Lead Engineer

Whereby; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Barista coffee in office

Subsidised Just Eat lunches

Annual learning allowance

Parental leave policies

Job summary

Funding Circle is seeking an experienced Lead Engineer to join the CRI Engineering team within Core Services Engineering in London. The role focuses on leading complex delivery across teams, mentoring, and driving AI-enabled engineering standards to meet business needs.

The position is hybrid with in-office days in London and broad collaboration with product partners. You will shape technical strategy, own architectural decisions, and communicate with stakeholders at all levels to align with

Qualifications

• Proven track record of owning complex, ambiguous delivery across team boundaries.
• Mentoring and coaching mindset with ability to give and receive feedback.
• Strong instinct for spotting cross-team friction and resolving it.
• Experience in at least one major programming language (Python, Ruby, Clojure).
• Recognised technical authority with wide internal influence and good judgement.

Responsibilities

• Lead teams to deliver large, complex initiatives and own outcomes.
• Champion engineering-wide standards and leverage AI where appropriate.
• Act as a technical authority and role-model AI tooling usage.
• Drive technical strategy aligned with commercial outcomes and product needs.
• Collaborate with Engineering Manager and Product Manager to set tech and product vision.

Skills

Technical leadership

Mentoring

Cross-team collaboration

AI tooling

Stakeholder management

Tools

Python

Ruby

Clojure

Job description

We’re on a mission to back the UK’s small businesses like no one else

Small businesses are the backbone of the economy, and we’re here to help them win. We’ve built a platform that uses clever data to get them the funding they need in minutes, not weeks.

At Funding Circle, we have the restless energy of a fintech start-up with the stability of a public company. It’s a unique mix that gives Circlers the autonomy to take ownership and the scale to make an impact that truly counts.

We’re a high-performing team that chooses to lift each other up. We challenge, we champion, and we have each other’s backs – because we know that when we stand together, we move faster and build better.

The impact is real: Last year alone, the businesses on our platform generated £7.2bn for the UK economy

[Read our Impact Report] | [See our Trustpilot]

The role

London (Hybrid) | 2 days in the office | Competitive Salary + Benefits

We are looking for an experienced Lead Engineer to join our Collections, Recoveries and Investor (CRI) Engineering team, part of the Multi Product Experience (MPX) group within Core Services Engineering.

CRI spans two domains - Collections, Recoveries & Litigation (CRL) and Investor Management. Our systems sit directly in the path of every loan we fund and every investor relationship we hold, so reliability isn't optional. The stack is a mix of Ruby, Clojure and Python.

As Lead Engineer, you'll bring technical authority and hands-on delivery to a team navigating change on systems foundational to how the business runs.

• You lead your team(s) to deliver large, complex, ambiguous initiatives - brokering solution ideation across team boundaries and holding your team accountable for outcomes. With your Engineering Manager, you jointly own your team's engineering performance metrics, driving a culture of continuous improvement against them.

• You champion engineering-led improvements across Product Engineering, proactively spotting gaps and shaping engineering-wide standards, including how to most effectively leverage AI.

• You can solve technical problems within your area of focus, acting as a recognised technical authority across Product Engineering and role-modelling effective use of AI tooling.

• You drive technical strategy that correlates with commercial outcomes, proactively identifying how your area accounts for end-to-end customer needs and making trade-offs visible to product partners.

• You collaborate with your Engineering Manager and Product Manager to set the technical and product vision for your team and domain, ensuring alignment with broader Technology and business strategy.

• You drive architectural decisions affecting your team(s) and domain, ensuring designs are durable, scalable, and secure, while referring global decisions to the appropriate forums and owning the outcomes.

• You communicate expertly with stakeholders at all levels (including non-technical audiences) and know how to adapt your stakeholder-management style to the situation, navigating contentious conversations when they arise.

What we’re looking for

We value deep expertise, but a growth mindset and good energy are what really make our team click. We’re a group that chooses to lift each other up and think smart every day.

• A technical leader with a track record of owning complex, ambiguous delivery across team boundaries. Not just shipping features, but driving outcomes.

• A genuine passion for mentoring and coaching, with feedback (both giving and receiving it) embedded in how you work.

• Strong instincts for spotting cross-team friction or misalignment early, and the skill to navigate differing priorities to resolve it.

• Experience in at least one major Programming language (e.g. Python, Ruby, Clojure).

• Recognised technical authority in your domain, with Circlers across sub-departments seeking out your advice and trusting your judgement.

• Proven ability to leverage AI tooling to raise the bar on how your team builds and ships. Using it yourself, but also helping others build genuine fluency.

We’re building a place where everyone truly feels they belong. Even if your past experience doesn't align perfectly with every requirement, we'd still love to hear from you.

Why join us?

We back you to build an incredible career and by joining us, you'll be part of one of The Sunday Times Best Companies to Work For 2026! As a flexible-first employer, we use a "best of both" approach. We’ll see you in our London office to collaborate – with barista coffee and subsidised Just Eat lunches on us!

Our Circler Proposition focuses on five areas:

• Flexibility: We provide a benefit allowance you can tailor to your own life and family.

• Health: This includes private medical and dental, health assessments, and access to a digital GP.

• Wealth: We offer life assurance, share schemes, and financial coaching.

• Development: You get a dedicated annual learning allowance to help you level up.

• Lifestyle: We have electric car and cycle-to-work schemes, plus season ticket loans.

We also have award-winning parental leave policies. We're here to support you through the big life moments, from fertility treatments to new additions to the family.