Lead Developer

We are partnered with a high-growth digital product agency to appoint a Lead Developer to join their Edinburgh-based team. This is a permanent, full-time position operating on a hybrid basis. Our client delivers AI-enabled, human-centred digital products for ambitious organisations across the UK and internationally.

The Role

This is a senior, hands-on leadership position combining technical ownership with people leadership. You will shape engineering standards, influence architectural direction, and remain actively engaged in production-level code. Expect an approximate 70/30 split between hands-on development and leadership responsibilities, flexing according to project phase and delivery requirements.

You will work across:

• Bespoke web platforms and business-critical applications
• Mobile applications built with React Native
• API integrations and backend systems
• A combination of greenfield builds and scalable legacy platforms

This is a dynamic agency environment. Projects vary in scope and sector, and context switching is part of the role. Delivery methodologies include Scrum and Kanban, with two-week sprints typical. Engagements range from fixed-price to time-and-materials models.

Core Responsibilities

• Delivery Ownership
• Technical Leadership
• Mentorship & Team Development
• Commercial Contribution

Technology Stack

Frontend

• React
• Inertia.js
• React Native
• Tailwind CSS

Backend

• Laravel
• PHP
• Node.js

Essential Experience

• 5+ years’ commercial software development experience
• Minimum 2 years operating at Senior or Lead level with people responsibility
• Experience within an agency or consultancy environment
• Full lifecycle delivery exposure (scoping through to live support)
• Demonstrated experience mentoring and developing engineers
• Strong commercial experience with Laravel or Symfony
• Solid React experience
• Strong SQL capability (MySQL or PostgreSQL)
• Proficient with Git workflows and pull request processes
• Experience implementing and maintaining CI/CD pipelines
• Comfortable owning cloud deployment and hosting decisions

Desirable Experience

• Production integration of LLMs or AI services
• React Native applications delivered to production
• Node.js API development
• Inertia.js and Tailwind
• Docker and containerisation
• AWS infrastructure
• MongoDB

Role Expectations

This role is for people who want ownership and responsibility in a fast-paced agency environment. This isn't a single-product environment, and it isn't a role for developers seeking purely hands-on coding without leadership accountability. Variety, pace, and ambiguity are inherent in the role. You will lead a cross-functional delivery squad consisting of: 1 Product Owner, 2/ 4 Mid-Level Developers, & You as Lead Developer.

Benefits

• Competitive salary aligned with experience
• Company pension scheme
• Private healthcare
• Enhanced maternity and paternity leave
• Hybrid working model
• Regular team events
• Supportive, collaborative working environment
• Ongoing professional development and training
• 30 days annual leave plus birthday leave

If you are interested in leading delivery within a high-growth digital agency environment and shaping technical standards across diverse client engagements, we welcome your application.