Lead Software Engineer

develop; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

MacBook

Home office contribution

Hybrid working

Birthday off

25 days holiday + bank holidays

Birthday off

Christmas shutdown

EMI scheme

Job summary

develop is seeking a Lead Software Engineer for a remote-first/hybrid role in London. You will drive architectural excellence while coding daily, mentoring engineers and shaping the platform's long-term roadmap.

The role blends hands-on coding with leadership, overseeing frontend, backend, and data infrastructure to deliver scalable, reliable software.

Qualifications

• 7+ years’ experience in software engineering.
• 2–3+ years leading in a Lead/Senior+ capacity.
• Proven experience building and scaling SaaS platforms.
• Experience leading architectural decisions and system design initiatives.
• Frontend: React, Tailwind.

Responsibilities

• Provide architectural oversight across frontend, backend, and data infrastructure.
• Set engineering standards for scalability, reliability and maintainability.
• Lead complex system design discussions and roadmaps.
• Develop frontend features with React (Vite) + Tailwind.
• Design scalable APIs using Node.js, Express, and tRPC.
• Optimize PostgreSQL performance and queries.
• Collaborate with data team on Elasticsearch-driven architecture.
• Mentor engineers and foster a high-performance culture.
• Deliver features from discovery to deployment and monitoring.

Skills

Leadership

Architectural leadership

SaaS scaling

React

Tailwind

Mentoring

Communication

Tools

React

Tailwind

Node.js

Express

tRPC

PostgreSQL

Elasticsearch

Job description

Lead Software Engineer | Remote First/Hybrid - London | £90,000 – £115,000 DOE

We’re partnering with a high-growth B2B SaaS business that’s transforming how property professionals access and leverage land data across the UK.

In just a few years, the company has built one of the most advanced property data platforms in the market, integrating thousands of data sources and processing terabytes of information with sub-24-hour latency. With strong product-market fit, continued revenue growth, and ambitious scaling plans, they’re now hiring a Lead Software Engineer to help shape the next phase of the platform.

This is a hands‑on leadership role within an engineering‑led, collaborative environment, ideal for someone who enjoys balancing architectural ownership with meaningful day‑to‑day coding.

The Role

As Lead Software Engineer, you’ll combine deep technical expertise with strong leadership and architectural oversight. You’ll drive technical excellence across the organisation, mentor engineers, and influence the long‑term direction of the platform.

This is not a purely managerial role, you’ll contribute to the codebase daily while also shaping standards, systems, and engineering culture.

What You’ll Be Doing

Technical Leadership & Architecture

• Provide architectural oversight across frontend, backend, and data infrastructure
• Set engineering standards and champion best practices in scalability, reliability, and maintainability
• Lead complex system design discussions, balancing speed, scope, and long‑term scale
• Shape the technical roadmap alongside product and data leaders
• Develop high‑quality front‑end features using React (Vite) + Tailwind
• Design and ship scalable, type‑safe APIs using Node.js, Express, and tRPC
• Optimise and maintain PostgreSQL databases and query performance
• Collaborate with the data team to evolve Elasticsearch‑driven architecture
• Own delivery of complex features from discovery through deployment and monitoring

Team Leadership & Cross‑Functional Impact

• Mentor senior and mid‑level engineers through pairing, reviews, and coaching
• Foster a high‑performance engineering culture built on ownership and continuous improvement
• Work closely with product, design, and data stakeholders to ensure technical input shapes roadmap decisions
• Translate complex technical challenges into clear, actionable insights for non‑technical teams

What We’re Looking For

• 7+ years’ experience in software engineering
• 2–3+ years operating in a Lead, Staff, or Senior+ capacity
• Proven experience building and scaling SaaS platforms
• Experience leading architectural decisions and system design initiatives
• Frontend: React, Tailwind

Why Apply?

• Hybrid working (2 days onsite in Central London)
• Competitive salary + EMI scheme
• 25 days holiday + bank holidays + birthday off + Christmas shutdown
• MacBook + home office contribution
• Collaborative, ambitious team culture with regular socials and company trips

Interview Process

• Initial video‑based screening
• Technical task (React + Tailwind + tRPC + PostgreSQL)
• Technical walkthrough & system design interview
• Final interview with senior leadership

If you’re an experienced engineer who thrives on combining technical depth with leadership impact, and you want to help scale a genuinely high‑impact data platform, we’d love to share more.