Contract Software Engineer

Software Engineer (Full Stack)

We are launching our EV (electric vehicle) leasing business in Germany and need a Software Engineer (Full Stack) to help build it from the ground up.

We have rapidly scaled our proposition in the UK to over 40,000 vehicles on fleet and £300 million ARR in just a few years. We are growing faster than ever.

Our mission is to accelerate the EV transition while providing the best possible service to our customers.

Our ambition is to build the best EV platform in Germany as rapidly as possible. Our sister company, Octopus Energy, has already become one of the fastest growing green energy providers in Germany with over 1 million customers.

You will be one of two engineers, working directly with the country General Manager to rapidly build and validate our product for the German market. This role is perfect for a full‑stack developer who enjoys shipping minimum‑viable solutions and enabling business growth.

Please apply with your CV in English.

What you’ll do

• Build fast and deliver impact for the business.
• Prioritise business impact and rapid validation over technical perfection.
• Proactively identify problems and propose technical solutions without constant direction.
• Comfortable with short‑term tooling and code that may be replaced on a 1–2‑year horizon if needed.
• Translate high‑level business goals into prioritised, deliverable technical tasks.
• Bias for shipping minimum‑viable solutions rapidly.
• Handle the ambiguity that comes with entering a new market.
• Work in a paired environment while adhering to technical guidelines provided remotely by the UK team.

What you’ll need

• Native/C2 German and professional English fluency.
• Strong experience with Python, TypeScript, React, Node.js, SQL/NoSQL.
• Proven delivery of modern, responsive, and reusable front‑ends; fast, secure, scalable back‑ends and APIs; and integration with third‑party services.
• Experience deploying and maintaining systems on cloud hosting providers.
• Strong understanding of modern development workflows, including Git and CI/CD pipelines.
• Ability to work independently and proactively with excellent problem‑solving skills and attention to detail.
• Experience with rapid prototyping, unit testing, and agile development cycles, using GenAI or low‑code tooling where appropriate.

What you’ll be doing

• Develop modern, responsive, and reusable front‑ends with React and TypeScript.
• Build fast, secure, and scalable backend services and APIs using Node.js, integrating with SQL and NoSQL databases and third‑party APIs.
• Deploy and maintain your own systems on cloud hosting providers.
• Engage in rapid prototyping, unit testing, and agile development cycles, using GenAI tooling where appropriate.
• Work in a paired environment as the senior engineer while adhering to technical guidelines provided remotely by our UK team.

Why you’ll love it here

• Octopus Electric Vehicles, part of the Octopus Energy Group, was named the Sunday Times’ best company to work for in 2024.
• We were ranked 6th out of the top 100 startups to work for by Tempo in 2025 and voted 50 best places to work on Glassdoor in 2022.
• Our Group CEO Greg hosts a podcast about culture and how we empower our people.
• We maintain a unique culture that encourages autonomy, rapid decision‑making, and rapid innovation.
• We offer perks that truly matter to our people—view our perks hub for more details.

About us

The electric revolution has arrived, and by 2035 you will no longer be able to buy a new petrol or diesel car in the UK.

We are building a new way for drivers to join the electric charge, learn about, and shop for their EV online, and experience a ‘lease for life’ through an industry‑changing customer experience.

Octopus Electric Vehicles was launched in 2018 to make it seamless to switch to cleaner, greener driving. Our mission is to drive sustainable change, decarbonise the planet, and provide our customers with fair pricing and a fantastic experience.

We are an Octopus Energy company—an innovative new energy supplier—and part of the Octopus Energy Group, which seeks to improve the lives of millions of people by transforming the industries we operate in. The Group includes Octopus Energy, Octopus Healthcare, Octopus Investments, Octopus Property, Octopus Ventures, and Octopus Labs.

Please note we use AI to help us assess applications fairly and objectively.

As an equal‑opportunity employer, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected attribute. Our commitment is to provide equal opportunities, an inclusive work environment, and fairness for everyone. We encourage anyone who is interested to apply, regardless of whether they meet 100 % of the job requirements.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process—reviewing applications, analysing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgement. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.