Senior Software Engineer

About the role

Orbital is automating the commercial real estate legal sector with our AI assistant, Orbital Copilot. We are looking for a senior engineer to help us scale our platform as we expand across the UK and US following our 60 million dollar Series B funding. You will own the architecture of the core services that process legal documents and user interactions at scale. The role requires you to translate ambiguous business problems into robust technical solutions while collaborating closely with product and AI teams. You will be responsible for ensuring that the systems we build are reliable, performant, and capable of handling massive volumes of text efficiently. This position demands a proactive mindset where you identify bottlenecks and drive improvements without needing constant direction. You will work on high-impact features that directly influence how legal professionals work on a daily basis. Your contributions will help define the standards for AI-assisted legal technology in a rapidly evolving market.

What you'll do

• Contribute to a system processing over 1 trillion tokens to improve legal efficiency by 70 percent.
• Design and implement backend services that handle document ingestion, parsing, and secure storage.
• Collaborate with machine learning engineers to integrate large language models into the application workflow.
• Optimize database queries and infrastructure to reduce latency for critical user workflows.
• Write clean, maintainable code that adheres to strict security and compliance requirements.
• Participate in code reviews to uphold high technical standards and share knowledge across the team.
• Troubleshoot production incidents and work with the team to implement long-term fixes.
• Engage with stakeholders to understand requirements and translate them into technical specifications.
• Mentor junior engineers by providing guidance on best practices and code quality.
• Explore new technologies and propose experiments to improve the development process.
• Maintain a deep understanding of the legal domain to ensure technical solutions meet real-world needs.
• Monitor system performance and scalability as user adoption increases across the UK and US.

Requirements

• Demonstrated excellence in a professional, academic, or personal environment.
• Experience building agentic systems or working with complex machine learning products.
• A history of contributing to high-growth products generating millions in ARR.
• Rapid career growth, such as reaching a senior level within five years.
• Ability to maintain high technical standards while critiquing AI-generated code.
• A generalist approach with the flexibility to work across design, product, and AI domains.
• A strong belief in the potential for AI to transform industries.
• The right to work in the UK and the ability to commute to our Farringdon office 1 to 2 days per week.

Skills & tools

• TypeScript
• React
• PostgreSQL
• Python

Practical notes

• This is a hybrid role requiring 1 to 2 days per week in our Farringdon office.
• Benefits include 25 days of holiday plus bank holidays, a personal development budget, flexible working hours, and a cycle-to-work scheme.
• We provide free lunch on Wednesdays and a Deliveroo allowance for late office nights.
• All employees must adhere to ISO 27001 security standards and complete regular training.
• We operate in an ambiguous, fast-paced environment without a traditional corporate structure; this role is best suited for those who prioritize ownership over job titles.
• The position requires availability during standard working hours aligned with UK time zones.
• Candidates must be able to start following the completion of the current interview process and reference checks.
• Relocation support is not mentioned in the source, so candidates should confirm their ability to work from the designated London location.
• Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis until the role is filled.
• The successful candidate will be expected to integrate into the team quickly and begin contributing to active projects with minimal ramp-up time.
• This role is not suitable for individuals who require a fully remote or rigidly scheduled work arrangement.
• You will be expected to participate in occasional offsite meetings and company events as organized by the team.
• The fast-paced nature of the business means that priorities can change rapidly, and adaptability is essential.
• You must be comfortable working with minimal process and taking initiative to drive progress.
• The role involves significant responsibility, and the ideal candidate will thrive in an environment where autonomy is highly valued.
• All onboarding processes and security protocols must be completed before commencing active development work.
• The successful applicant will join a team that is focused on innovation and building the future of legal operations through technology.