Lead Software Engineer (Player-Coach) - Node.js/React.js - AI-Native Teams

Qover; Brussel Hoofdstad; Hybrid; EUR 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote work flexibility (up to 3 days)

28 days off

Brussels workspace

Collaborative culture

Social events

Job summary

Qover, a leading insurtech scale-up based in Brussels, seeks an experienced Lead Software Engineer to head one of our product engineering teams. You will remain close to code, customer problems, and delivery realities while guiding strategic initiatives in AI-assisted engineering.

You’ll initially lead a core product engineering domain such as Policy Management and help power embedded insurance experiences for global brands. A hybrid work model is available.

Qualifications

• Proven leadership of engineering teams delivering complex software systems.
• Experience with distributed systems, API design and modern tech stacks.
• Strong mentorship and coaching capabilities for engineers.

Responsibilities

• Own engineering outcomes end-to-end from discovery to production and improvement.
• Lead one of our product engineering teams and coach engineers for excellence.
• Collaborate with Product and Design to align strategy and delivery.
• Champion AI-native approaches with responsible guardrails and human oversight.

Skills

Tech leadership

Engineering ownership

Delivery foundations

Cloud operations

People leadership

Product partnership

AI-native leadership

Domain experience

Tools

TypeScript

Node.js

React

MongoDB

Java

C#

Go

Python

Docker

Kubernetes

Job description

Who we are :

We are Qover, a leading insurtech scale-up that has raised $100 million. With an international team of 160+ colleagues based in Brussels and beyond, we help companies orchestrate digital embedded insurance experiences — creating meaningful connections with their community and enabling their success.

Since Qover was founded in 2016, our co‑founders have had a clear vision of the future of insurance: it must be simple, transparent, and accessible across borders — a global safety net.

Our platform protects 15M+ users across 32 European countries and works with longstanding partners like Revolut, Mastercard, BMW, Canyon, and Monzo, among many others.

.Visit our website for more about what we do!

The Opportunity: Your Next Big Leap

AsaLeadSoftwareEngineer,youwillleadoneofour5productengineeringteamsasapeopleleaderandtechnicallycredibleplayer-coach.Accountableforyourteam’sdelivery,technicalquality,productionownership,andgrowth,youwillpartnercloselywithProductandDesign.Youwillstayclosetothecode,thecustomerproblem,andoperationalreality.

Youwillinitiallyleadacoreproductengineeringteam(e.g.,ourPolicyManagementPlatformoranotherstrategicdomain).You’llhelppowerembeddedinsuranceexperiencesusedbytopglobalbrands.

LeadtheCharge:AI-AssistedEngineering

TurnAIintoacompetitiveedgebychampioningthepragmaticintegrationofAItools.Youwillidentifyhigh-impactapplicationsforcodingagents,defineclearguardrails,andmentorengineerstoensurehumanaccountabilityforsecurityandqualityremainsparamount.

• CultivateathoughtfulAIculture:Useagentsintentionallyforimplementation,debugging,anddocumentation.
• Establishresponsibleguardrails:Maintainrigoroushumanreview,testing,andownershipofAI-generatedoutput.Managedatasensitivity.
• Coachforexcellence:Emphasizestrongtechnicalspecsandrecognizewhenhumanjudgmentoutweighsautomation.
• Measurewhatmatters:Focusonoutcomeslikereducedtoilandimproveddeliveryflowoversimplytrackingtooladoption.
• Scalebestpractices:CollaboratewithPrincipalandPlatformengineerstorefinereusabletoolingacrosstheorganization.

Your Impact: What You’ll Do

Youwillownengineeringoutcomesend-to-end,contributingfromdiscoveryandtechnicaldesignthroughimplementation,deployment,monitoring,andcontinuousimprovement.

FosterTalent&DriveDelivery

• Championteamexecution:PartnerwiththePMtoturnprioritiesintorealisticplanswithapredictable,high-qualityshippingcadence.
• Cultivateengineeringgrowth:Mentoranddevelopyourteamthroughconsistentfeedback,performancemanagement,anddedicatedcoaching.
• Buildahigh-trustculture:Promotepsychologicalsafetyandaccountability.
• Collaborativeleadership:WorkwithfellowEngineeringLeadstooptimizecross-teamworkflowswithoutunnecessarybureaucracy.

StayRootedinTechnicalExcellence

• Player-coachmentality:Engagewiththecodebaseforcredibletechnicalguidance—participatingindesigns,reviews,andincidentresolution.
• Elevatethequalitybar:Ownstandardsforcodequality,automatedtesting,security,observability,andmaintainability.
• OperationalResilience:Runanditerateonwhatyoubuild,leadingblamelesspost-mortemsandfixingrecurringdebt.
• Pragmaticdecision-making:Balancespeed,security,andtechnicaldebttodelivermaximumproductvalue.
• Leverageexpertise:PartnerwithPrincipalEngineersoncomplexmissionswhilekeepingdailytechnicalownershipwithinyourteam.

BridgeProductandEngineering

• Strategicpartnership:ActasthePM'stechnicalcounterpart,collaboratingonscopingandsequencingtopreventdeliverysurprises.
• Meaningfuldiscovery:Providetechnicalperspectivetotranslatevaguerequirementsintorobustsoftwaresolutions.
• Designalignment:Explicitlydiscussusabilityandtechnicalfeasibilitytrade-offswithDesigners.
• Transparentcommunication:Articulatetechnicaltrade-offstostakeholders,justifyingdecisionswithafocusonpracticaloutcomes.

OptimizetheEcosystem

• Eliminatefriction:Reduceoperationaltoil,recurringbugs,andunnecessaryhand-offs.
• Championsharedtooling:Integratesharedplatformcapabilitiesandsecuritybestpractices.
• Empowerautonomy:Helpengineersbecomeconfidentdecision-makers,reducingrelianceonanysingleindividual.

YourArsenal:TheSkillsYouBring

• Technicalleadershipanddepth:7+yearsbuildingandoperatingproductionsystems.Strongengineeringfundamentals.Hands-onenoughtoguidedesign,reviewcode,andsolvecomplexproblems.Qover’splatformreliesonTypeScript,Node.js,React,andMongoDB,butwewelcomeleadersfromecosystemslikeJava,C#,Go,orPython.ExperiencewithdistributedsystemsandAPIdesigniskey.
• Engineeringownership:Responsibilityforquality,security,maintainability,andoperability.Youprovidehigh-signalcodereviews.
• Deliveryfoundations:ExperiencewithRESTfulAPIs,3rd-partyintegrations,dataconsistency,Gitworkflows,CI/CD,andautomateddeployments.
• Cloudandoperations:Experiencewithcloudenvironments(GCPpreferred).Docker/Kubernetesfamiliarityisaplus.Comfortableimprovingobservabilityandincidentresponse.
• Peopleleadership:Experiencemanaging,coaching,anddevelopingengineers.Abletocreateclarityandgivedirectfeedback.
• Productpartnership:Skilledatworkingwithstakeholderstomakepragmatictrade-offsonscope,risk,anddelivery.
• AI-nativeengineeringleadership:Hands-onexperienceusingcodingagents/AItoolstoimprovethroughputandquality.Accountableforresponsibleadoption,definingworkflows,andmeasuringvaluewithoutcompromisinghumanoversight.
• Domainexperience:Experienceininsurance,fintech,oranotherregulateddomainisastrongadvantage.

WhatSuccessLooksLike

• Reliabledelivery:Roadmapgoalstranslateintoresultsthroughtransparentsequencingandreduceddeliverysurprises.
• Teamgrowthandengagement:Highengagementandtrustempowerengineers;performancecoachingresolvestalentchallenges.
• Systemresilience:Measurableupwardtrendinquality/stability,withfewerrecurringdefectsandreducedfriction.
• Product–engineeringpartnership:Unifiedteammakingcollaborativetrade-offsinsteadofrigidhand-offs.
• EffectiveAI-assistedengineering:PragmaticadoptionofAItoolsthatacceleratesdevelopmentspeedwithoutcompromisinghuman-ledstandards.

TheVibe:WhoYouAre

• Thepragmaticplayer-coach:Caresaboutcleancodeandhealthypractices;knowswhentoprioritizeshippingandlearning.
• Theadaptableexplorer:Comfortableinascale-upwithshiftingpriorities.ActivelyusesAI-assistedengineeringwhereitcreatesvalue.
• Thecommunicator:Communicatesclearly,asksgoodquestions,andcollaborateswellacrossfunctions.
• Thefunco-worker:Constructive,kind,andcollaborative.Enjoysmentoringandsharingknowledge.

What’s in it for you:

• A flexible work environment: up to three days remote per week and the ability to work from anywhere one month per year
• 28 days off (8 extra days on top of the 20 legal days)
• A nice working space in a great location in Brussels: Qover-dedicated space at WeWork (Rue du Commerce 31) with a large terrace to enjoy team events
• A positive company culture that values teamwork and taking initiative but also having fun, with regular social events
• A collaborative and communal environment where everyone is welcomed, valued and accepted regardless of their nationality, gender, age, sexual orientation, disability, philosophical or political views, etc.
• The chance to work among entrepreneurial people, giving you the opportunity to learn and have a real impact at one of Europe’s fastest-growing insurtechs