Lead Software Engineer

Job title: Lead Engineer
Type: Full-time, Permanent
Location: UK, with flexible home, office, or hybrid working

What you'll do

You will act as the technical lead for a small, focused product team building a next-generation energy modelling platform. You will guide architectural decisions, support engineers day to day and help the team deliver high-quality features at pace.

In this role, you will:

• Lead technical direction, making pragmatic architectural decisions that balance rapid progress with long-term maintainability.
• Work hands-on across the stack to turn prototypes and product flows into robust, production-ready software.
• Partner with designers, product managers and data specialists to refine requirements and translate complex concepts into workable solutions.
• Provide mentorship and support to other engineers through pairing, code reviews and clear technical guidance.
• Integrate backend services, frontend UI and Python-based analytics into a cohesive, scalable platform.
• Promote engineering excellence across testing, automation, CI/CD, documentation and observability.
• Communicate risks, trade-offs, and progress clearly to stakeholders, helping shape the roadmap and unblock the team.

Why this role

• This is a key role within a strategic product team working on a complex, high-visibility platform. You will have real influence over how the product is built and the engineering standards it is built on.
• Own the technical approach for a new product as it moves from prototype to full-scale build.
• Work in a modern, cross-functional environment with autonomy and the opportunity to take on technical leadership.
• Solve interesting challenges that blend UI, business logic, modelling and AI-driven behaviour.
• Enjoy the stability of a permanent role while contributing to a long-term, impactful product initiative.

Who is hedgehog lab

We're an outcome-driven product consultancy where product, design and research sit side by side.

You'll join a team that values curiosity, collaboration and impact, building products that truly matter.

hedgehog lab benefits

• 28 days holidays + bank holidays
• 5 Impact Days per year to spend on L&D, volunteering or innovation
• Flexible working environment
• Annual wellbeing budget + two days of wellbeing leave
• Mental health support
• A company supplied Apple Mac

Tech stack you'll work with

We use a modern, scalable, cloud native stack designed for fast iteration and long-term sustainability:

• Frontend: React, TypeScript, modern component libraries
• Backend: Node.js with TypeScript (for example, NestJS or Express), REST or GraphQL APIs
• Data and analytics integration: Python services powering analytical and AI features
• Database: PostgreSQL plus caching layers such as Redis
• Cloud and infrastructure: Azure or AWS, Docker, Kubernetes or managed container services
• Quality and tooling: Jest, React Testing Library, GitHub Actions or GitLab CI, emphasis on automated testing

What we are looking for

• Significant experience as a senior or lead engineer within product-oriented teams
• Strong background in React and TypeScript on the frontend
• Solid experience building backend services with Node.js and TypeScript
• Strong understanding of API design, system architecture and cloud native development
• Experience working with PostgreSQL or similar relational databases
• Exposure to Python-based analytics or machine learning services, or interest in learning quickly
• Comfortable leading other engineers through mentoring, code reviews and technical guidance
• Excellent collaboration skills and ability to work in a fast-paced, agile environment
• Clear communication style that supports alignment with technical and non-technical stakeholders

Ready to apply?

Submit your application below. Please note that we're unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role.