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For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the technical vision and execution of a cutting-edge platform while remaining hands-on.
- Company: Well-funded tech company focused on high-availability, real-time systems.
- Benefits: Highly competitive salary, equity participation, and remote-first work culture.
- Why this job: Shape architecture and influence technology in a dynamic, regulatory-driven environment.
- Qualifications: Extensive software engineering experience and strong leadership skills required.
- Other info: Collaborative team with opportunities for significant career growth.
The predicted salary is between 72000 - 108000 ÂŁ per year.
Employment Type: Direct Hire
Location: Fully Remote (hybrid/in-person collaboration as needed)
Compensation: Highly competitive base salary + equity participation
About the Opportunity
Our client is a well-funded, growth-stage technology company building a high-availability, real-time transactional platform operating in a highly regulated environment. The organization is engineering-first, with all core systems developed in-house, and is entering a critical scale and compliance phase. We are conducting a confidential search for a Lead Engineer / CTO to own the technical vision and execution of the platform. This role offers the opportunity to shape architecture, influence regulatory-facing systems, and build proprietary technology from the ground up—while remaining deeply hands-on. This is an ideal role for a senior technical leader who wants both strategic influence and direct technical ownership, rather than a purely managerial CTO position.
The Role
As Lead Engineer / CTO, you will serve as the principal technical authority for the organization. You will define architecture, guide development, and actively contribute code while overseeing a small but highly capable engineering group. You will partner directly with executive leadership and work cross-functionally to ensure systems are secure, compliant, scalable, and production-ready. The environment demands strong engineering judgment, comfort operating in ambiguity, and the ability to design systems that can withstand regulatory scrutiny. This role is remote-first, with the expectation that candidates are willing and able to collaborate in person on an as-needed basis.
Key Responsibilities
- Technical Leadership & Architecture
- Own end-to-end system architecture across backend services, data stores, infrastructure, and integrations
- Design scalable, resilient systems supporting real-time data processing and high-throughput transactions
- Establish engineering standards, best practices, and long-term technical direction
- Remain actively involved in backend development, debugging, optimization, and prototyping
- Serve as the escalation point for complex technical challenges across the platform
- Design and maintain systems that meet stringent regulatory, audit, and data security requirements
- Partner with compliance and legal stakeholders to translate regulatory objectives into technical controls
- Ensure strong auditability, secure data handling, and system transparency
- Lead and mentor internal engineers and external development partners
- Conduct code reviews and guide technical decision-making
- Balance speed, quality, and long-term maintainability
- Oversee cloud infrastructure, CI/CD pipelines, monitoring, alerting, and incident response
- Ensure high availability, performance, and operational resilience
- Work closely with product, operations, and executive teams to align technology with business goals
Required Qualifications
- Experience: + years of professional software engineering experience
- + years in a senior technical leadership role (Lead Engineer, Head of Engineering, CTO, or similar)
- Proven experience building and operating production systems in regulated or high-compliance environments
- Technical Expertise
- Strong backend engineering experience (Rust strongly preferred; comparable languages acceptable)
- Experience with relational databases at scale
- Hands-on DevOps experience, including CI/CD and infrastructure-as-code (e.g., Terraform)
- Experience designing and operating cloud-native infrastructure (AWS preferred)
- Strong understanding of authentication, authorization, and security best practices
- Experience designing APIs and real-time or event-driven systems
- Builder mindset with a willingness to dive into the codebase when needed
- Strong technical judgment and ability to operate with minimal oversight
- Excellent communication skills with both technical and non-technical stakeholders
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience working with distributed or remote engineering teams
- Familiarity with blockchain, cryptographic systems, or decentralized architectures (not required)
- Background in financial, transactional, or compliance-driven platforms
- Experience contributing to proprietary IP or open-source projects
Work Model
Remote-first within the United States. Candidates must be open to periodic in-person collaboration as business needs arise. No fixed office requirement.
Why This Role
- Executive-level technical ownership with real architectural influence
- Opportunity to build and scale complex systems under real-world regulatory constraints
- Hands-on leadership role—not a “figurehead” CTO
- Competitive compensation and meaningful equity
Lead Engineer / CTO in London employer: Contech Systems Inc.
Contact Detail:
Contech Systems Inc. Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Lead Engineer / CTO in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the tech industry, especially those who might know about opportunities for Lead Engineer or CTO roles. Don’t be shy—ask for introductions and share your aspirations. We all know that sometimes it’s not just what you know, but who you know!
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! Create a portfolio or GitHub repository showcasing your projects, especially those that highlight your backend engineering expertise and experience with high-compliance environments. This is your chance to demonstrate your hands-on capabilities and technical judgement—make it count!
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for interviews by brushing up on your knowledge of regulatory requirements and security best practices. Be ready to discuss how you’ve tackled complex technical challenges in the past. We want you to shine and show that you can lead and mentor a team while keeping systems secure and compliant.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets the attention it deserves. Plus, we’re always looking for passionate individuals who are ready to take on the challenge of building and scaling complex systems. Let’s make it happen together!
We think you need these skills to ace Lead Engineer / CTO in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Technical Prowess: When you're writing your application, make sure to highlight your technical skills and experience. We want to see how you've tackled complex engineering challenges in the past, especially in regulated environments. Don't hold back on showcasing your hands-on experience!
Tailor Your Application: Make your application stand out by tailoring it to our specific needs. Reference the key responsibilities and qualifications from the job description, and explain how your background aligns with them. This shows us that you’ve done your homework and are genuinely interested in the role.
Be Authentic: We love a bit of personality! Don’t be afraid to let your unique voice shine through in your application. Share your passion for technology and leadership, and give us a glimpse of what makes you tick. Authenticity goes a long way in helping us get to know you better.
Apply Through Our Website: To ensure your application gets the attention it deserves, make sure to apply through our website. It’s the best way for us to keep track of your application and connect with you directly. Plus, it shows us you’re serious about joining our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at Contech Systems Inc.
✨Know Your Tech Inside Out
As a Lead Engineer / CTO, you’ll need to demonstrate your deep understanding of backend systems and architecture. Brush up on your knowledge of Rust, relational databases, and cloud-native infrastructure like AWS. Be ready to discuss specific projects where you've designed scalable systems or tackled complex technical challenges.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Style
This role requires not just technical skills but also strong leadership. Prepare examples of how you've mentored teams, conducted code reviews, and made impactful technical decisions. Highlight your ability to balance speed and quality while maintaining long-term maintainability in your projects.
✨Understand Regulatory Requirements
Since the company operates in a highly regulated environment, it’s crucial to show your familiarity with compliance and security standards. Be prepared to discuss how you've previously designed systems that meet stringent regulatory requirements and how you’ve partnered with legal stakeholders to translate objectives into technical controls.
✨Be Ready for Hands-On Problem Solving
This isn’t just a managerial role; you’ll need to dive into the codebase when necessary. Think of scenarios where you’ve had to troubleshoot complex issues or optimise performance under pressure. Demonstrating your hands-on engineering experience will set you apart from other candidates.
