Senior Software Engineer

Description
Founded in 2020, Kaiko Systems is a tech company driving digital innovation in the global maritime industry. Our mission is to make shipping safer, smarter, and more collaborative by transforming manual processes into actionable intelligence.

With our products, ship crews can collect reliable vessel data on the job, while our AI-powered analysis generates actionable insights for technical teams onshore. These insights help predict incidents, reduce downtime, and enhance safety and efficiency, empowering shipping companies to operate at their best.

At Kaiko Systems, we're not just building technology — we're delivering solutions that make a real difference in people's work lives and their professional environment. Join us as we navigate the future of maritime together.

Your mission

We are looking for an experienced Senior Software Engineer to join our journey at Kaiko Systems in Berlin, London or Brasil. If you're passionate about clean code, smart architecture, and product impact—you'll feel right at home.

What You'll Do

• Deliver End-to-End Value: Think beyond the story — own features from idea to delivery. Collaborate closely with Product Managers from the start, challenge and enrich their thinking, and take full responsibility for testing, code reviews, and deployment. Ensure that what we ship is reliable, impactful, and maintainable.
• Code with Purpose: Write and maintain Python code using Django, Celery, and PostgreSQL — always optimizing for performance, readability, and scalability.
• Design Thoughtfully: Develop mid-sized project architectures that are scalable, maintainable, and secure.
• Build Reliable Systems: Develop robust, testable code and implement automated testing strategies to ensure maintainability and high code quality.
• Own the Infra: Support and improve our DevOps stack with CI/CD pipelines and infrastructure-as-code practices.
• Secure by Design: Implement secure development practices and proactively contribute to security reviews and threat mitigation.
• Collaborate in Agile Flow: Contribute as a core member of cross-functional agile teams, engaging fully in sprints, sharing feedback, and helping improve team workflows.
• Mentor & Grow: Share your experience by mentoring other engineers and leading by example.

Our Current Tech Stack

• Python
• Django
• Celery
• PostgreSQL
• HTMX
• Tailwind

Your Skillset To Navigate Success

• You have 5+ years of experience building complex applications in a full-stack environment.
• You've experienced product and company growth and know how to navigate the challenges that come with it.
• You strike the right balance between agile frameworks (Scrum, Kanban) and just getting things done — knowing when structure helps and when speed matters most.
• You've shipped large-scale products while keeping simplicity, maintainability, and performance in mind.
• You make technical decisions based on pragmatism, not hype — always choosing the right tool for the job.
• Ideally, you've had exposure to ReScript or are curious about ML-style languages like OCaml, ReasonML, or Gleam.
• You take projects from idea to delivery, with a strong sense of ownership and accountability.
• You're self-driven but also a great team player who collaborates openly and supports others.

Our Hiring Process

We Believe In a Transparent And Thorough Hiring Process That Gives Both Sides The Chance To Get To Know Each Other. Here's What You Can Expect

• Screening Interview – Talent Acquisition Manager: An initial conversation to learn more about your background, motivation, and fit with Kaiko Systems.
• Take-Home Coding Task: A practical challenge that reflects the type of work you'll encounter with us. It gives you the freedom to show your problem-solving skills in your own time.
• Code Review & Systems Design Interview – CTO: Together we'll dive deeper into your solution, discuss design decisions, and explore your approach to building scalable, high-quality systems.
• Product Delivery Team Interview: A chance to meet future teammates, understand how we collaborate across functions, and demonstrate how you contribute to product delivery in a team setting.
• Reference Check: As a final step, we reach out to references to complete the overall picture of your experience and working style.

Our process is designed to be fair, structured, and respectful of your time, while ensuring we find the right mutual fit.

Worried you don't check every box?
If this role excites you, but your experience doesn't align perfectly with every qualification, we encourage you to apply anyway. You could be exactly what we're looking for — either for this role or another one

Why us?

• Join a highly ambitious and diverse team with a collaborative working environment at a very exciting time in the company's development, as we scale on the back of significant product market fit
• Be at the forefront of digitalization in a critical global industry
• Great office in the heart of Berlin as well as flexible / remote options
• Flexible and hybrid work environment that values work-life balance
• Generous vacation policy on top of bank holidays

At Kaiko Systems, we believe that innovation thrives when diverse perspectives come together. As a forward-thinking maritime tech startup, we are committed to building an inclusive workplace where everyone feels empowered to contribute their unique talents and experiences. We value every individual's cultural background, gender identity, age, ability, or any other characteristic that makes you who you are. By embracing these differences, we create an environment where collaboration flourishes and ideas grow. If you share our passion for revolutionizing the maritime sector through technology, we'd love to hear from you. Let's chart new waters together.

About Us
We're a growing company, expanding both our business and our team. To ensure everyone feels safe, can perform at their best, and to keep the company successful in uncharted waters, we've aligned on a set of values that guide us:

• Be the G.O.A.T — We take initiative and own the outcome, hold ourselves and others accountable, execute with excellence, and we are curious to learn
• Promote Joy, Respect & Sincerity — We enjoy our time together, leave our ego at the door, treat others with respect and seek truth together
• Have the Customer at Heart — We stay focused, strive for simplicity, use data to lead discussions and make decisions collaboratively

These values shape how we work together and will be a part of our conversations during the recruiting process. By living these principles, we create an environment where both our people and our business can thrive, navigating challenges with confidence and purpose.