Lead Developer- Technical Lead (Remote Freelance)

Jack Morton Worldwide Inc.; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Job summary

Jack Morton Worldwide Inc. seeks a senior, hands-on Lead Developer to own an existing product codebase and guide its transition from R&D prototype to a production-ready platform.

You will contribute code across React/TypeScript front-end, Python/FastAPI services, and AWS infrastructure, defining APIs and mentoring a second developer while coordinating data products, AI tools, and secure delivery.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of software engineering, including 3+ years in a lead/developer role.
• Strong full-stack capability across React/TypeScript and Python/FastAPI.
• Production experience with AWS, IaC, CI/CD, observability and security-by-design.
• Experience with PostgreSQL or Snowflake and cloud data platforms.
• Knowledge of multi-tenant SaaS, RBAC, entitlements and auditability.
• Experience designing versioned APIs and data contracts with breaking-change management.
• Strong automated testing discipline across apps, data and AI workflows.
• Proven ability to mentor developers while contributing to codebase.
• Clear communication with product, data, QA, security and exec stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead the transition from prototype to a secure, maintainable product.
• Design and build the reusable platform core, including API/BFF and data model.
• Remain hands-on across React/TypeScript, Python/FastAPI, AWS and testing.
• Define versioned APIs and data contracts between platform and data layer.
• Provide day-to-day technical oversight to the data-platform developer.
• Enforce isolation, security, auditability and governed AI outputs.
• Establish engineering standards for CI/CD, IaC, observability and release management.
• Maintain architecture docs with UML/PlantUML and ADRs; mentor teammates.

Skills

Full-stack capability

React/TypeScript

Python/FastAPI

AWS infrastructure

CI/CD / IaC

Security-by-design

RBAC & multi-tenant SaaS

Tools

React

TypeScript

Python

FastAPI

AWS

Terraform

Docker

Kubernetes

GitHub Actions

PlantUML

Job description

Come shape the future of brand experience.

At Jack Morton, we design and build head-turning, smile-inducing, impact-driving brand experiences that redefine what experiential marketing can achieve. We help our clients unlock the full value of experiences by turning bold ideas into meaningful connections.

That takes a team that's bold, curious, and acts as one. We build on each other's ideas, challenge conventions, and show up for one another every day. Here, you'll do your best work, grow quickly, and partner across clients, disciplines, and global teams to bring new ideas to life.

This is a place where curiosity drives what’s next, boldness raises the bar, and every win is shared. Where ownership is expected, egos are left at the door, and the work reflects the passion and talent of the people behind it.

Experience without limits—in your work, your growth, and your impact.

Lead Developer / Technical Lead - Freelance

AI-Enabled Product & Data Platform

Hands-on engineering lead to turn a mature R&D prototype into a secure, reusable, production-ready product platform.

Reports to

Product Lead / Technology Executive

Working pattern

Flexible hybrid / remote

As soon as possible

Role Overview

We are seeking a senior, hands-on technical lead to assume ownership of an existing product codebase and lead its transition from R&D prototype to production-ready platform. The role will contribute code from day one, own application architecture and delivery standards, and coordinate a second developer focused on the shared data and intelligence layer. The successful candidate will work across product, data, cloud, QA, security and UX to deliver a secure, scalable first release and establish the foundation for future modules.

Key Responsibilities

• Assess the current codebase, environments and contracts, then lead the transition from prototype to a secure, maintainable product.
• Design and build the reusable platform core, including the API/BFF layer, operational database, tenant/client/event model, roles, permissions, entitlements, configuration, audit and usage telemetry.
• Remain hands-on across React/TypeScript front-end development, Python/FastAPI services, AWS infrastructure, integrations and automated testing.
• Define versioned APIs and data contracts between the product platform and the shared data/intelligence layer, including backward-compatibility rules.
• Provide day-to-day technical oversight to the data-platform developer and coordinate data products, AI tools, evidence/lineage outputs, schema changes and release dependencies.
• Enforce client and event-level isolation, anonymized data handling, secure access, auditability and governed AI outputs.
• Establish engineering standards for code review, CI/CD, infrastructure as code, observability, quality gates, security and release management.
• Maintain concise architecture documentation using UML/PlantUML and Architecture Decision Records, while mentoring and unblocking additional developers as the team grows.
• Use generative AI to accelerate implementation, testing, documentation and refactoring while maintaining human review and secure engineering controls.

Technical Environment

React, TypeScript, Vite, Tailwind CSS, data visualization and schema validation.

Python, FastAPI, Pydantic and container/serverless API patterns.

Cloud

AWS API Gateway, Lambda, Cognito/OIDC, S3, CloudFront, KMS, Secrets Manager, CloudWatch and CloudTrail.

Data & AI

PostgreSQL-compatible operational database; Snowflake or comparable cloud data platform; governed enterprise AI/LLM integration.

DevOps

Terraform, GitHub Actions, Docker, OIDC-based deployment and multi-account governance.

Quality

Unit, integration, contract, security, data-quality and end-to-end testing.

Required Experience

• 8+ years of software engineering experience, including 3+ years in a lead developer, technical lead or hands-on architecture role.
• Strong full-stack capability across modern React/TypeScript applications and Python/FastAPI services.
• Production experience with AWS, infrastructure as code, CI/CD, observability, secrets management and secure identity patterns.
• Experience with PostgreSQL and Snowflake or a comparable cloud data platform.
• Strong understanding of multi-tenant SaaS, RBAC, entitlements, client isolation, auditability and security-by-design.
• Experience designing versioned APIs, schemas and data contracts, including breaking-change management.
• Strong automated testing discipline across application, data and AI workflows.
• Proven ability to lead and mentor developers while remaining an active contributor to the codebase.
• Clear communication with product, data, QA, security and executive stakeholders.

Preferred Experience

• Snowflake Cortex, enterprise AI agents, governed AI tools, RAG or comparable LLM platforms.
• Cognito, OAuth/OIDC, serverless/event-driven integration patterns and AWS multi-account governance.
• Data anonymization, pseudonymization, DLP, consent, retention and privacy-sensitive product design.
• TOGAF, UML/PlantUML and ADR-driven architecture governance.
• Usage metering, cloud cost attribution, FinOps or consumption-based product models.
• Client-facing consulting, analytics products, event/attendee data or product-incubation experience.

First 90 Days

Days 1-30

Assume ownership of the repository and environments; run the platform locally; assess architecture, contracts, security and deployment; produce a current-state/target-state gap assessment and prioritized backlog.

Days 31-60

Begin productizing the platform core: operational database, client/event entitlements, versioned API/BFF, data-platform adapter, local development workflow and QA/security test harness.

Days 61-90

Deliver a pilot-ready end-to-end thin slice with secure client isolation, product-grade dashboards, governed AI outputs, audit/usage telemetry, repeatable deployment and a roadmap for team growth.

Working Model

This is a hands-on lead role, not a management-only position. The successful candidate will initially spend a significant portion of the engagement writing and reviewing production code while setting technical standards and overseeing the data-platform developer. The role will expand as additional engineers and product modules are funded.

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