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JOB DETAILS
JOB TITLE: Senior Software Engineer – BBC Search
JOB REFERENCE: 32908
JOB BAND: D
CONTRACT TYPE: Permanent, Full-time
DEPARTMENT: Search Enablement
LOCATION: Salford Dock House – Hybrid 1-2 days in Office (OFFICE DAY = Monday)
PROPOSED SALARY RANGE: £60,000 - £70,000 depending on relevant skills, knowledge and experience. The expected salary range for this role reflects internal benchmarking and external market insights.
CLOSING DATE: 23:59 on Wednesday the 3rd December 2025
INTERVIEWS TO COMMENCE: 15th of December*this may be subject to change
We're happy to discuss flexible working. If you'd like to, please indicate your preference in the application – though there's no obligation to do so now. Flexible working will be part of the discussion at offer stage.
Interview Process:
Step into the world of the BBC, one of the UK's most iconic and beloved brands, where every working day is as unique as it is rewarding. Every tick of the clock, our content reaches millions of people globally, which is made possible by our top-notch Software Engineering team. They've been instrumental in pioneering innovative products and unique features that have firmly positioned us at the forefront of our industry. We don't merely adapt to an ever-changing world - we set the pace.
WHY JOIN THE TEAM
Our team delivers the services that drive the search and suggest capabilities for the majority of the BBC (including iPlayer, Sounds, Children’s, News and Sport).
Ever wondered why "Eastenders" comes top when you type "East" in BBC search? That is an example of using our knowledge of what is relevant to the audience and boosting that result, so it appears higher up the page. The team are looking into ways to use Relevancy Engineering techniques to add weighting to search results and to 'boost' their visibility. This in turn will allow us to create a better - more personalised content stream for the user.
The main work streams include:
· Working closely with our data science colleagues to understand how we can improve the relevancy of results for the audience.
· Building a data capture and analysis framework to give us better insight into user behaviour and needs.
· Working with our editorial and engineering colleagues to ensure that our search engines are aware of all the content the BBC has to offer.
We offer a warm welcome with full support settling in and foster a culture where everyone has an opportunity to succeed. We're deeply proud of our values, which are intrinsic to the way we behave every day. We take them seriously because we want our culture to thrive. We want people to really enjoy working with us and get a buzz from knowing that what they are doing is making a difference and enhancing people's lives.
We focus on hiring for potential at the BBC, so the main requirement for the position is a strong software engineering skillset. We want to hear from skilled engineers and technical experts from all industries.
You will play a key role in driving our ambition to build an outstanding software engineering team, environment, and culture. We are looking for a Software Engineer to join our tech community to drive this transformation, build a modern digital ecosystem using exciting technologies and do the best work of their careers.
ESSENTIAL CRITERIA:
1. Strong software engineering fundamentals with backend development experience
Demonstrable experience building backend services using at least one of the team’s core languages (TypeScript, JavaScript, Java or Python). Able to follow structured engineering practices and deliver high-quality, maintainable code.
2. Experience developing and supporting cloud-based services
Practical experience with cloud platforms, ideally AWS (for example: S3, Lambda, EC2, SQS, Step Functions, or similar). Able to design, deploy and troubleshoot distributed systems at scale.
3. Familiarity with modern DevOps and CI/CD practices
Hands-on experience with version control (Git/GitHub), automated testing (TDD or equivalent), and continuous integration / deployment pipelines (for example: Jenkins, GitHub Actions, CodePipeline etc).
4. Ability to collaborate effectively in cross-functional engineering teams
Demonstrated ability to work with product, data science, QA and other engineering teams. Experience participating in code reviews, pair programming, and contributing to shared coding standards.
5. Commitment to learning and contributing to team culture
Evidence of sharing knowledge and contributing to an inclusive, supportive engineering environment. Shows alignment with BBC values and a willingness to learn new technologies, especially in the Search and Relevancy Engineering domain.
Our tech stack
The team is predominantly a backend team. Below are some of the tools/ technologies we currently use in our teams:
· Languages: TypeScript, JavaScript, Java, Python & Cloud: AWS (S3, EC2, SQS, Lambda, SageMaker, Step Functions etc)
· Deployment: Jenkins, CodeBuild, CodePipeline, GitHub Actions
· Testing: TDD & Database: PostgreSQL
· Search Engine: Solr, OpenSearch
· Techniques: DevOps, infrastructure, CI/CD
We create and support reliable and scalable cloud-based services on Amazon Web Services, use Git and GitHub for version control and practice pair programming and Test-Driven Development where possible.
In a nutshell, we seek someone who champions inclusivity, nurtures talent, and upholds the BBC's values, all while driving technical excellence. If this sounds like your cup of tea, we'd love to hear from you.
hackajob is partnering with BBC to fill this position. Create a profile to be automatically considered for this role—and others that match your experience.