Lead Web Developer

Maxwell Bond; Leeds; Remote; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading tech recruitment agency is seeking an experienced Lead Developer (Node.js) for a fully remote 6-month contract. You will support API development for a high-traffic consumer platform, collaborating with front-end engineers to create scalable and secure systems. The ideal candidate has extensive Node.js experience, proven skills in RESTful API development, and a good understanding of backend performance and security. Knowledge of AI coding tools is essential.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience with Node.js in production environments.
• Proven skills in RESTful API design and development.
• Familiarity with database design, both SQL and NoSQL.

Responsibilities

• Support API development and backend delivery for a high-traffic platform.
• Work with front-end engineers to design seamless integrations.
• Build reliable and maintainable APIs and data systems.

Skills

Production-ready APIs

Node.js

RESTful API design

Database design

Authentication and security best practices

AI coding tools

Tools

Node.js

AI coding tools (GitHub Copilot, Claude, Cursor)

React JS / Next.js

Job description

Lead Developer (Node.JS)

I'm looking for an experienced Lead Developer to support API development and backend delivery for a high-traffic consumer platform. You'll work alongside front-end engineers to build scalable, secure, and performant systems using modern tools and AI-assisted development.

• This is a fully remote contract for 6 months, outside IR35

You’ll be a good fit if you :

• Deliver production-ready APIs fast and independently
• Have proven experience with consumer-facing platforms
• Use AI coding tools (Cursor, Claude Code, Codex, or similar) to speed up development
• Make confident technical decisions with minimal guidance
• Follow clear architectural standards and established development patterns
• Understand backend performance, scalability, and security at production scale
• Build reliable, maintainable APIs and data systems
• Collaborate effectively with front-end developers to design and implement seamless integrations
• Apply caching and optimization techniques for high-traffic environments

We’re not looking for :

• Developers needing extensive supervision or mentoring
• Anyone without production experience in consumer-facing systems
• Those who avoid AI coding tools

Core Technical Requirements :

• Node.js (extensive production experience) - this is key, you must have
• RESTful API design and development (production experience)
• Database design and optimization (SQL and / or NoSQL)
• Authentication, authorization, and security best practices
• AI coding tools (GitHub Copilot, Claude, Cursor, or similar)

Nice to Have :

• React JS / Next.js (for full stack capability)
• Payload CMS
• Azure
• Microservices architecture