Hands-on Head of Engineering/Tech Lead £130k

ZipRecruiter; London; Hybrid; GBP 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in London is seeking a hands-on Head of Engineering or Tech Lead to spearhead their transition to in-house development. The ideal candidate will have strong Ruby on Rails expertise and experience in data-driven environments. This hybrid role offers the opportunity to shape a tech culture and make strategic decisions while leading a small team of engineers. With a competitive salary of up to £130k and a range of benefits, this is a fantastic opportunity for a strategic leader who enjoys hands-on coding.

Benefits

25 holiday days plus bank holidays

Annual L&D budget

Team socials

Wellbeing budget of £200/year

Standard pension contribution

Qualifications

• Strong Ruby on Rails expertise and deep architectural experience.
• Experience within data-driven organizations.

Responsibilities

• Lead the transition from external consultancy to in-house development.
• Build a small team of Ruby Engineers and create a tech culture.

Skills

Ruby on Rails

Leadership

Data-Driven Decision Making

Tools

React

Postgres

AWS

Heroku

Job description

Job Title: Hands-on Head of Engineering / Tech Lead - up to £130k - Ruby on Rails

The title is flexible. Given the hands-on nature of the role, it is primarily a Tech Lead position. However, as the first developer hire responsible for leading the company's transition from external consultancy to in-house development, the title of Head of Engineering may also be appropriate.

The company is established but is transitioning to building its own in-house development team after years of working with a software agency. They already have product team members and are looking for someone to help create a tech culture, build a small team of Ruby Engineers, facilitate the transition from the consultancy, and make strategic data-driven decisions.

Ideal candidates will have strong Ruby on Rails expertise, deep architectural experience, and experience within data-driven organizations.

Location: London - Hybrid in Shoreditch, with 1 day a week on-site or more if preferred.

Salary: Up to £130,000

Benefits include: 25 holiday days (plus bank holidays, increasing with tenure), annual L&D budget, team socials, wellbeing budget of £200/year, standard pension contribution.

Tech stack: Ruby on Rails (essential), React (ideal), Postgres, Stimulus, Tailwind, AWS, Heroku, and other smaller tools.

This role is suitable for someone who enjoys both hands-on coding and strategic leadership in a smaller business environment. You should be comfortable making technical decisions and have some leadership experience, whether as Head of Engineering, Engineering Manager, or Tech Lead.