Lead Python Developer

Lead Python Engineer We’re working with a high-growth UK fintech that is modernising the infrastructure behind wealth management and financial advice. The business has built a proprietary technology platform that enables financial advisers to manage investments, portfolios and client accounts through a modern, technology-led infrastructure. Having scaled significantly in recent years, they are continuing to invest heavily in their engineering organisation and are looking for an experienced Lead Python Engineer to take ownership of a small engineering team while remaining highly hands-on technically. This is an opportunity to join a technically ambitious team working on high-scale financial technology , where engineering is central to the product and wider business. The Role As a Lead Python Engineer , you’ll play a key role in the development of the company’s core platform, combining hands-on engineering with technical leadership. You’ll lead a team of 3–4 engineers , providing technical direction, mentoring and support while remaining actively involved in architecture, system design and coding. You’ll work closely with Product, Engineering and senior stakeholders to shape new capabilities and influence the future technical direction of the platform. This is a player-coach role — ideal for an experienced engineer who enjoys solving complex technical problems but also wants responsibility for developing people and raising engineering standards. What you’ll be doing Lead, mentor and develop a team of 3–4 Python engineers Design, build and maintain scalable backend services and APIs using Python Remain hands-on with coding and technical delivery Take ownership of key areas of the core financial and investment platform Make architectural and technical decisions across the platform Design systems that are scalable, reliable, secure and maintainable Work closely with Product, Engineering and senior stakeholders to define and deliver new functionality Improve the scalability, performance and reliability of existing systems Establish and maintain high standards for code quality, testing and engineering practices Conduct and support effective code reviews and technical design reviews Identify technical risks and drive improvements across the engineering organisation Help shape engineering standards, practices and technical strategy Mentor engineers and support their technical and career development Help define the future architecture and technical direction of the platform What we’re looking for We’re interested in experienced engineers who have a strong track record of building production-grade Python systems and are ready to take responsibility for both technical delivery and a small engineering team. You’ll ideally have: Strong commercial experience with Python Proven experience building backend services, APIs or distributed systems Experience leading, mentoring or technically managing other engineers Strong understanding of software engineering principles and system design Experience with relational databases, ideally PostgreSQL Experience developing and maintaining cloud-based applications A strong focus on testing, reliability and code quality Experience working within a modern engineering environment Experience making architectural and technical decisions The ability to take ownership of complex problems and work autonomously A degree in Computer Science, Engineering or a related technical discipline An engineering degree from a strong UK university would be a particular plus Fintech or financial services experience is a major plus , particularly if you’ve worked on platforms involving investments, trading, payments, financial data or other highly regulated systems. Experience working with sensitive financial data, high-volume systems or technically complex regulated environments would also be highly relevant. Leadership This role is particularly suited to someone who wants to combine technical leadership with people leadership . You’ll be responsible for: Leading a team of 3–4 engineers Setting technical direction within the team Mentoring and developing engineers Supporting hiring and onboarding as the team grows Driving engineering standards and best practices Making and communicating architectural decisions Ensuring high-quality technical delivery Working closely with Product and senior stakeholders Creating a strong engineering culture focused on ownership, quality and continuous improvement You won’t be stepping away from engineering — hands-on technical contribution remains a core part of the role . Why join? Join a high-growth fintech with significant backing and ambitious growth plans Lead a small, high-calibre team of 3–4 engineers Work on a proprietary technology platform at the heart of the business Solve complex problems across financial technology, data and scalable systems Have significant technical ownership and influence Combine hands-on engineering with genuine technical and people leadership Opportunity to shape the engineering organisation as it continues to scale Collaborative, product-focused engineering culture Central London office, 3 days per week Competitive salary and benefits package