Lead Engineer in London

Typescript or Python Full-time Hybrid (London)

Design and Build the Architecture That Powers Automotive Parts Procurement

About Us

At Carpata, our vision is to build the vehicle and parts data infrastructure that powers the automation of the entire automotive aftersales industry. We are working with garages, dealerships, manufacturers, parts suppliers, and insurance companies across the ecosystem. We are looking for a talented, customer-focused Lead Engineer who holds exceptionally high standards for accuracy, approaches challenges creatively, and obsesses over automation because automotive data is always evolving.

This is a unique opportunity to join a seed-stage company founded by experienced entrepreneurs who have built and exited automotive tech businesses. Backed by Concept Ventures, Nosara Capital, and angels from UK automotive tech leaders, we have big ambitions to drive change.

We are building a world-class team where you will solve a huge pain point felt by millions across the globe in a +$2 trillion industry and do the most impactful work of your career. Join us in building the future of B2B parts.

Where We Are

We have validated product-market fit with paying customers using our platform in production. Now we are scaling our capabilities - expanding our data infrastructure, building out key capabilities, and growing the team. This is a founding-level technical role. You will have a significant influence on our architecture, engineering culture, and how we build as we scale.

Industry-wide Problems We Are Solving

• Eliminating Manual Parts Procurement: We are eliminating time-consuming part lookups and quote creation for automotive businesses, enabling them to order the right parts, first time, confidently.
• Workflow Automation: Dealership health checks automatically generate accurate service recommendations, enabling fleet operators to procure parts across hundreds of vehicles without manual cross-referencing.
• Democratising Parts Knowledge: Complex vehicle specifications and inconsistent supplier data become invisible to end users through a single, authoritative platform that anyone can use reliably.

What You Will Do

Your Immediate Priorities

• Own the Architecture
• Design and build systems that handle complex automotive data at scale
• Build intelligence that learns from usage and improves over time
• Scale the Platform
• Architect systems that power our data API and procurement platform
• Maintain performance and accuracy as we grow
• Design for both current customer needs and future scale
• Drive and uphold engineering standards and practices that balance quality with speed
• Mentor engineers on technical excellence
• Build foundations for scaling the team as we grow

The Technical Challenges

Automotive parts data is fragmented, inconsistent, and constantly changing across multiple sources. You will design systems that:

• Resolve conflicting information from disparate data sources to deliver accurate results
• Handle complex matching logic across millions of vehicle and parts combinations
• Maintain data quality and accuracy as the system scales
• Build intelligence that improves from real-world usage

The Stack

Frontend: React

What We Are Looking For

Must-Haves

• You have designed and built systems that handle complex, conflicting data at scale
• Engineering Leadership: You build cultures where quality is the default.
• Extreme Attention to Detail: When customers rely on your data, "mostly right" destroys trust.
• Pragmatic Delivery: You ship small, learn fast, and iterate.
• Systems Thinking: You see the connections - how data accuracy drives customer trust, repeat usage, and business outcomes.

Nice-to-Haves

• AI/ML experience and understanding of practical applications
• Data quality and validation systems at scale
• Complex taxonomy or catalogue experience
• Early-stage startup experience shaping engineering culture

Cultural Fit

We live by these values:

• Customer-First Reality Check: We build for the real world - mechanics who need parts NOW
• Run at the Hard Stuff: We tackle genuinely difficult problems, head-on
• Show the Numbers: Decisions backed by evidence, not opinions
• Build Fast. Learn Loud: Ship small, test with real users, iterate on what breaks
• Stay Beautifully Curious: We get excited when proven wrong because we are learning

This Role Is NOT For You If...

• You need problems to be fully defined before starting work
• You prefer perfecting systems over shipping solutions that customers depend on
• You think "good enough" is acceptable when our customers demand high accuracy
• You want to work in isolation rather than as part of a collaborative team where everyone’s role matters
• You are looking for a remote-first working environment
• You dismiss feedback that challenges assumptions rather than getting excited when proven wrong

Why This Role Will Define Your Career

• Genuine Technical Challenges: Build learning systems that resolve conflicting automotive data at scale with no ground truth.
• Real Business Impact: Your architecture powers our APIs and platforms.
• Founding-Level Influence: Shape engineering culture, own architectural decisions, and influence product strategy as we scale.

£80-120k + early employee equity, 3% pension matching plus additional fringe benefits

Visa: We cannot sponsor visas at this time

Hiring Process

• Intro call with the CTO
• Technical deep-dive with our Lead Engineer
• Meet the CEO

Ready to Lead Automotive's Data Infrastructure?

If you are excited about owning the architecture that powers an entire industry and building systems that thousands of businesses depend on, we want to hear from you. Don’t wait if you don’t tick every box. We are building an inclusive team and value diverse perspectives. If you are energised by running at the hard stuff and have the technical depth to lead, apply now.