Tech Lead

Parity; United States; Remote; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Parity is hiring a hands-on Tech Lead who blends leadership with active coding, architecture work, and team building in a remote-first, global setting. You will split time between coding features and guiding a ~9-engineer team, shaping architecture and delivering complex Web3 systems.

Ideal candidates have proven leadership, hands-on engineering ability, and experience in blockchain infrastructure, with strong collaboration across time zones.

Qualifications

• Proven track record of leading engineering teams.
• Experience writing production-grade code.
• Background in Web3 or blockchain systems.

Responsibilities

• Maintain 50% hands-on coding while leading delivery.
• Mentor engineers and drive growth.
• Design scalable Web3 architectures.
• Manage sprint planning and execution.
• Translate technical concepts for stakeholders.
• Support hiring and team process improvements.

Skills

Hands-on coding

People leadership

Entrepreneurial mindset

Web3/blockchain

Systems design

Sprint management

Remote collaboration

Tools

Rust

Substrate

Go

C++

Job description

About Us

Parity is one of the world s most experienced companies building the core infrastructure behind blockchain, the system that allows information and value to be shared securely without needing an intermediary. We re laying the foundation for a better web which respects the freedom and data of individuals, and empowers developers to build better, more trustworthy online services.

Our remote-first, global team develop open-source software that anyone can use or improve. This includes Polkadot, Polkadot SDK, and Kusama - key parts of the Web3 tech stack, the next generation of the internet. Our mission is to make Polkadot the most active and innovative community in blockchain, powering a new era of connected and decentralised applications.

About the Team

We are looking to hire for our Applied Engineering function.

About the Role

We are hiring a hands-on Tech Lead who bridges high-level team leadership with active technical contribution. This is a 50/50 hybrid role designed for an engineering leader who still loves writing code, diving into architecture, and building alongside their team.

You will spend about half your time managing team dynamics, execution, and delivery, and the other half staying close to the codebase, contributing directly, conducting technical reviews, and helping navigate complex architectural trade-offs. If you are a former founder, entrepreneur, or seasoned Tech Lead who thrives at the intersection of hands-on engineering and people leadership, this role is built for you.

What You ll Do

• Balance Hands-On Coding & Leadership: Maintain an active coding presence (roughly 50% of your time), driving features, reviewing PRs, and staying embedded in day-to-day technical delivery.
• Lead & Mentor Engineers: Coach and support a high-calibre team of ~9 engineers, fostering a healthy, high-trust environment focused on growth and delivery excellence.
• Drive Architecture & System Design: Work closely with senior engineers and architects to design scalable Web3 systems, weigh trade-offs, and solve complex technical bottlenecks.
• Delivery & Project Execution: Lead sprint planning, prioritization, and execution across complex technical workstreams in a distributed environment.
• Stakeholder Alignment: Translate deep technical concepts into pragmatic delivery timelines for key stakeholders and cross-functional teams.
• Team Operations & Hiring: Support technical hiring, onboarding, and continuous improvement of team processes and engineering standards.

What You ll Bring

• Hands-On Technical Depth: Strong background as a Software Engineer, Tech Lead, or Engineering Manager with a proven ability to write production-level code and architect complex systems.
• Proven People Leadership: Experience managing or leading engineering teams, with a track record of supporting engineer growth, team culture, and delivery predictable execution.
• Entrepreneurial Mindset: Prior experience as a founder, co-founder, or early-stage startup lead is highly desirable.
• Web3 / Systems Familiarity: Strong interest or background in Web3, blockchain infrastructure, distributed systems, or low-level systems programming (e.g., Rust, Substrate, Go, or C++).
• Pragmatic Delivery Skills: Strong ability to handle sprint management, dependency tracking, and cross-team communication without sacrificing technical rigor.
• Remote-First Collaboration: Excellent asynchronous communication skills, operating comfortably in European or closely aligned time zones.

About Working With Us

Joining Parity means joining team mates who are genuinely excited about the impact their projects are having, and the opportunity to grow alongside some of the brightest minds in the Web3 space! You ll work remotely and flexibly, while still getting to meet your team mates throughout the year at team and company-wide retreats.

Upon receiving an offer, all candidates undergo a background check through Zinc, our trusted third-party provider. Team members will be taken on as a contractor via our UK entity. View our Applicant Notice to see how we use your data.

Parity is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We welcome diversity in our global team and care about everyone in our collective feeling included and welcome.

Is this position not quite your match? Browse our other open roles.