Software Engineer - Backend (Product Intelligence)

About the role

The Product Intelligence Platform is an AI-driven system that revolutionizes how Tesco handles product data at scale. The platform leverages multi-agent AI systems to automate product categorization, enrichment, and matching across a vast number of products on a weekly basis. Built on event-driven architecture using Kafka, the platform processes millions of events monthly through core AI capabilities.

A Software Engineer in this team will be responsible for building and maintaining these AI-powered capabilities using Java/Spring Boot and Python, implementing scalable event-driven microservices on Azure Kubernetes Service, and working directly with LLMs to solve complex product intelligence challenges. The role requires someone who can bridge the gap between cutting-edge AI technology, engineering, and practical business applications, contributing to a platform that directly impacts millions of customer interactions weekly.

What is in it for you

Hybrid working

We know life looks a little different for each of us. That’s why at Tesco, we always welcome chats about different flexible working options. Some people are at the start of their careers, some want the freedom to do the things they love. Others are going through life-changing moments like becoming a carer, adapting to parenthood, or something else. So, talk to us throughout your application about how we can support.

This role requires you to be based in or near Kraków, as you will spend 60% (3 days) of your week collaborating with colleagues at our office locations or local sites and the rest remotely.

Our benefits

Tesco is a diverse and exciting employer, dedicated to being #aplacetogeton, providing career-defining opportunities to all of our colleagues. If you choose to join our business, we will provide you with:

• Up to 20% yearly salary bonus - based on both individual and business performance
• Permanent contract from the go - as a sign of our trust in your abilities
• Tax-deductible expenses (IP)
• Private healthcare (LuxMed)
• Cafeteria & Multisport
• Additional 4 days of paid leave to support your well-being and family life
• Increase in annual leave (from 20 to 25 days) for those not yet eligible for the full holiday entitlement
• Learning opportunities - certified technical training and a learning platform (Udemy)
• Back-to-school day - 1 day off for parents of primary school children
• Fertility leave - up to 2 weeks of paid leave for IVF treatment
• Sports activities with a personal trainer in the office
• Referral bonus
• MacBook as your work tool
• PetHelp - support and care for your pets

If that sounds exciting, then we'd love to hear from you.

You will be responsible for

• Designing and implementing microservices for product intelligence capabilities.
• Utilizing technologies including: Spring Boot, Python, Apache Kafka, PostgreSQL with PGVector for embeddings
• Developing and optimizing multi-agent systems.
• Building event-driven architectures for high-volume data processing.
• Implementing product matching algorithms using: Text similarity techniques, and image similarity techniques
• Ensuring system scalability and reliability to process over 1 million events per week.
• Collaborating with product managers and data scientists to translate business requirements into technical solutions.
• Maintaining infrastructure as code using Terraform on the Azure cloud platform.
• Participating in architectural decisions to expand the platform’s AI capabilities.
• Mentoring junior team members and supporting engineering excellence standards.
• Integrating with various Tesco systems, including both internal and external platforms.

You will need

Mandatory Skills

• Solid experience with Java and Spring Boot for building enterprise-grade applications.
• Basic knowledge of Python.
• Good understanding of event-driven architectures and Apache Kafka.
• Experience with cloud platforms, preferably Azure.
• Familiarity with Kubernetes for container orchestration.
• Working knowledge of databases, including PostgreSQL and NoSQL solutions.
• Experience with RESTful API design and microservices architecture.
• Understanding of software engineering best practices, including CI/CD, testing, and code review.
• Comfort working with distributed systems.

Nice-to-Have Skills

• Experience with Large Language Models (LLMs) and prompt engineering.
• Knowledge of vector databases and embedding technologies like PGVector.
• Familiarity with machine learning frameworks and computer vision.
• Experience with Infrastructure as Code (IaC) using Terraform.
• Knowledge of the retail or e-commerce domain.
• Experience with Couchbase or similar NoSQL databases.
• Understanding of data quality and governance principles.
• Previous experience building AI-powered applications.
• Experience working with multi-agent systems.

Unsure if you fit all the criteria? Apply and give us the chance to evaluate your potential - you could be the perfect fit!

About us

Our culture

Our colleagues work with one goal in mind, helping to make every day a little better for our customers, colleagues and communities all over the world. No two customers are the same, neither are our colleagues.

At Tesco, we champion a balance that lets you thrive both in and out of work. Spend 60% of your week collaborating with colleagues at our office locations or local sites and the rest remotely. Whether you're just kicking off your career, juggling passions, or navigating big life events, we're here to support you.

Tesco is committed to celebrating diversity and everyone is welcome at Tesco. As a Disability Confident Employer, we’re committed to providing a fully inclusive and accessible recruitment process, allowing candidates the opportunity to thrive and inform us of any reasonable adjustments they may require.

Want to get to know us better? Watch our team talk about our culture - YouTube

What our colleagues like the most at Tesco

• We develop our own products
• We make an impact; large scale of operation
• Accountability and respect are given to us
• We cooperate and support each other
• There are great colleagues who are divided into small teams here
• We can develop and learn new things

Discover how our colleagues shape Tesco’s tomorrow.