At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead backend engineering projects, solving complex problems and enhancing data-intensive systems.
- Company: High-growth cloud security startup with a collaborative culture and strong financial backing.
- Benefits: Competitive salary up to £135k, equity, private healthcare, and flexible hybrid working.
- Other info: Work in a high-trust environment with ambitious engineers who value technical excellence.
- Why this job: Join a dynamic team and make a real impact in cloud security during an exciting growth phase.
- Qualifications: Degree in Computer Science or similar, strong Golang/Java experience, and cloud platform knowledge.
The predicted salary is between 63000 - 77000 £ per year.
Hybrid Roles 2-3 days in the Belfast office | Cloud Security | Northern Ireland
Ocho is proud to be working in partnership with a high-growth cloud security company that established its Northern Ireland engineering hub just over two years ago. Since launching locally, the team has grown to 40 engineers and is now entering a major scale-up phase following a $250 million investment earlier in the year. As part of ambitious growth plans through 2026 and beyond, we're hiring multiple Tech Leads (Golang / Java) to join their expanding backend engineering group.
The Opportunity
In this role, you'll work on technically complex, real-world problems every day building new, innovative capabilities while continuously improving and scaling existing systems. You'll operate in a modern, cloud-native environment and have genuine ownership over what you deliver, from early architectural design through to deployment, monitoring, and long-term optimisation in production. The platform integrates deeply with AWS, GCP, and Azure, and makes heavy use of technologies such as:
- Golang
- Java
- Docker
- eBPF
- Distributed systems at scale
This is not a "ticket factory" role; it's an engineering-first environment where you'll solve meaningful problems that directly impact global customers.
The Role
As a Backend Software Engineer, you'll:
- Own services end to end: design, build, deploy, monitor, and iterate
- Contribute to technical and architectural decisions
- Perform reliability and performance analysis on Golang / Java-based systems
- Conduct high-quality design and code reviews
- Work closely with Product, Frontend, and DevOps teams to deliver best-in-class features
- Contribute to capacity planning and SLO definition
- Continuously improve scalability, performance, and reliability
You'll be building and enhancing data-intensive systems that operate in highly dynamic production environments.
About the Company
This is a modern cloud security startup operating at runtime to protect customer infrastructure using deep system visibility and contextual data. Unlike traditional tools, the platform leverages runtime insights and eBPF-powered sensors to identify and prioritise real risks enabling customers to detect threats, reduce risk exposure, and respond automatically at scale. Despite being under three years old locally, the business is already:
- Well-funded
- Commercially proven
- Scaling globally
- Backed by serious investment
It's a rare opportunity to join early - but with strong financial backing and clear product-market fit. You'll work with a genuinely modern stack, including:
- Core: Golang, Java
What We're Looking For
- Degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or similar
- Strong experience with Golang and/or Java (other languages welcome)
- Hands-on experience with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure)
- Experience building data-intensive or distributed systems
- Experience with CI/CD pipelines
- Familiarity with microservices architectures
- Strong analytical thinking and ownership mindset
What It's Like to Work Here
This is a high-trust, collaborative engineering culture. The Site Lead describes the team "like a band - everyone plays their part." You'll work alongside some of the strongest engineers in the local market, in an environment where:
- Engineers own problems, not just tasks
- Technical excellence is valued
- People genuinely enjoy what they do
- There's ambition - but also balance
Salary & Package
Base salary up to £135k, Equity, Private healthcare, Flexible / hybrid working
This is a chance to make a real impact during a period of record growth, while working on meaningful, technically challenging problems in one of the most exciting areas of modern software engineering.
Technical Lead employer: Ocho
Join a dynamic and innovative digital consultancy that champions a remote-first work culture, offering exceptional benefits such as a competitive salary, generous annual leave, and a commitment to professional development. With a focus on quality and collaboration, you'll thrive in an environment that values your expertise and provides the autonomy to shape QA processes while working on complex, multi-component systems alongside a talented team in Northern Ireland.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Technical Lead
✨Join Local Tech Meetups
Get out there and mingle with fellow developers by joining local tech meetups. It’s a fantastic way to meet people who might be working at Ocho or know someone who does. Plus, you can pick up some trendy tech skills and trends while you're at it!
✨Contribute to Open Source Projects
Show off your coding chops by jumping into open-source projects. Not only does this give you practical experience, but it also gets you noticed in the dev community. You'll create a killer portfolio that speaks volumes about your skills to Ocho.
✨Tap into Online Developer Communities
Don’t underestimate the power of online developer communities like GitHub, Stack Overflow, and even Reddit. Participate in discussions, share your projects, and build your visibility. We can often find opportunities through these channels that can lead to a full-time gig at companies like Ocho.
✨Explore Job Boards Specifically for Tech Roles
Keep your eyes peeled on job boards that focus on tech roles. Sites like TechCareers or Stack Overflow Jobs can often have listings for companies like Ocho that might not show up on broader job sites. Make it a habit to check these regularly, and don’t hesitate to apply directly through our website!
We think you need these skills to ace Technical Lead
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show off your coding skills:When applying for a software engineering role, it's super important to showcase your coding skills. Make sure your CV includes your tech stack, any relevant programming languages you’re comfortable with, and examples of projects you've worked on. If you have a GitHub profile, link it up! We love to see code in action.
Tailor your portfolio:For a full-time role, we’d expect to see some solid examples of your work in your portfolio. Make sure to include at least two or three projects that highlight your problem-solving skills and your ability to work with different technologies. Focus on the projects that are most relevant to the position at Ocho.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Ocho and how your skills align with the role. Show us your passion for software development. We dig enthusiastic candidates who understand the value of collaboration and continuous learning!
Be clear and concise:When it comes to writing your CV and cover letter, clarity is key. Avoid jargon that could confuse us and stick to simple, direct language. Highlight your achievements with quantifiable results where possible, and keep everything easy to read. A well-organised application goes a long way!
How to prepare for a job interview at Ocho
✨Brush Up on Your Coding Skills
For a full-time software engineering role, it's crucial that we stay sharp with our coding abilities. Expect technical questions that might involve solving problems on the spot or discussing algorithms. Practise on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to get comfortable with the types of questions that often come up.
✨Know Your Tools and Frameworks
Make sure we’re well-acquainted with the tools and technologies listed in the job description. Familiarise ourselves with any specific frameworks or programming languages mentioned. If Ocho uses React or Node.js, for instance, be ready to discuss how we’ve used them in previous projects or coursework.
✨Showcase Your Projects
Bring along a portfolio that highlights our best work. This could be code samples, GitHub repositories, or any side projects we’ve built. Make sure we can talk through our thought process for each project, especially the challenges we faced and how we solved them—this shows our problem-solving skills in action.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
While technical skills are key, full-time positions also require cultural fit. Be ready to discuss our previous experiences and how we handle teamwork, conflict, and deadlines. Brush up on the STAR method—Situation, Task, Action, Result—to clearly articulate our past experiences when discussing how we've contributed to a team.