Tech Lead

Opplane; Lisboa; Presencial; EUR 120 000 - 180 000; Tempo integral

Resumo da oferta

Opplane seeks a hands-on tech lead to guide backend and data systems, shaping how things are built and made to land as final decisions. You will lead other developers, drive platform direction, and keep operations smooth with autonomy.

You'll design scalable architectures using Python/Java, GCP/AWS, Kafka/Elasticsearch, and LLM-enabled workflows, while ensuring observability and security in client-facing environments. This role blends coding with leadership in a fast-paced setting.

Qualificações

• 7+ years building and operating backend/data systems.
• Strong object-oriented engineering in production with Python and Java.
• Deep cloud experience on GCP or AWS for production workloads.
• Solid data and infrastructure fundamentals: databases, Kafka, Elasticsearch, containers, streaming and batch pipelines.
• Hands-on LLM engineering with in-loop eval, cost control, tool/prompt design and failure modes.
• Operational maturity: observability, incident handling, security basics in regulated environments.
• Tech lead experience: ownership of technical direction, epics, sequencing and decision rationale.
• Proactive ownership: challenge requirements, surface risks, align with roadmap; handle multiple contexts in one day.

Responsabilidades

• Drive architectural discussions and decisive outcomes; unblock blockers.
• Lead and mentor developers; supervise the team; ensure delivery.
• Run the platform day-to-day with autonomy, without needing constant approvals.
• Communicate priorities to the Head of Engineering and junior engineers; justify why.

Conhecimentos

Backend architectures

OO engineering

Python

Java

Cloud computing (GCP/AWS)

Data pipelines

LLM engineering

Observability/SRE practices

Team leadership

Ferramentas

Kafka

Elasticsearch

Docker/Kubernetes

Terraform

LangChain/LangGraph

Langfuse

GCP

AWS

Descrição da oferta de emprego

This is a hands-on tech lead role: a mix of writing code and leading the team's technical work. You'll drive the discussions on how things get built and make sure they end in a decision, keep the board honest, unblock others, and answer when something is on fire. You'll have other developers working under your supervision, and the autonomy to run the platform day to day without checking in on every decision.

What we need from you

• 7+ years building and operating backend/data systems
• Strong object-oriented engineering in production systems — clean design, testable code, sound abstractions, with Python and Java preferred
• Deep cloud experience on GCP or AWS: designing, deploying and operating production workloads
• Solid data and infrastructure fundamentals: relational databases, Kafka, Elasticsearch, containerisation, and building streaming and batch data pipelines in production
• Hands-on LLM engineering: you've shipped something with an LLM in the loop and can talk about evaluation, cost control, tool/prompt design and failure modes — not just called an API
• Operational maturity: observability, incident handling, security fundamentals (auth, network boundaries, secrets) in regulated or client-facing environments
• Tech lead experience: you've owned the technical direction of a team or system — running the board, scoping epics, sequencing work and cutting what doesn't matter — and can explain the why behind priorities in writing and in conversation, whether with the Head of Engineering or a junior developer
• Proactive, big-picture ownership: you challenge requirements that don't make sense, surface risks early, connect a technical change to its cost and its place in the roadmap, and bring ideas for what the platform should become rather than waiting for direction; you switch fast between a production incident, a client question and a roadmap discussion in the same day without losing the thread

Nice to have

• Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers, LiteLLM/Langfuse, LangGraph or similar agent frameworks
• AI-assisted development workflows (Claude Code, AI code review) as part of your daily practice
• Infrastructure as code (Terraform or equivalent)
• Financial-services or payments domain exposure
• Experience mentoring junior engineers or leading a small team informally
• Start-up / scale-up experience

How we work

• Small team, high trust — you'll talk to the CEO as easily as to the person sitting next to you
• Open to experimenting with new technologies: if you can show it solves a real problem, you'll get the room to try it
• Relaxed, low-ego environment — we care about the work being good, not about hierarchy or hours at a desk
• Room to shape how we build: our engineering practices are still being written, and you'll have a real say in them

About Opplane

Opplane specializes in providing advanced data-focused solutions for financial services, telecommunication, and reg-tech to accelerate their digital transformation journey. Opplane leadership team is comprised of Silicon Valley serial entrepreneurs and experienced executives. Its expertise comes from years of specific industry experience at some of the world’s top companies, such as PayPal, Xerox Parc, Amazon, Wells Fargo, SoFi in the areas of product management, data technology, data governance, data privacy, security, machine learning, and risk management.

Why Opplane

Global & Multicultural – Diverse perspectives, global collaboration (US, Portugal, India and Singapore offices)

Startup Energy – Fast-moving, impact-driven environment

Ownership Mindset – Engineers own what they build

Collaborative & Friendly – Open, curious, and supportive culture

Most organizations deploying AI to engineering cannot say what they got for it and respond by buying more of it or by arguing. You will build the evidence instead and then use it to decide where the next capability goes.

The measurement program is the first project. The scope is applied AI across the delivery lifecycle, with real internal users, a platform team to build on, and leadership that will act on what you find.