Graduate Software Engineer

Relay is fundamentally reshaping how goods move in an online era. Backed by Europe's largest-ever logistics Series A ($35M), led by deep-tech investors Plural (whose portfolio spans fusion energy and space exploration), Relay is scaling faster than 99.98% of venture-backed startups. We're assembling the most talent-dense team the logistics industry has ever seen

Relay's Mission is to free commerce from friction. Today, high delivery costs act as a hidden tax on e-commerce, quietly shaping what can be sold online and limiting who can participate. We envision a world where more goods move more freely between more people, making the online shopping experience seamless and accessible to everyone.

THE TEAM
• 90 people, more than half in engineering, product and data
• 45+ advanced degrees across computer science, mathematics and operations research
• Thousands of data points captured, calculated, analysed and predicted for every single parcel we handle
• An intellectually vibrant culture of first principles thinking, tight feedback loops and relentless experimentation

Work Alongside Industry Leaders

Rob Ladbrook - Director of Engineering

Rob was Deliveroo's first IC to be promoted to Principal Engineer, renowned for building ultra-low-latency, fault-tolerant systems at global scale (Deliveroo, Meta). His platforms handle hundreds of millions of real-time transactions with four-nines uptime. At Relay, Rob champions innovation, consistently seeking and supporting new ideas that redefine what's possible.

Diego Protas - Director of Platform Engineering

Diego, an expert in distributed systems and hardware architecture, merging physical computing with enterprise-scale infrastructure. Previously directing teams of 170+ engineers at Mercado Libre and orchestrating large-scale ML-based inference at Meta. At Relay, Diego's infectious enthusiasm and hands-on leadership are redefining the boundaries of speed and reliability.

Tech Stack Highlights

• Python, Rust and TypeScript - we keep things simple but use the right tool for the job

• Cross-platform Flutter apps with a deep focus on user experience

• Cloud-native on GCP with extensive use of BigQuery and Cloud Run

• Extensive use of ML modelling and LLM inference - no gimmicks here, this is our daily routine

• Emerging tech integrations, including robotics and IoT-powered operations

The Opportunity

As a Graduate Software Engineer at Relay, you will:

• Define and implement the core concepts of our API.

• Build the first versions of our courier-facing software to guide the delivery of thousands of parcels every day.

• Help stand up our data infrastructure stack, the basis of our routing, topology management, and other core operations research tasks.

• Regularly spend time in the field learning how the technology you build impacts our couriers and parcel recipients.

You Might Be a Great Fit If

• You are a final year university student with initial engineering experience through internships and academic projects.

• You're excited to take on any engineering challenge from cloud infrastructure to frontend development. Curiosity and willingness to learn matter more than past exposure.

• You have high agency and pride of ownership in your work, taking initiative to drive impact.

• You demonstrate empathy for the humans you build for, seeking feedback from customers, partners, and colleagues.

• You are eager to learn new technologies and problem domains.

• You value clear communication, active listening, and intentional collaboration.

We Are Looking for Candidates Who

• Are ready to join us in Summer 2026 and able to work in our London office 4 days a week.

• Have worked on high-performing teams building software.

• Have broad experience across a variety of technology stacks.

Fast and Focused Hiring Process

1. Talent Acquisition Interview - 30 min

2. Programming Interview - 1 hour

3. API Integration Interview - 1 hour

4. Operating Principles & Impact - 1 hour

5. Decision and offer within 48 hours; our process mirrors our pace of work, typically completed in a week.

Who Thrives at Relay?

• Aim with Precision: You define problems clearly and measure your impact meticulously.

• Play to Win: You chase bold bets, tackle the hard stuff, and view constraints as fuel, not friction.

• 1% Better Every Day: You believe that small, consistent improvements lead to exponential growth. You move quickly, deliver results, and learn from every experience.

• All In, All the Time: You show up and step up. You take ownership from start to finish and do what it takes to deliver when it counts.

• People-Powered Greatness: You invest in your teammates. You give and receive feedback with care and candour. You build trust through high standards and shared success.

• Grow the Whole Pie: You seek out win-win solutions for merchants, couriers, and our customers, because when they thrive, so do we.
  
  If these resonate, and you combine strong technical fundamentals with entrepreneurial drive, let's connect.

Compensation, Benefits & Workplace

• Generous equity, richer than 99% of European startups, with annual top-ups to share Relay's success.

• Private health & dental coverage, so comprehensive you'd need to be a partner at a Magic Circle law firm to match it.

• 25 days of holidays

• Enhanced parental leave.

• Hardware of your choice.

• Extensive perks (gym subsidies, cycle-to-work, Friday office lunch, covered Uber home and dinner for late nights, and more).

• Located in Shoreditch, our office set-up enables the kind of in-person interactions that drive impact. We work 4 days on-site, with 1 day remote.

Relay is an equal-opportunity employer committed to diversity, inclusion, and fostering a workplace where everyone thrives.