Lead Backend Engineer (Python)
London hybrid (3 days onsite)
Up to £130k
Python • FastAPI • Pydantic • Pandas • SQLAlchemy
We’re partnering with a fast-growing fintech rebuilding the infrastructure behind modern wealth management.
Their platform is replacing legacy adviser and investment systems with API-first tooling designed for speed, transparency, and automation, giving financial advisers a far better way to manage investments at scale.
Following a major funding round, they’re now hiring a Lead Backend Engineer to help shape the next phase of the platform and lead a small, high-performing engineering team.
What makes this role interesting
- You’ll work on core platform architecture, not peripheral features
- High ownership environment with direct influence on product and technical direction
- Opportunity to modernise systems in an industry still dominated by outdated technology
- Small engineering team where strong technical decisions have immediate impact
- Blend of hands-on engineering and leadership, ideal for someone who still loves building
The role
This is a true player-coach position: around 50% hands-on engineering and 50% technical leadership.
You’ll:
- Lead and mentor a team of 3–4 engineers
- Design and scale backend services powering an API-driven investment platform
- Translate ambiguous business problems into clear technical execution plans
- Drive engineering standards, architecture decisions, and delivery practices
- Partner closely with product and leadership teams as the platform scales
What they’re looking for
- 8+ years of commercial Python engineering experience
- Strong experience building backend systems and APIs in production environments
- Previous experience leading engineering teams
- Background in insurance, trading, fintech, or other regulated financial environments
- Ability to balance short-term delivery with long-term technical quality
- Comfortable operating in fast-moving, high-ownership environments
This role will suit an experienced backend engineer who enjoys solving complex domain problems, leading from the front, and building systems that directly shape a company’s future.
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