Backend Lead Engineer

This is a senior, trusted role. You’ll set the technical direction for our backend work. You’ll also look after the people doing it. You’ll report to the Head of Technology and sit on the tech leadership team.

Our site and back-office technology are built entirely in-house. Backend work spans sourcing flight content, integrating third-party services, payment integrations and the systems that Customer Service, Finance and Commercial rely on every day. It’s a wide remit and a lot of it is business-critical., * Lead and manage a team of backend engineers.

• Architect and implement advanced back-end solutions.
• Manage and evolve our technology stack to keep pace with changing industry trends.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to define project scopes and deliverables.
• Oversee the entire backend software development lifecycle, ensuring high-quality and timely releases.
• Promote a culture of continuous learning and improvement within the team.

• 10+ years of experience in PHP and MySQL-driven website development.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to articulate complex technical concepts to a diverse range of stakeholders.
• Strong empathy and interpersonal skills, essential for understanding team needs and fostering a collaborative and inclusive work environment.
• Strong understanding of Laravel, MySQL and related architectures.
• A strong commitment to code quality, with a proven track record of maintaining high coding standards and best practices in a technical team environment.
• Proficiency in version control (Git) and cloud hosting.
• Demonstrated experience in DevOps practices and database management.

We need someone people trust. Someone who explains their thinking. Someone who gets the best out of the engineers around them, and who makes the team want to do good work.

You should be honest about what you don’t know. AI is moving quickly and nobody has all of it worked out. We’d rather have someone curious and level-headed than someone with all the answers.

• Competitive salary, reviewed regularly
• 23 days holiday, plus bank holidays
• Flight credits of up to £1,000 a year, based on length of service
• 2 extra wellness days a year
• A 2-week paid sabbatical for every 5 years of service
• Social events throughout the year
• We take work-life balance seriously

Alternative Airlines is a fast-growing flight search and booking site. We’ve built a strong online presence at www.alternativeairlines.com. Booking with us is quick and friction-free. Our customer base keeps growing, all over the world.

Our tech platform sits at the heart of that growth and we improve it constantly. We’re now hiring a Lead Backend Engineer to help drive what comes next., Great Place to Work

Alternative Airlines is certified as a Great Place to Work 2024-2025

• 97% of employees agree Alternative Airlines is a great place to work
• 97% agree they’re treated as a full member, whatever their position
• 100% agree they’re made to feel welcome when they join

Alternative Airlines is certified as a Great Place to Work 2025-2026

Alternative Airlines is certified as a Great Place to Work in Tech.

Join Us

Be a part of a team where your contributions significantly shape the future of travel technology.

Embrace the challenge, enjoy the journey, and make a lasting impact at Alternative Airlines.