Backend Tech Lead, Octopus Money

• Octopus Money is hiring a Fullstack Tech Lead, with a speciality in Backend development, for one of our fullstack teams
• From a technical perspective, we’re looking for a highly skilled software engineer with a proven track record of delivering quality products
• Collaborative and a great team player
• We’ve built a great team of top performers, and you’ll need to work with others from across the business to identify problems, agree solutions and implement changes
• Problem solver at heart with an analytical mindset
• You should be someone who gets excited by complex problems and can find creative ways to solve them no matter what your level of knowledge and experience with the subject matter. You should be able to digest complexity and develop a plan to move forward, without losing sight of the important details
• Goal driven and not afraid to get stuck in
• We like to set ambitious goals and find creative ways to hit them, even if that means rolling up our sleeves and doing manual tasks before we’ve managed to fully automate them. You should have a bias towards action and getting things done
• 5+ years of experience in software development, with a focus on back-end development. Go is ideal, but similar typed backend technologies are also welcome
• 1+ years of experience leading engineering teams
• Comfortable with architecting systems
• Comfortable integrating with external APIs and systems
• Proven track record of technical leadership and project management, preferably in a fast-paced environment
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate effectively across teams
• Ideally hold a Bachelor's or Master's degree level in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field or comparable experience
• You can handle ambiguity. You’re comfortable using judgement to create structure and applying first principle thinking
• You’re someone who ‘chases the ball’, rather than just hoping others pick it up. We look for determination, resilience and a healthy dose of optimism
• You thrive in a fast paced environment. You’re open to course correct when needed, and challenge yourself and others to

Desirable

• From a core perspective, we’re looking for someone to lead their team by example - fostering a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement among our development team. Your guidance will empower our team members to excel and contribute their best work
• The Tech Lead plays a pivotal role in the engineering team, serving as a bridge between technical strategy and execution. Reporting to our Engineering Manager, the Tech Lead is responsible for guiding the technical direction of projects, ensuring alignment with business objectives, and fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation within the team
• Our backend tech stack is written in Go, using a combination of DynamoDB and Postgres and hosted using AWS. Our frontend is built with React and TypeScript, and our mobile app is built with React Native
• As a Tech Lead you will still spend 60% of your time writing code as part of the product team but you will also have additional responsibilities
• Provide technical guidance and mentorship to engineers, ensuring best practices and coding standards are followed
• Hold developmental 1:1s with reports focusing on career development
• Line Management of a full stack team, 2 front-end (TypeScript) and 2 back-end (Go) developers
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to translate business requirements into technical solutions, working closely with Product and Design Leads
• Drive the execution of projects from conception to delivery, ensuring milestones are met
• Coordinate with Product Managers to prioritise features and tasks, balancing technical debt and business needs
• Monitor project progress, identify risks, and implement mitigation strategies as needed
• Foster a culture of collaboration, knowledge sharing, and continuous learning within the team
• Facilitate effective communication between engineers, product stakeholders, and other teams
• Encourage innovation and experimentation, promoting a culture of adaptability and resilience
• Oversee code reviews, providing constructive feedback and guidance to maintain high-quality code
• Champion software engineering best practices, including test-driven development, code refactoring, and code reviews where appropriate
• Ensure adherence to coding standards, security guidelines, and compliance requirements
• Contribute to the development of technical roadmaps and long-term strategies, aligning with business objectives
• Stay updated on industry trends and emerging technologies, identifying opportunities for innovation and improvement
• Evaluate new tools, frameworks, and technologies, making recommendations for adoption based on technical and business considerations