Lead Engineer (Contract)

This is initially a rolling contract engagement. For the right person, there is a potential path to a permanent role with equity. About the company We're an early-stage B2B fintech building verification and credit management infrastructure for the UK and European markets. Our platform replaces a slow, manual onboarding process with an automated workflow that brings together company, credit, banking, and compliance data into a single credit decision. About the role We're looking for a senior engineer to take ownership of the platform and drive it forward, working directly with the founder. This is a hands-on, full-stack role weighted heavily toward the backend, building on an established codebase rather than starting from scratch. There is a lot still to build. The core platform is taking shape, and the roadmap ahead is substantial, spanning deeper verification and fraud tooling, post-onboarding monitoring, ERP integrations, and new markets. You'd be central to building it. What you'll do • Own the technical direction and architecture of the platform and ship features end to end • Build and maintain integrations with external data providers, handling inconsistent formats, rate limits, and failures • Build new product features end to end, from the backend through to the interface • Ensure the platform handles sensitive data securely and in line with GDPR and other regulatory requirements • Keep the codebase clean, typed, and well-tested as it grows What we're looking for • 8+ years of production engineering experience, with deep backend expertise and full-stack capability • Strong command of TypeScript and relational databases (schema design, transactions, migrations) • A track record of integrating third-party APIs in production and handling the messiness that comes with them • Comfort working independently and making sound architectural decisions with minimal oversight • Experience reading and extending a large, well-structured codebase Nice to have • Background in fintech, regtech, or compliance • Experience with Open Banking, credit data, or company registry integrations • Early-stage or founding engineering experience Details • Stack: TypeScript, PostgreSQL, serverless infrastructure • Competitive hourly or day rate, depending on experience • Start: immediate