Full job descriptionOverviewAn exciting opportunity has arisen for a hands-on Front End Lead / Interim Tech Lead to join a growing product engineering team and lead the development of a next-generation SaaS platform built on Microsoft Azure.
This role is ideal for a senior engineer who thrives in a fast-paced environment, enjoys building products from the ground up, and wants to remain deeply involved in coding while leading a small team. You’ll be responsible for defining front-end engineering standards, implementing AI-assisted development practices, and driving delivery of a modern React-based application.
Initially offered as a day-rate contract, there is a genuine intention to transition the successful candidate into a permanent Tech Lead position as the engineering function expands.
The RoleAs Front End Lead, you will take ownership of the front-end architecture and delivery of a new React/TypeScript application, working closely with Product, Platform and Data teams.
This is a highly technical leadership position where you will:
*Lead development of a greenfield React/TypeScript front end.
*Remain hands-on in the codebase on a daily basis.
*Line manage and mentor a small front-end engineering team.
*Define and implement engineering best practices.
*Drive AI-assisted software development across the team.
*Establish scalable delivery processes, CI/CD pipelines and quality standards.
*Collaborate with architects and back-end teams to ensure contract-first API integration.
Key ResponsibilitiesTechnical Leadership*Lead the design, architecture and delivery of a modern React/TypeScript application.
*Act as the technical pace-setter for the front-end team through hands-on coding and code reviews.
*Own front-end API contracts and work closely with back-end engineers to maintain contract-first delivery.
*Build and maintain a scalable component library, design system and application framework.
*Establish engineering standards covering code quality, testing, accessibility, security and performance.
AI-Driven Engineering*Define and champion AI-assisted development practices.
*Evaluate and implement tooling for:*Code generation
*Agentic development workflows
*Automated testing
*Code review support

*Establish governance and guardrails around AI usage.
*Measure and demonstrate improvements in engineering productivity and delivery outcomes.
Delivery & Team Management*Lead a co-located mobilisation period before transitioning to a hybrid working environment.
*Mentor, coach and line manage front-end engineers.
*Drive continuous improvement through pairing, reviews and knowledge sharing.
*Establish clear ways of working, delivery metrics and quality measures.
*Work closely with Product and Architecture teams to deliver against the product roadmap.
Security & Governance*Ensure security remains a core part of the development lifecycle.
*Support implementation of secure authentication and authorisation using Microsoft Entra ID / MSAL.
*Contribute to customer security assurance activities and secure coding practices.
*Maintain eligibility for work within security-conscious environments.
Essential Experience*8+ years’ experience in software engineering.
*Strong commercial experience with:*TypeScript
*React
*Modern front-end architecture and tooling

*Proven experience leading small engineering teams while remaining hands-on.
*Experience delivering SaaS products and greenfield applications.
*Strong API-first / contract-first development experience.
*Deep understanding of:*Automated testing strategies
*CI/CD pipelines
*Code quality tooling
*Engineering governance

*Demonstrable experience implementing AI-assisted software development practices within production environments.
*Eligibility for UK Security Check (SC) clearance.
Desirable Experience*Microsoft Azure.
*Microsoft Entra ID / MSAL authentication.
*Data-rich dashboard and analytics products.
*Storybook and design system development.
*Mantine UI framework.
*Defence, regulated industries, logistics or supply chain environments.
*Current SC clearance.
*Experience introducing emerging AI development tooling and agentic workflows.
*Previous contract roles that have transitioned into permanent leadership positions.
Working Arrangements*Initially based on-site in Bristol for a collaborative mobilisation period.
*Hybrid working model thereafter.
*40-hour working week with flexibility based on project and business requirements.
*Initial contract engagement of approximately three months with a clear route to a permanent leadership position for the right individual.
Why Join?*Build a market-leading SaaS product from the ground up.
*Shape engineering culture, standards and ways of working.
*Lead adoption of cutting-edge AI development practices.
*Work within a growing technology team where your influence will directly impact product success.
*Opportunity to move into a long-term permanent Technical Leadership role.