Full job descriptionLead Software Engineer
London (hybrid)
90k to 105k


We’re partnering with an ambitious London-based payments start-up looking to hire a hands-on Lead Software Engineer to help shape the next generation of their platform as they scale.


This is a high-impact opportunity for a senior engineering leader who enjoys operating across architecture, platform engineering, product delivery, and technical strategy in a fast-moving environment.


You’ll play a key role in defining engineering standards, influencing product direction, and building scalable systems capable of supporting rapid growth within a modern payments ecosystem.


The Opportunity


Joining at an exciting stage of growth, you’ll work closely with founders, product teams, and engineers to design and deliver a highly scalable payments platform using modern cloud-native technologies.


This role combines:
*hands-on engineering,
*technical leadership,
*architecture ownership,
*and mentoring responsibilities.


You’ll be expected to remain close to the code while driving best practice across the wider engineering function.


Key Responsibilities


*Define and evolve platform architecture across mobile, backend, and cloud infrastructure
*Lead engineering design decisions and establish scalable development standards
*Build and optimise high-performance backend services using Node.js
*Drive mobile architecture and delivery using React Native
*Own AWS infrastructure strategy, scalability, reliability, and security
*Work closely with product and leadership teams to shape technical roadmap
*Champion engineering excellence, DevOps culture, CI/CD, and automation
*Explore and implement modern AI-assisted engineering tooling and workflows


Required Experience


We’re looking for a strong technical leader with experience building scalable products within start-up or high-growth environments.


Essential Skills


*Strong experience with React Native
*Deep backend engineering expertise using Node.js
*Strong knowledge of AWS infrastructure and cloud-native architecture
*Experience working with PostgreSQL and scalable data design
*Proven experience operating at Technical Architect, Principal Engineer, or Staff Engineer level
*Experience building scalable distributed systems and APIs
*Strong understanding of modern software engineering best practices


Desirable Experience


*Payments, fintech, or regulated environment experience
*Exposure to AI-assisted development tooling such as Claude, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, or similar
*DevOps and infrastructure-as-code experience


What’s on Offer


*Opportunity to shape architecture from an early stage
*High ownership and autonomy
*Modern engineering environment
*Fast-growing fintech business with strong leadership backing
*Competitive salary + equity potential
*Hybrid working in London