Contract

Lead Software Engineer

Java, AWS

The Very Group

The Very Group

1,001-5,000 employees

Online retail with flexible payments

No salary listed

Liverpool, UK

Hybrid

Two days on-site per week at the Speke headquarters.

Category
Software Engineering (1)
Required Skills
Java
Data Engineering
AWS
DevOps

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Requirements
  • Significant experience delivering software solutions in lean, agile, and DevSecOps-based squads in a senior or leadership role.
  • Proficiency in multiple programming languages, frameworks, and modern software engineering tooling.
  • Demonstrable experience providing clear technology leadership, direction, and decision-making for a whole team.
  • Experience building, integrating, maintaining, and managing complex software architectures, including both built and purchased systems, ideally across multi-cloud environments.
  • Experience building software applications with security, reliability, scalability, high availability, and concurrency built in from the outset.
  • Ability to collaborate, communicate, and make decisions effectively.
  • Confidence sharing stories internally and externally to build the company brand and credibility and attract and retain talent.
Responsibilities
  • Provide technical leadership and guidance to engineers across software or data engineering squads.
  • Deliver and maintain production-ready, secure, stable, and performant code in line with engineering standards using a DevSecOps approach.
  • Participate actively in software design, coding, code reviews, testing, and debugging.
  • Solve challenging technical problems and drive software engineering excellence, innovation, and continuous improvement across the engineering sub-community.
  • Mentor and coach software and data engineers to help them excel and develop their skills.
  • Champion adoption of the software development lifecycle, reusable components, and technical product roadmaps in collaboration with engineering managers and architects.
  • Contribute to maintaining a high-performing software engineering team and a positive, inclusive culture focused on collaboration, open communication, and knowledge sharing.
  • Lead software technology selection for the squads supported.
  • Work with peers in other sub-communities and technology leaders to advance the technology landscape in alignment with community standards, policies, and current practices.
  • Ensure technology is appropriately sized and proactively identify cost-optimization opportunities.
  • Manage tasks when required.
Desired Qualifications
  • Experience building, integrating, maintaining, and managing complex software architectures across multi-cloud environments.

The Very Group is a digital retailer that runs a family of online brands serving more than 4.5 million customers. It sells a wide range of products—from fashion to electronics—through its online platforms and earns revenue from direct product sales plus its financial services. The core product is the online shopping experience, enhanced by flexible payment options that let customers pay over time. Unlike other e-commerce players that only sell goods, The Very Group integrates consumer credit and payments into its shopping journey, making purchases more affordable. The company emphasizes ongoing innovation and a strong focus on customer experience to improve its platforms and services. It also pursues social responsibility, including mentoring LGBTQ refugees and developing early talent into future leaders. Overall, its goal is to make a broad assortment of products easily accessible and affordable online while building a trusted brand and responsible business practices.

Company Size

1,001-5,000

Company Stage

Growth Equity (Non-Venture Capital)

Total Funding

$165M

Headquarters

Liverpool, United Kingdom

Founded

2003

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Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Q3 FY26 revenue rose 0.3% to £1.608 billion, with EBITDA margin at 13.6%.
  • Home category sales grew 6.3% in Q3 FY26, lifting higher-margin mix.
  • February 2026 refinancing cut coupon to 9.75% and extended liquidity to 2030.

What critics are saying

  • Carlyle is still trying to sell Very for about £2 billion, signaling uncertainty.
  • Debt remains heavy despite refinancing; senior notes still mature in August 2030.
  • Teleperformance will absorb 530 customer-care employees by May 2026, shifting service offshore by October.

What makes The Very Group unique

  • Very combines retail and finance, with Very Finance revenue up 8.0% in Q3 FY26.
  • Very UK delivered 39 weeks revenue growth to £1.431 billion, despite tough retail conditions.
  • Very froze school-uniform prices in August 2026, reinforcing value-led private-label positioning.

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Benefits

Flexible Work Hours

Hybrid Work Options

Paid Vacation

Training Programs

Employee Discounts

Performance Bonus

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

6%

1 year growth

6%

2 year growth

6%
Yahoo Finance
Sep 3rd, 2026
Carlyle scraps $2.5B sale of Very Group after bids fall short

Very Group's planned sale is being shelved after bidders failed to meet the £2bn asking price, Sky News reported. The online retailer, which owns the Littlewoods brand, was acquired by US private equity firm Carlyle for £1 last year following the Barclay family empire's collapse. Potential buyers included Chinese online giant JD.com, investment firm Elliott, and plus-size retailer N Brown. None submitted offers meeting Carlyle's demands. The Liverpool-based company reported a pre-tax loss exceeding £500m on sales of around £2.1bn in the last financial year. However, recent trading showed improvement, with operating profit steady at £173.5m for the 39 weeks to March 28. Carlyle injected £150m into Very Group earlier this year. The firm now faces owning the struggling retailer indefinitely if the sale is scrapped.

Yahoo Finance
Feb 16th, 2026
Very Group secures £150M lifeline from Carlyle amid £2B sale push

The Very Group has secured £150 million in financial support from Carlyle, the US investment firm that seized control of the online retailer from the Barclay family in November 2025. Carlyle has injected new cash and converted some debt into equity to reduce pressure from interest payments. The support is part of a broader refinancing as Carlyle attempts to sell the company for £2 billion. Barclays and JPMorgan have been tasked with the sale. Very has also extended a £150 million credit facility until February 2030 and prolonged a £1.8 billion securitisation facility until February 2028. The Liverpool-based retailer, which had total borrowings of £2.3 billion last year, reported sales growth of 1.9% over Christmas. The company posted £500 million in losses in 2025 after writing off a major loan to the Barclay family.

Yahoo Finance
Nov 9th, 2025
Carlyle Group Takes Over The Very Group

US private equity firm Carlyle Group is set to take control of online retailer The Very Group from the Barclay family, ending their over 20-year ownership. The Barclay family, who acquired Very in 2002 for £750 million, has faced financial difficulties, losing control of several businesses. Carlyle, a lender to Very since 2021, has provided over £500 million in financing. Despite the ownership change, Very remains financially stable, reporting £307 million in earnings and £2.1 billion in sales last year.

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Feb 27th, 2024
The Very Group: Barclay family-owned retail giant welcomes £125m injection as it falls to half-year loss

The Very Group, the retail giant owned by the billionaire Barclay family, has secured a £125m investment as it fell to a half-year loss.