Lead Engineer

Job Title: Lead Engineer Location: Remote-first (Cardiff office twice a month) Salary: £85,000 per annum Overview Were recruiting for an experienced engineer to take ownership of a cloud architecture that underpins a growing SaaS product used by thousands of customers. This role combines hands-on engineering with architectural leadership. Youll guide technical direction, redesign core AWS infrastructure, and ensure systems are secure, scalable, and well-governed. The position is not a management role in the traditional sense. The focus is on technical leadership through design decisions, problem-solving, and hands-on contribution. Key Responsibilities Re-architect and improve an established AWS environment, addressing scalability, security, and governance. Design and implement distributed systems, APIs, and data pipelines focused on reliability and maintainability. Work hands-on with infrastructure-as-code and application development (~50% hands-on). Evaluate technical approaches and run proofs of concept to inform architecture decisions. Support and mentor engineers within the team, encouraging sound engineering practices. Define and evolve architectural standards and contribute to the roadmap for the wider technology function. Experience Required Proven experience designing and maintaining AWS-based architectures (networking, IAM, security, automation, and monitoring). A background in a modern programming language such as Node.js, C#, or Java (the current stack uses Serverless, Node.js, and React). Sound knowledge of SQL and experience with NoSQL and data pipelines. Understanding of distributed systems, serverless computing, and modern cloud-native patterns. Ability to think through complex technical challenges and communicate design choices clearly. AWS qualifications are distinctly advantageous. Preferred Background This role may suit someone currently working as: AWS Solutions Architect Senior Software Engineer Lead DevOps Engineer Senior Data Engineer with strong AWS skills Technical Lead in a SaaS or product-focused environment Why Join Opportunity to influence and define how AWS architecture evolves. Work across a modern, serverless-first technology stack. Exposure to a range of technical challenges at scale. Remote-first culture with occasional on-site collaboration in Cardiff. Stable environment focused on improvement, not firefighting. Hours: Monday-Friday, full-time Environment: Remote-first, collaborative, technically mature