Backend Engineer - Machine Learning and Data Engineering

Location: Global

Team: General

About the Role

Join Wise's Servicing Machine Learning & Data Engineering team in Budapest as a Backend Engineer, where you'll build a reliable, efficient platform for risk assessment data points. Own the feature lifecycle from experimentation to deployment, enabling risk teams to create better controls against financial crime through high-quality data, predictive features, and scalable models. Help scale Wise's mission to move money globally with min fees, max ease, and full speed. As a key technical leader, you'll guide the data engineering and ML community, tackle complex challenges in distributed microservices, and drive decisions with stakeholders. Success means understanding team vision, customer pain points in payments, and delivering impactful solutions that prevent threats and satisfy regulators. Wise offers a global, inclusive culture with flexible work, RSUs (1,280,000 - 1,700,000 HUF/monthly + equity), and perks like sabbaticals and health insurance. Be part of a diverse team building money without borders.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide technical assistance and guidance to Wise's data engineering and machine learning community
• Take ownership of difficult technical problems
• Participate in the vision for data engineering through documents and conversations
• Get buy-in from stakeholders and leadership
• Communicate effectively at different levels of complexity
• Create and review pull requests
• Build reliable, efficient, and centralized platform for risk assessment data points
• Help risk teams improve controls by enhancing labels and discovering new fincrime typologies

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of Java 11+ knowledge (and willingness to quickly learn python)
• Experience with batch OR stream processing (preferably Apache Spark and Flink/Kafka streams)
• Experience with complex systems distributed across several microservices, kafka, scattered data and ownership
• Hands on knowledge of system integration patterns
• Strong product mindset and passion for user experience

Preferred Qualifications

• Willingness to contribute in UI-related projects
• Ability to drive complex technical decisions and get buy-in from stakeholders
• Experience with predictive features and machine learning models

Required Skills

• Java 11+
• Python (willingness to learn)
• Apache Spark
• Flink/Kafka streams
• Microservices architecture
• Distributed systems
• Kafka
• System integration patterns
• Problem-solving
• Product mindset

Benefits

• RSUs (stock options)
• Flexible working
• Mission days and me days
• Paid sabbatical after 4 years
• Health insurance
• Learning budget
• Company retreats
• Wise card

Wise is an equal opportunity employer committed to building a diverse workforce.