Engineering Lead, Upp
AI for online retail
Be an early applicant
AI for online retail
21-100 employees
Be an early applicant
21-100 employees
Company mission
To be the eCommerce Operating System of choice for all retailers by 2025.
Role
Who you are
- Expertise in Modern Programming – Strong in TypeScript, Node.js, Python
- Cloud Infrastructure (AWS preferred) – Experience deploying scalable, cost-effective cloud solutions
- CI/CD & DevOps – Confident with pipelines, observability, and automation
- API & Database Management – RESTful services, MongoDB performance tuning
- Agile Delivery – Experienced running lean delivery teams in startup environments
- Team Leadership – Proven ability to coach, support, and retain high-performing engineers
- Customer-Centric Mindset – Comfortable prioritising work around commercial outcomes
- AdTech or SaaS Background (nice to have)
- Security Awareness – Hands-on understanding of compliance, data protection, and system integrity
What the job involves
- We are looking for an experienced and driven Engineering Lead to join the core team at Upp.ai, where AI and automation power everything we do
- In this role, you’ll lead a small, high-performing engineering squad delivering technical solutions that scale, solve customer problems, and contribute directly to our ambitious revenue and product growth
- You’ll shape and evolve our engineering practices, balance hands-on technical leadership with people management, and collaborate cross-functionally to deliver impact fast
- At Upp.ai, everyone is expected to move quickly, think boldly, and build responsibly with AI as a force multiplier at the core of how we work
- Product Development & Feature Design – Own the delivery of features aligned to customer value and the product roadmap
- Code Quality & Reviews – Drive quality through peer reviews, test coverage, and engineering best practices
- System Architecture & Infrastructure – Design and evolve scalable, efficient, secure infrastructure and services
- Cycle & Agile Management – Lead cycle planning, retros, and standups to keep delivery on track
- API Development & Integration – Deliver robust APIs and service integrations to extend platform capability
- Scalability & Performance – Improve response times, uptime, and efficiency across our systems
- Team Development & Mentoring – Grow talent through coaching, feedback, and support
- Security & Compliance – Ensure alignment with ISO standards using platforms like Vanta
- Innovation & AI-native Thinking – Identify opportunities to integrate AI, machine learning, or automation to unlock efficiency and scale
- Stakeholder Communication – Translate technical topics to cross-functional teams and leadership
Salary benchmarks
Our take
Online retail and eCommerce have seen a staggering evolution over the last few years, and the complexity of the sector’s networks has increased beyond the capabilities of human management alone. This is the problem that Upp Technologies is tackling, developing ML and AI solutions that optimises spending on advertisements and product discovery for customers.
With a focus on elevating businesses' use of Google Ads, Upp has helped brands such as Charles Tyrwhitt achieve more than a 50% increase in Google channel sales within a year of adopting Upp’s platform. This is a testament to Upp’s founders' experience in AI and the startup investment scene, combining engineering expertise with a deep understanding of the business of digital sales.
With a significant level of funding raised in 2023, Upp intends to use its funds to grow its sales through expanded marketing functions. It also wants to begin spreading its wings globally, attracting new customers through fresh automation solutions.
Freddie
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
Company
Funding (1 round)
Jun 2023
$10m
SEED
Total funding: $10m
Company HQ
London, UK
Leadership
Drew Smith
(Co-Founder & CPO)Previously Director of Product Strategy at Volo Commerce. Before that, worked as an eCommerce Consultant for the same company.
Ben White
(Investor Exec Chair)Currently Investor Exec Chair at 1PS and Founding Partner at Notion Capital Partners LLP. Previously Investor and Non-Executive Director at Peoplevox and Loop Email.
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