Lead Engineer Lead Backend Engineer

Two Circles; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading sports marketing firm in London is seeking a Lead Backend Developer with a strong background in software engineering. The ideal candidate has over 10 years of experience and will lead the design and implementation of innovative digital solutions. This hybrid role involves collaborating with engineering teams and clients to deliver high-quality products, making it essential to have strong technical skills in JavaScript, MongoDB, and architecture principles. The position also includes a competitive benefits package tailored to individual needs.

Benefits

Comprehensive benefits package

Discretionary Bonus

Private healthcare

Gym membership contribution

Performance Reviews every 6 months

Qualifications

• Minimum of 10 years experience in software engineering.
• Strong desire to continually learn and improve.
• Hands-on experience with database systems.

Responsibilities

• Design and deliver high-quality digital solutions.
• Create architectural diagrams for product strategies.
• Provide technical leadership for digital projects.

Skills

JavaScript fundamentals

TypeScript fundamentals

MongoDB

MySQL

PostgreSQL

React/Angular

Software architecture principles

DevOps culture

Problem solving

Communication skills

Education

Degree in Computer Science or equivalent

Job description

Role

Lead Backend Developer

Office

London

About Two Circles

We are a Sports & Entertainment Marketing business growing audiences and revenues through deep fan insights. Our global clients include the English Premier League, Red Bull, UEFA, VISA, the NFL, Nike and Amazon. With almost 1,000 people across 14 offices we deliver work for sports and entertainment businesses worldwide.

Job Description

We are expanding our technical team and looking for an experienced Lead Backend Developer to join our London office and provide technical engineering seniority covering design leadership and hands‑on implementation of digital products and solutions for our clients.

The chosen person will play a pivot role influencing the rapidly growing Two Circles technology proposition and will be responsible for technical seniority and supporting technology consulting projects identifying and advising on appropriate solutions for our clients.

You will have a track record of designing and delivering high‑quality digital solutions over the last 5 years and a keen interest in the application of technology in the sports industry.

Key Responsibilities (People Engineering Culture)

• Work closely with Engineering Managers, Engineering Leads and Product Managers to understand problems and define technical scope for global sports properties.
• You will be active in the hiring of other Software Engineers whilst helping refine and improve the process.
• Being an advocate for developer experience and a keen interest in continually improving it.
• Encouraging a blameless culture of continuous improvement and technical excellence.
• This is a hybrid role where you are expected to be in our London office for 2 days a week and occasionally travel to client offices in London and EMEA.

Key Responsibilities (Technical)

• Creation of architectural diagrams and technical specifications for multi‑platform product strategies (applications used by millions of users daily).
• Influencing and contributing to the technical design and development of digital projects.
• Working alongside clients and project teams to understand requirements and provide technical expertise and leadership on appropriate solutions.
• Setting up software development frameworks for release management, automation, code quality and source control.
• Hands‑on when required to solve problems and set up projects for success during the early stages.
• Collaboration with product leads, consultants, designers and developers to deliver high‑quality solutions across web, mobile apps and OTT.
• Technical authoring and supporting business development opportunities.
• Providing technical leadership, mentoring and guidance to other Two Circles development resources.
• Keeping up to date on emerging technologies and trends in sports technology.

Requirements

Skills

• A minimum of 10 years experience in software engineering.
• A strong desire to continually learn and improve.
• Solid understanding of JavaScript and TypeScript fundamentals with hands‑on experience.
• Strong understanding of database systems including document‑oriented databases such as MongoDB and relational databases such as MySQL or PostgreSQL.
• An understanding or interest in at least one JavaScript framework such as React, Angular or similar.
• Familiarity with software architecture principles and common design patterns, particularly in building scalable systems.
• An appreciation of DevOps and platform engineering culture.
• Proactive in solving problems simply and effectively with an eye for pragmatic solutions.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to communicate to a variety of audiences, explain solutions and collaborate effectively with others.

Nice To Have

• A degree in Computer Science or equivalent.
• Experience with event‑driven architecture.
• A keen interest in sport and sports business.

Benefits

We offer a benefits package to suit you and your lifestyle. Out of a core monthly budget you can choose your own comprehensive benefit package.

• Renowned Team Days often throughout the year.
• Summer Away Days.
• 23 standard days of holiday (1 Birthday, 1 Well‑being Day, 1 Big Life Event and 1 Admin Day) plus closure of office over Christmas (plus Bank Holidays).
• Discretionary Bonus based on company performance.
• Performance Reviews every 6 months with discretionary salary increases.
• Private healthcare (Vitality) and / or Health Care Plan (Medicash).
• Mobile phone contribution.
• Sport Challenge contribution.
• Gym membership contribution.
• 2 × annual kit drops.

Equal Opportunity

Two Circles is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age or veteran status.