Lead Developer

VIQU IT; Oxford; Hybrid; GBP 75,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A growing tech company in the energy sector seeks a Lead Developer to guide development and transition into Engineering Management. The role involves leading a serverless cloud stack and mentoring teams while shaping engineering practices. This position offers career growth to CTO-level responsibilities and the flexibility of hybrid work, requiring commuting to the Oxfordshire area. Key qualifications include engineering leadership, technical expertise in Python and AWS, with a clear opportunity for impactful contributions and mentorship.

Benefits

Flexible hybrid working

Direct mentorship from founders

Opportunity for clear career advancement

High-impact role

Qualifications

• Experience leading or managing developers.
• Proven mentoring and coaching junior engineers.
• Comfortable in shaping team culture and best practices.

Responsibilities

• Lead development across a modern, serverless cloud stack.
• Support agile delivery within small, self-managing teams.
• Shape the engineering culture and best-practice processes.

Skills

Engineering Leadership

Mentoring junior engineers

Shaping best practices

Python

AWS serverless technologies

React / JavaScript

REST APIs

SQL

Job description

Lead Developer Step Into Engineering Management (CTO-Level Growth Ahead)

£75,000 to £100,000 + Bonus (10%)

Hybrid: 1 to 2 Days Onsite (Oxfordshire Area)

Must Be Commutable

We are working with a rapidly growing technology business in the energy sector, scaling at 40% year on year and about to onboard several major new clients. They are now looking for a Lead Developer who wants to step into genuine engineering leadership, with a clear path into Software Engineering Manager and longer-term CTO-level responsibility as the business evolves.

The company was originally spun out of a well-known energy organisation by two highly skilled senior developers who have successfully launched multiple businesses. As they step back from day-to-day leadership over the next 12 months, this role will become the central technical leadership position in the organisation.

The Opportunity

This role has two phases:

Phase 1: Lead Developer (Now)

• Lead development across a modern, serverless cloud stack (AWS, Python, React, SQL).
• Work closely with the senior developers while contributing hands‑on.
• Take ownership of development standards, technical decision‑making and tooling.
• Support agile delivery within small, self‑managing teams.

Phase 2: Engineering Manager / Future Technical Leader

• Grow, mentor and manage multiple development teams (approx. 3 teams of 3).
• Coach junior developers and guide technical career paths.
• Shape the engineering culture, best‑practice processes and delivery frameworks.
• Take increasing ownership of technical strategy as the founders step back.

This is a perfect role for a Lead Developer or Senior Developer who enjoys leading people and wants a realistic path into Engineering Management and eventually CTO‑level ownership.

What They Are Prioritising (in order of importance)

1. Engineering Leadership

• Experience leading or managing developers.
• Proven mentoring, coaching or developing junior engineers.
• Comfortable shaping best practices, processes and team culture.

2. Technical Foundations

Experience with any of the following is beneficial (they are open-minded):

• Python
• AWS serverless (Lambda, S3, SQS, API Gateway)
• React / JavaScript
• REST APIs
• SQL

Strong back‑end or cloud developers from other stacks will still be considered.

3. Energy Sector Experience (Nice-to-Have)

Beneficial but not essential.

Why Join

• Join a fast‑growing business with major new clients.
• Direct mentorship from highly experienced senior developers and founders.
• Opportunity to shape the future engineering organisation.
• Clear, credible route to Engineering Manager to CTO‑level leadership.
• Hybrid working with flexibility (typically 1 to 2 days onsite).
• A genuine high‑impact role where your decisions will shape the company s future.

Apply now to speak with VIQU IT in confidence. Or contact Aaron Chiverton via the VIQU IT website. Know someone great? Refer them and receive up to £1,000 if successful (terms apply). For more exciting roles and opportunities, follow us on IT Recruitment.