Technical Lead (Full Stack)

GoodPeople; West End; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work

Sponsor licence

Healthcare after probation

Stakeholder pension

Job summary

GoodPeople in the United Kingdom is seeking a senior engineer to own our proprietary job matching tech and lead our long-term offshore development team. You'll work with the COO on product direction, budgets for AI tooling, and capacity planning.

The live stack includes Next.js, React, Strapi, Postgres, LangGraph and FastAPI. You will drive architecture, data pipelines, security, accessibility, and delivery, shaping the future of our platforms.

Qualifications

• Proficient Python and FastAPI experience.
• Experience deploying LLM-powered features.
• Ownership of a production system.
• Technical leadership: setting standards and guiding a team.
• AI-first mindset with good judgement on when to trust AI tools.
• Clear communication with non-technical colleagues and funders.

Responsibilities

• Architecture: own design for one codebase with feature flags and documentation.
• Data pipelines and AI: own job sourcing pipeline and AI services (Python, LangGraph, FastAPI).
• Security and data protection: align with UK GDPR and security standards.
• Accessibility: ensure platforms meet WCAG 2.2 AA.
• Impact reporting: track outcomes data for funders.
• Quality and reliability: implement testing, staging, release, rollback and monitoring.
• SEO: optimize visibility via Google Jobs and AI/traditional search.
• Leadership: set engineering standards and participate in hiring decisions.
• Delivery: translate commitments into realistic roadmaps with the COO.

Tools

Next.js

React

Strapi

Postgres

LangGraph

Git

Job description

Want to own the technology behind a fast-growing social enterprise, strengthen the platforms people rely on today and lead the build of what comes next?

Salary: £60,000-£70,000 depending on experience, plus annual performance bonus

Contract: Full time, permanent

Reports to: Chief Operating Officer

Start: As soon as possible

About GoodPeople

We are GoodPeople, a fast-growing tech-focussed social enterprise. For over a decade we've built talent pipelines connecting employers to diverse local communities - creating real social and climate impact.

We combine our own jobs and skills platforms with in-person delivery, working with clients from the GLA and NHS to Tier 1 contractors.

The role

You will own our proprietary job matching technology: how it is built, how it runs and where it goes next. As our most senior engineer, you will manage our long-term offshore development team, working with our COO (product owner), with budget for AI tooling and extra capacity.

Our live stack: two job platforms (Net Zero Careers and Good Work London) on Next.js, React, Strapi and Postgres; an LLM-enriched job sourcing pipeline; agentic AI services in LangGraph and FastAPI; and analytics services.

Demand is growing fast, with new NHS, youth employment and college programmes all needing platforms soon.

Two strands, running side by side:

• Strengthen and scale (next six months). Upgrade to Strapi v5 and current Node, add testing and release practice, meet public sector security standards and launch new sites from one codebase.
• Build what comes next. Lead the design and build of our next-generation national, multi-programme platform.

What you will do

• Architecture. Own technical design: one codebase, configuration over copies, features behind flags, and documentation.
• Data pipelines and AI. Own the job sourcing pipeline and agentic AI services (Python, LangGraph, FastAPI), including data quality, LLM enrichment and evaluation.
• Security and data protection. Protect candidate data and lead work towards Cyber Essentials Plus, the NHS DSP Toolkit and UK GDPR.
• Accessibility. Make our platforms work for everyone, including mobile and assistive technology users, and meet WCAG 2.2 AA.
• Impact reporting. Own the outcomes data our funders rely on.
• Quality and reliability. Set up testing, staging, release, rollback and monitoring so a small team can ship safely.
• SEO. Own how our jobs reach candidates through Google Jobs and AI/traditional search.
• Leadership. Set engineering standards, make build/buy decisions and help hire the tech team.
• Delivery. Turn commitments into a realistic roadmap with the COO, estimate honestly and ship effectively.

What you will bring

• Working Python, confident maintaining FastAPI services and data pipelines.
• Experience putting an LLM-powered feature into production, refining it and fixing what went wrong.
• Ownership of a production system and its architectural calls.
• Technical leadership: reviewing code, setting standards and improving how a team ships, with or without the title.
• AI-first ways of working, with the judgement to know when to trust AI tools.
• Clear communication with non-technical colleagues and funders.

Nice to have

• Major framework or CMS upgrades on a live platform.
• Multi-tenant or white-label platforms from one codebase.
• Job board or skills matching platforms.
• SEO, structured data and Google for Jobs.
• Accessibility for low digital confidence or mobile-first users.
• An interest in social impact, green skills or widening access to good work.

What we offer

• Pay. £60,000-£70,000 depending on experience, plus an annual performance bonus.
• Ownership. The technical direction of a growing platform.
• Sponsorship. We hold a sponsor licence and will consider applicants needing Skilled Worker sponsorship, subject to Home Office requirements.
• Where you work. Hybrid, 2-3 days a week at Somerset House, central London.
• Holiday and health. 25 days plus bank holidays; healthcare after probation; stakeholder pension.

GoodPeople is an equal opportunity employer. We especially welcome applicants from ethnic minority and global majority backgrounds, women and non-binary people, and those with lived experience of inequality. Tell us if you need any adjustments and we will make them.