Senior 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 Senior Backend Engineer, where you'll build a reliable, efficient platform for risk assessment data. Own the feature lifecycle from data discovery and experimentation to deployment in risk controls, enabling better fraud detection and regulatory compliance. Focus on high-quality data, predictive features for crime behavior, effective models, and comprehensive threat prevention. As a technical leader, provide guidance to the data engineering and ML community, solve complex problems in distributed systems, and drive vision through stakeholder collaboration. With 7+ years in Java and experience in stream processing like Spark or Flink, you'll prioritize user needs, make data-driven decisions, and scale Wise's world-class money transfer product globally. Wise offers a collaborative, inclusive environment with competitive pay (1,700,000 - 2,100,000 HUF/monthly + RSUs), flexible work, and impact on real customer lives by eliminating borders in money movement.

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 platforms for data points used in risk assessments
• Support risk teams in improving controls by enhancing labels, discovering fincrime typologies, and adopting new technologies

Required Qualifications

• 7+ years of Java 11+ knowledge (and willingness to quickly learn Python)
• 3+ years working with batch OR stream processing
• 3+ years working with complex systems distributed across several microservices, Kafka, scattered data and ownership

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Apache Spark
• Experience with Flink/Kafka streams

Required Skills

• Java 11+
• Python (willingness to learn quickly)
• Batch or stream processing
• Apache Spark
• Flink/Kafka streams
• Microservices architecture
• Kafka
• Strong product mindset
• Problem-solving skills
• System integration patterns

Benefits

• RSUs (stock options)
• Flexible working
• Parental leave
• Learning budget
• Paid sabbatical after 4 years
• Health insurance
• Company retreat
• Wise card

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