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- Tasks: Lead a team to develop innovative voice assistant technology and enhance customer service automation.
- Company: Join PolyAI, a pioneering tech company transforming customer service with AI.
- Benefits: Enjoy flexible working, generous holiday, and professional development opportunities.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in AI while leading a talented engineering team.
- Qualifications: 5+ years in software engineering with leadership experience and expertise in Python and TypeScript.
- Other info: Inclusive culture with strong values and excellent career growth potential.
The predicted salary is between 48000 - 72000 £ per year.
PolyAI automates customer service through lifelike voice assistants that let customers lead a conversation. Our voice assistants enable businesses to deliver outstanding customer service that rivals human agents. Our customers include world-leading logos that are expanding how they use our platform, driving automation of critical customer service operations and integrating PolyAI into daily workflows.
Join us as a Lead Software Engineer (People Manager) on our Data - Engineering team. You will play a key role in delivering the next generation of our no-code agent studio platform. In this role, you will lead the design and development of features that power insight generation, reporting, and the data-driven backbone of our no-code platform for building voice assistants.
You will balance hands-on technical design with people leadership, shaping architecture, reviewing code, and helping your team grow through clear feedback and development paths. Working closely with Product, you will turn ambitious ideas into scalable, reliable systems that power millions of AI-driven conversations. This is a role for someone who loves both building and leading: setting the technical direction, driving predictable delivery, and cultivating a culture where engineers thrive and great software gets shipped.
Responsibilities- Lead and mentor a cross-functional team of engineers, balancing hands-on technical work with people leadership.
- Participate directly in review cycles and career development paths for the team, while setting the bar for technical quality and maintainability.
- Drive sprint and review cycles, ensuring clear goals, predictable delivery, and accountability across the team.
- Partner closely with Product to translate business goals into an actionable roadmap and measurable outcomes.
- Drive the software architecture of our multitenant conversational AI platform, ensuring robustness, scalability, and reliability—particularly in externally facing developer APIs.
- Champion and enforce strong engineering standards and best practices across the team.
- Proven experience leading a team of 3+ engineers, including sprint planning, performance reviews, technical mentorship, technical project planning, scoping, architecture and delivery.
- Experience coaching engineers through design decisions, trade-offs, and technical challenges.
- Comfortable leading people and setting technical direction while staying closely engaged with the engineering work.
- 5+ years of professional experience as a Software Engineer in a people management role, with a track record of delivering production features.
- Significant expertise in Python and TypeScript is a must.
- Experience with at least one major cloud provider (AWS, GCP, or Azure).
- Participation in the company's employee share options plan
- 25 days holiday, plus bank holidays
- Flexible working from home policy
- Work from outside of the UK for up to 6 months each year
- Telehealth EAP 24/7 for confidential support
- Enhanced parental leave
- Bike-to-Work scheme
- Annual learning and development allowance
- One-off WFH allowance at joining
- Company-funded fertility and family-forming programmes
- Menopause care programme with Maven
- Private healthcare and dental cover, discounts on gym memberships and mental health programs
At PolyAI, we take pride in our values. Our core values shape our culture and our impact.
Our Core Values- Only the best
- Ownership
- Relentlessly improve
- Bias for action
- Disagree and commit
- Build for people
PolyAI is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All employment decisions at PolyAI will be based on business needs without regard to ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, family or parental status, national origin, neurodiversity status, or disability status.
Lead Software Engineer - People Manager (London Based 2-3x week) employer: PolyAI
Contact Detail:
PolyAI Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Lead Software Engineer - People Manager (London Based 2-3x week)
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the industry, especially those who work at PolyAI or similar companies. A friendly chat can sometimes lead to referrals, which can give you a leg up in the hiring process.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for the interview by diving deep into PolyAI's products and values. Understand how their voice assistants work and think about how your experience aligns with their mission. This will help you stand out as someone who truly gets what they do.
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your leadership skills during interviews. Be ready to discuss how you've mentored teams and driven projects to success. PolyAI is looking for someone who can balance technical prowess with people management, so highlight those experiences!
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, it shows you're genuinely interested in joining the team at PolyAI. Let's get you that dream job!
We think you need these skills to ace Lead Software Engineer - People Manager (London Based 2-3x week)
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV reflects the skills and experiences that match the Lead Software Engineer role. Highlight your leadership experience, technical expertise in Python and TypeScript, and any relevant projects that showcase your ability to deliver production features.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Use your cover letter to tell us why you're passionate about leading a team and building innovative software. Share specific examples of how you've mentored engineers and driven successful projects, and don’t forget to mention your alignment with our core values!
Showcase Your Technical Skills: In your application, be sure to highlight your technical skills, especially your experience with cloud providers like AWS, GCP, or Azure. We want to see how you’ve applied these skills in real-world scenarios, so include any relevant achievements or challenges you've overcome.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website for the best chance of getting noticed. It’s the easiest way for us to keep track of your application and ensure it reaches the right people. Plus, it shows you’re serious about joining our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at PolyAI
✨Know Your Tech Inside Out
Make sure you’re well-versed in Python and TypeScript, as these are crucial for the role. Brush up on your knowledge of cloud providers like AWS, GCP, or Azure, and be ready to discuss how you've used them in past projects.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Prepare examples of how you've led teams in the past. Think about specific instances where you mentored engineers, drove sprint planning, or set technical direction. Highlight your ability to balance hands-on work with people management.
✨Understand the Product and Its Impact
Familiarise yourself with PolyAI’s voice assistant technology and its applications in customer service. Be ready to discuss how you can contribute to the no-code agent studio platform and translate business goals into actionable outcomes.
✨Emphasise a Culture of Improvement
PolyAI values relentless improvement, so come prepared to discuss how you foster a culture of feedback and growth within your team. Share your thoughts on engineering standards and best practices that you believe are essential for success.