Lead Software Engineer | Hands-on Technical Leadership
Understanding Recruitment · Greater London
Lead Software Engineer | Hands-on Technical Leadership at Understanding Recruitment, based in Greater London. This is a permanent role.
- Salary
- Competitive
- Location
- Greater London
- Contract
- Permanent
- Posted
- 4 days ago
- Closes
- 17 Nov 2026
- Sector
- Software Developer
Reference LB758
About the role
Lead Software Engineer | Hands-on Technical Leadership
C++ / Rust / Java / Python / TypeScript | Salary + Equity
Are you the engineer people turn to when the technical problems get difficult?
I'm working on an opportunity for a Lead Software Engineer who wants to solve genuinely challenging engineering problems, make important architectural decisions and lead technically without stepping away from coding.
This isn't a people management role disguised as engineering leadership. You'll be expected to design, build and own complex systems, while setting the technical standard for the engineers around you.
Why it's interesting:
- Own architecture and technical direction for a core product area
- Solve challenging problems across systems, infrastructure and software engineering
- Stay deeply hands-on while mentoring strong engineers
- Influence engineering standards, tooling and AI-assisted development
- Have genuine autonomy over important technical decisions
What we're looking for:
- Strong software engineering fundamentals and system design expertise
- Depth in C++, Rust, Java, Python or TypeScript
- Experience building and owning complex, production-grade systems
- A track record of technical leadership, not just managing delivery
- Someone who enjoys difficult technical problems and raising the engineering bar
Experience with Kubernetes, PostgreSQL, embedded systems, ML or security is a bonus.
Competitive salary + equity | 7% pension | Private healthcare | Free daily meals
UK right to work and eligibility for SC clearance required.
Reference: LB758 · Posted 4 days ago · Closes 17 Nov 2026 · Listed via Understanding Recruitment
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