Senior Distributed Systems Engineer

Overview

Senior Distributed Systems Engineer to join INSHUR. We’re based in Brighton, with a hybrid working model allowing collaboration in the office and remote work. You’ll connect with colleagues at least once a week in the Brighton office. You’ll work on re-inventing insurance in exciting markets across the UK, US, and the Netherlands, with plans to expand. You’ll report to an Engineering Manager and join a friendly team of 8-10 committed to pioneering AI engineering workflows and transforming team practices through agentic collaboration.

As a Senior Distributed Systems Engineer, you will act as a pathfinder, orchestrating AI agents to research, plan, and implement complex distributed systems while demonstrating to the wider team how to leverage these tools to increase velocity and quality.

• Orchestrate Architecture: Own the design and implementation of distributed systems and event-driven architectures (Java/NodeJS/Go/GCP/Kubernetes), utilizing AI agents to validate scalability and security patterns before implementation.
• AI-Native Development: Leverage tools like Claude Code to research, plan, and write code, delivering features at a velocity that exceeds standard manual engineering estimates.
• Mentorship & Evolution: Act as a force multiplier for the team by demonstrating agentic workflows and running internal sessions on how to effectively "steer" AI to solve engineering problems.
• Quality & Governance: Verify AI-generated outputs against engineering standards to avoid introducing AI-generated technical debt.
• Pathfinding: Establish a personal AI-native workflow to ingest existing repository patterns and propose department-wide improvements to the developer experience.

We prioritise aptitude and passion, with core essentials and additional skills that could set you apart.

• Essentials to thrive in the role:
  • AI-Native / Agentic Workflow: Experience with Claude Code or similar tools to plan, architect, and code, and the ability to explain how you steer agents to achieve complex goals.
  • Distributed Systems Architecture: Deep understanding of microservices, event-driven design, and GCP, important for validating AI-generated outputs.
  • Golang / Java / Polyglot Mindset: Solid understanding of Go or Java (e.g., Spring) and ability to use AI to bridge syntax gaps rapidly.
  • Testing & Quality Assurance: Ability to enforce TDD/BDD standards even when code is AI-generated.
  • Innovation & Growth Mindset: Passion for bringing new workflows to scale-up environments and learning in the open.
• Additional skills that could set you apart:
  • Scaling
    
    Experience:
    
    Experience with distributed systems at significant scale.
  • Advanced Tooling Proficiency: Track record using AI coding assistants to solve legacy code issues.
  • Mentorship Track Record: Experience sharing knowledge and upskilling teams on new technologies or methodologies.

• Thrive navigating ambiguity and find clarity in uncertain situations.
• Take pride in being accountable and owning your responsibilities.
• Enjoy a fast-paced environment where change happens quickly.
• Enjoy innovating with AI and other technologies to find creative solutions.
• Are solutions-focused and driven to overcome challenges.
• Embrace resilience and adapt to setbacks with a positive attitude.
• Are intellectually curious and eager to learn, explore new ideas, and improve understanding.

We see AI as a powerful collaborator. AI is a tool to enhance processes and help you shine; it is not used to make final hiring decisions. We encourage you to use AI tools to assist you, and you can learn more about how we collaborate with AI in our process.

• Screen & Intro: 30-minute video call with the Talent Team.
• HM Interview: 45-60 minute video call with the Engineering Manager and Head of Engineering.
• The "Agent" Test: A live technical task using Claude Code or your preferred agent.
• Final Stage: 45-60 minute interview with the broader team and People Team.

We encourage you to ask questions about the role and the company throughout the hiring process.

Budget for this role is £80,000 - £100,000, with consideration…