---
title: 'Senior Backend Engineer - Cruise at Kpler'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-backend-engineer-cruise-kpler-united-kingdom-yc3q6yvgnfwy'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-25'
---

# Senior Backend Engineer - Cruise at Kpler

- **Company:** Kpler
- **Location:** United Kingdom
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** hybrid
- **Posted:** 2026-09-23
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-25
- **Apply:** https://jobs.lever.co/kpler/46986845-66bf-4ff9-9c91-31065945ffea

## Job description

At Kpler, we are dedicated to helping our clients navigate complex markets with ease. By simplifying global trade information and providing valuable insights, we empower organisations to make informed decisions in commodities, energy, and maritime sectors.

Since our founding in 2014, we have focused on delivering top-tier intelligence through user-friendly platforms. Our team of over 850 experts from 69 countries works tirelessly to transform intricate data into actionable strategies, ensuring our clients stay ahead in a dynamic market landscape. Join us to leverage cutting-edge innovation for impactful results and experience unparalleled support on your journey to success.

## About the Role

As a Senior Backend Engineer within our Maritime domain, you will lead the backend architecture and streaming services that process high-volume vessel tracking, port intelligence, and maritime trade flows. Working with core technologies including Python, PHP, Kafka, PostgreSQL, and ClickHouse, you will design scalable, highly available systems that transform raw maritime telemetry into real-time actionable insights for global shipping and commodity markets. Operating with high autonomy under a "you build it, you run it" engineering culture, you will play a crucial role in modernizing core services, elevating technical standards, and collaborating with cross-functional partners and client-facing technical teams.

## Key Responsibilities

- Architect and scale backend services: Design, build, and maintain high-throughput backend applications and microservices using Python and PHP.

- Build real-time streaming & analytical pipelines: Leverage Kafka and ClickHouse to stream, process, and analyze massive volumes of real-time maritime tracking data.

- Optimize data persistence and storage: Manage relational and analytical databases, optimizing PostgreSQL queries and ClickHouse schema designs for low-latency queries at scale.

- Own production health and reliability: Implement robust monitoring, alerting, and observability frameworks while maintaining operational ownership across staging and production environments.

- Drive cross-functional collaboration: Partner closely with Product Managers, Tech Leads, Cloud Platform teams, and client-facing technical teams to deliver features aligned with customer needs.

- Elevate engineering standards and mentorship: Guide peer engineers through technical design reviews, code quality benchmarks, and architectural best practices within the Maritime domain.

## Experience & Background

## What you'll need (Must-haves)

- Senior-level backend experience: ~5+ years of professional software engineering experience developing, scaling, and maintaining complex production backend systems.

- Core tech stack mastery: Strong proficiency in Python and PHP alongside deep experience with relational databases like PostgreSQL.

- Event streaming & analytical data tech: Hands-on production experience with Apache Kafka and high-performance analytical data stores like ClickHouse.

- System design & API development: Proven track record designing RESTful APIs, distributed microservices, and high-concurrency architecture.

- Operational mindset: Strong background in CI/CD pipelines, containerized deployments (Docker/Kubernetes), and production observability/monitoring tools.

Nice-to-haves

- Maritime & geospatial domain knowledge: Familiarity with vessel AIS data, geospatial systems, logistics, or global trade datasets.

- Legacy modernization: Track record of refactoring monolithic architectures into event-driven, decoupled microservices.

- Cloud infrastructure: Experience with AWS cloud services and infrastructure-as-code (Terraform).

We are a dynamic company dedicated to nurturing connections and innovating solutions to tackle market challenges head-on. If you thrive on customer satisfaction and turning ideas into reality, then you’ve found your ideal destination. Are you ready to embark on this exciting journey with us?

We make things happen We act decisively and with purpose, going the extra mile.

We build
together We foster relationships and develop creative solutions to address market challenges.

We are here to help We are accessible and supportive to colleagues and clients with a friendly approach.

Our People Pledge

Don’t meet every single requirement? Research shows that women and people of color are less likely than others to apply if they feel like they don’t match 100% of the job requirements. Don’t let the confidence gap stand in your way, we’d love to hear from you! We understand that experience comes in many different forms and are dedicated to adding new perspectives to the team.

Kpler is committed to providing a fair, inclusive and diverse work-environment. We believe that different perspectives lead to better ideas, and better ideas allow us to better understand the needs and interests of our diverse, global community. We welcome people of different backgrounds, experiences, abilities and perspectives and are an equal opportunity employer.

By applying, I confirm that I have read and accept the Staff Privacy Notice

## About Kpler

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Kpler is a data and analytics platform providing real-time intelligence on global commodity flows, vessel movements, and physical trade.
- **Entity Type**: Private (PE-backed; primarily founder- and employee-owned)
- **Headquarters**: Brussels, Belgium
- **Founded**: 2014
- **Founders**: Two engineers (names not publicly listed) who started the company in a kitchen

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: Maritime and commodity trade intelligence; data & analytics (classified as Technology, Information and Media)
- **Target customers**: B2B — commodity traders, analysts, shipping professionals, energy companies, supply chain operators, and financial institutions across 40+ markets (liquids, gas, dry bulk, freight, power)
- **Mission**: "Serve as the definitive intelligence platform for global physical trade, driving real-time decisions"

## Products & Services
- **Kpler Platform**: Subscription-based real-time cargo tracking and commodity flow analytics covering 40+ markets, including vessel movements, volumes, product grades, buyers/sellers, and forecasted destinations.
- **MarineTraffic**: World's leading ship tracking and maritime intelligence provider, acquired as a Kpler brand.
- **Inbox**: Collaborative communication platform designed specifically for the maritime and global supply chain industry.
- **Kpler APIs & Data Integrations**: Developer portal for embedding trade-flow and maritime data into applications, plus an Excel Add-In, Cloud DB, and Snowflake-native data solutions.
- **Kpler MCP (Beta)**: Model Context Protocol integration that lets large language models translate plain-language requests into precise API calls, returning answers as narrative, charts, or CSV.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation**: Not disclosed
- **Key Metric**: Total funding of **$201.6M** across funding rounds, most recently a Private Equity round (April 2022) led by Insight Partners and Five Arrows Growth Capital, followed by a secondary market round (June 2026) led by Sixth Street.
- **Annual Revenue**: LinkedIn's data provider reports **EUR 6.7M** — this figure appears significantly understated relative to the company's scale (850+ employees, profitable since launch) and should be treated as an unreliable estimate.
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Insight Partners, Five Arrows Growth Capital, Sixth Street
- **Growth Signals**:
  - Headcount grew **+22.1% YoY** (data provider reports 599 employees; company site reports 850+ employees and 69 nationalities)
  - Acquisitions: **FleetMon** (March 2023) and **COR-e** (September 2022), plus MarineTraffic
  - **54 active job postings**; job postings up **+116% YoY**
  - Expanding into power markets with dedicated Data Engineer and ML Engineer roles
  - Processes **1.3bn+ AIS signals per day** with a global network of agents and experts

## Competitive Advantages
- **Proprietary datasets**: 1.3bn+ AIS signals per day and 245k–255k+ tracked assets/experts create a defensible data moat.
- **First-mover in LNG**: Revolutionized the LNG market with the first cargo-tracking solution in 2014.
- **Profitable from the start**: Remains primarily owned by founders and team members, allowing long-term product focus.
- **Global footprint**: Operations in 10+ countries with workforce distributed across 34+ countries, providing on-the-ground intelligence and 24/7 coverage.
- **Brand portfolio**: MarineTraffic and FleetMon extend reach across maritime and supply chain segments.

## Strategic Focus
- Building a "singular platform for global trade intelligence" that consolidates commodities, freight, and maritime data.
- Expanding into **power markets** and adjacent commodity verticals.
- Investing in **AI/ML capabilities**, including the MCP beta for LLM-driven data access and ML engineering hires.
- Deepening **data integrations** (APIs, Snowflake, Cloud DB, Excel) to embed Kpler data into customer workflows.

## Why Work Here
- **Flexibility**: Hybrid, fully remote, or on-site options; employees can work from central office spaces, sponsored co-working hubs, or fully remote.
- **Perks**: WFH monthly allowance for electricity and wi-fi, top-of-range office equipment and setup budget, health insurance coverage.
- **Leave**: Global maternity, parental, medical, festival, and compassionate leave policies.
- **Culture**: 69 nationalities across the company; regular online and on-site social events; described as "globally minded, flexibility-driven, and innovation-fueled."
- **Employer rating**: 3.7/5 from 158 reviews on LinkedIn — Work-Life 3.7, Compensation 3.7, Culture 3.2, Career 3.5.
- **Salary benchmarks** (from LinkedIn data): Account Manager ~$99,343/yr, Account Executive ~$111,985/yr, Data Engineer ~€60,000/yr.
- **Talent pool**: Frequently hires from competitors and adjacent data providers including MarineTraffic, Spire, Wood Mackenzie, S&P Global, Argus Media, and Bloomberg.

## Sources
1. [kpler.com — Careers](https://www.kpler.com/company/careers)
2. [kpler.com — About Us](https://www.kpler.com/company/about-us)
3. [linkedin.com — Kpler](https://www.linkedin.com/company/kpler)
4. [jobs.lever.co — Kpler](https://jobs.lever.co/kpler)
5. [kpler.com — Homepage](https://www.kpler.com/?r=0)

## Other roles at Kpler

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- [Account Manager - Maritime - MEA](https://feeny.ai/job/account-manager-maritime-mea-kpler-dubai-x9ag77d04hrw) — Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- [Account Executive - Banking/Hedge Funds](https://feeny.ai/job/account-executive-banking-hedge-funds-kpler-new-york-t1z493pr48sp) — New York, NY
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- [Product Designer - Mobile](https://feeny.ai/job/product-designer-mobile-kpler-united-kingdom-dsw8e5f7axgj) — United Kingdom
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