and back it up, who collaborates well with Product, challenges assumptions without turning it into theatre, and who’s comfortable with pace and shifting priorities. Why Gecko? We’re small enough that your work is visible and matters, ambitious enough that the problems are genuinely interesting, and far enough into something exciting that the next couple of years won’t be business as usual. That’s exactly the point. The Benefits 💚 Time that's actually yours: 33 days holiday, an optional compressed four-day week, and flexible working that means something in practice. 34 hours, not 40: We get things done without the performative long hours. JFDI, but sustainably. Work from anywhere: Fully remote with a proper home office setup, MacBook Pro and headphones of your choice included. Workation policy: Take your work somewhere worth going. We mean it. Your health matters: Private healthcare, pension, death in service and EAP. Perks and discounts: Employee benefits via Perkbox. A team worth showing up for: Remote doesn't mean isolated. Our virtual office is genuinely collaborative, fast-moving and - most of the time - pretty fun. Using AI in Your Application 🤖 At Gecko, we encourage you to use AI tools to enhance your application, but we value authenticity and honesty. Use AI to refine your content, but do ensure it truly reflects your skills and experiences. For more on responsible AI use in job applications, visit our AI guidance page 👈 We’re excited to see your authentic skills and experiences shine! UK-based applicants with the right to work in the UK only. No agencies please - see our Hiring Notice.