Tech Lead (AWS / TypeScript)

hedgehog lab; Manchester; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Hedgehog Lab is seeking a Principal‑level engineer to lead engineering on a high‑volume online marketplace, guiding a multi‑year transformation with an AWS move. You will shape technical direction while keeping delivery moving, balancing PHP/Laravel with TypeScript/Node components.

Based in Manchester (within 50 miles) and comfortable attending key sessions in person, you will work across cloud, data, auth, front‑end and APIs, injecting AI workflows and setting high engineering standards in a

Qualifications

• Principal-level breadth across cloud, architecture, data, auth, front-end and APIs.
• Track record building service-based platforms in AWS with IaC (Terraform or CDK).
• Experience decomposing a monolith into services, ideally via the strangler pattern.
• TypeScript/JavaScript; reading PHP (Laravel) when needed.
• Ability to introduce AI and agentic workflows into engineering practice.
• Set and uphold engineering standards and communicate decisions with authority.
• Comfortable leading delivery in a fast-moving, complex environment.
• Fluent written and spoken English.

Responsibilities

• Lead engineering on a high-volume online marketplace during a major transformation.
• Define technical direction across a shift to service-based architecture while maintaining delivery velocity.
• Collaborate across cloud, architecture, data, auth, front‑end and APIs.
• Drive AWS-focused architecture, IaC, and cloud migration strategies.

Skills

Cloud architecture

AWS

TypeScript / JavaScript

Monolith decomposition

Engineering leadership

English communication

Data & APIs

Front-end awareness

Tools

AWS

Terraform

CDK

Laravel

TypeScript

JavaScript

Job description

Contract, outside IR35. Manchester-based client, starting as soon as possible.

The engagement

You'll lead engineering on a high-volume online marketplace, part-way through a major, multi-year technology transformation. A version 2 build is underway, and a move to AWS is under active evaluation as part of that.

The current client-facing platform runs on PHP and Laravel. The direction of travel is a service-based architecture built in TypeScript and Node, with PHP likely retained in places. You'll set technical direction across that shift while keeping delivery moving.

You'll need to be hands‑on and broad: someone who understands cloud, architecture, data, auth, front‑end and APIs, and has built service‑based platforms in AWS before. In an older structure this person would have carried an architect title.

This is a demanding, fast‑paced environment. You'll need to be productive quickly without a long ramp.

Location and basis

Our client is based in Manchester. While there's no set number of days you're required on site, there will be times when the team needs to be together in person for important meetings, workshops and key moments. When that's the case, we'd expect you to attend.

For that reason, we're only considering candidates based within 50 miles of Manchester.

The platform

This is a genuinely large-scale marketplace. Very few platforms handle a product catalogue or transaction volume at this level.

The roadmap includes agentic AI workflows built into the platform, retail media integrated directly into the marketplace, and infrastructure work targeting cost and performance at high volume.

A lot of this is being attempted at volumes that have rarely been tested in a marketplace before, so the work leans research‑led rather than routine.

Who This Suits

This is a fast‑paced scale‑up environment on a complex platform.

You'll do well here if you think strategically rather than transactionally, and you can advocate for technical change and bring people with you.

What We Need

• Principal‑level engineering breadth across cloud, architecture, data, auth, front‑end and APIs
• Track record building service‑based platforms in AWS, with infrastructure as code (Terraform or CDK)
• Experience decomposing a monolith into services, ideally via the strangler pattern
• You write TypeScript and JavaScript, and can read and work with PHP (Laravel)
• You bring AI and agentic workflows into your engineering practice
• You set and hold engineering standards, and communicate decisions with authority
• Comfortable leading delivery in a fast‑moving, complex environment
• Comfortable working in English, written and spoken

Nice To Have

• Retail or e-commerce background
• Experience leading through a major re‑architecture or cloud migration