At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a team of engineers and shape the future of property data technology.
- Company: Join a high-growth prop-tech company transforming property data access.
- Benefits: Enjoy hybrid work, 25 days holiday, and a personal growth fund.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a dynamic environment with cutting-edge technology.
- Qualifications: 7+ years in software engineering with leadership experience required.
- Other info: Inclusive culture with great team events and opportunities for growth.
The predicted salary is between 100000 - 120000 £ per year.
Salary: £100,000 – £120,000 dependent on experience
Working Location: Hybrid/ London (2 days a week on site at our Old Street office)
Searchland is a high-growth, B2B prop-tech company transforming how businesses and individuals access and leverage property data. Our platform empowers property developers, land agents, architects, and planners with real-time insights, helping them make smarter, data-driven decisions when acquiring and developing land.
In just five years, we have built one of the UK’s most advanced property data pipelines, integrating thousands of data sources and processing terabytes of information with less than 24-hour latency. Our cutting-edge platform is shaping the future of property intelligence.
About The Role
We are looking for a Lead Full-Stack Engineer who will combine deep technical ability with strong leadership and architectural oversight. You will drive technical excellence across the organisation, mentor and develop engineers, and help shape the long-term direction of Searchland's platform. This is a hands-on role – expect to contribute to the codebase daily – but also a highly strategic one. You will influence product direction through technical insight, guide multidisciplinary squads (engineering, data, design), and help build and scale a high-performing engineering organisation.
What You’ll Do
- Technical Leadership & Architecture
- Provide architectural oversight across frontend, backend, data infrastructure, and platform components
- Set engineering standards and champion best practices in reliability, scalability, and maintainability
- Lead complex technical design discussions, ensuring trade-offs between speed, scope, and scale are well balanced
- Shape Searchland's technical roadmap in partnership with product and data leaders
- Mentor senior and mid-level engineers, supporting growth through coaching, pairing, and design reviews
- Foster a positive engineering culture built on autonomy, trust, continuous learning, and pragmatic delivery
- Support multidisciplinary collaboration across data, design, and product teams
- Delivery & Hands-On Engineering
- Lead by example with high-quality contributions across the full stack
- Develop performant, accessible front-end features using React (Vite) + Tailwind
- Design and ship scalable APIs using Node.js, Express, and tRPC
- Maintain and improve PostgresQL database and query performance
- Work closely with our data team to evolve Elasticsearch-driven architectures
- Own delivery of complex projects from discovery through deployment and monitoring
- Cross-Functional Impact
- Work closely with Product to ensure technical input shapes roadmap and feature direction
- Translate complex technical challenges into clear, actionable insights for non-technical stakeholders
- Proactively identify opportunities to improve product performance, reliability, and developer experience
You Are
An experienced engineer who has led teams or initiatives and thrives on pairing technical depth with leadership impact. You think holistically – systems, teams, product – and you influence through clarity, pragmatism, and strong delivery instincts.
You likely bring:
- A proven track record leading engineering initiatives or teams in a high-growth environment
- Strong communication skills and the ability to influence product direction through technical framing
- Experience mentoring engineers and helping teams deliver high-quality software at pace
- Comfort working with data scientists, designers, and product managers in multidisciplinary squads
- A proactive, ownership-driven mindset and a bias toward outcomes
- Right to work in the UK
- 7+ years in software engineering with at least 2–3 years in a lead, staff, or senior-plus role
- Demonstrable experience building and scaling SaaS platforms
- Experience leading technical architecture or system design initiatives
- Experience mentoring or managing engineers
- Strong experience with our stack (or strong adjacent experience): Frontend: React (Vite), Tailwind
Desired Experience
- Working in PropTech or data-heavy product environments
- Prior experience building or scaling engineering teams
- Familiarity with UK planning, property, or geospatial data
Interview Process
- Initial asynchronous video assessment (Willo) and follow up with our internal HR Team
- Pre-prepared technical task (React + Tailwind + tRPC + PostgreSQL) with a walkthrough & system design interview with a Senior Engineer
- In-depth technical task
- Final interview with the Chief Product Officer
Why Join Us?
- Flexibility: Hybrid working with two days in our Old Street office
- Wellbeing & balance: 25 days holiday + bank holidays, your birthday off, Christmas office shutdown, and a HealthShield employee cash plan including dental
- Growth & development: Learn across onboarding, customer engagement, and project work, with mentoring and clear opportunities to progress in SaaS.
- Tools & support: A MacBook and contribution to a home office setup, EMI scheme, and £500 per year personal growth fund.
- Great culture: Free lunches and team socials (bake-offs, 3 Peaks challenge, staycations, holidays abroad when targets are hit)
Our Commitment to Inclusion
We are committed to creating an inclusive, diverse workplace where every team member feels valued, heard, and empowered. If you need any accommodations during the recruitment process, we are here to support you. We welcome applications from all backgrounds, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability, age, religion, or any other characteristic. If you require any adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know—we are happy to support you.
Lead Engineer in London employer: SearchLand Ltd
Contact Detail:
SearchLand Ltd Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Lead Engineer in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the industry, attend meetups, and engage with online communities. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can refer you directly.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for those interviews! Research the company, understand their tech stack, and be ready to discuss how your experience aligns with their needs. Practise common technical questions and be ready to showcase your problem-solving skills.
✨Tip Number 3
Show off your projects! Whether it's a GitHub repo or a personal website, having tangible examples of your work can set you apart. Make sure to highlight any relevant experience that aligns with the role of Lead Engineer.
✨Tip Number 4
Apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you're genuinely interested in joining our team at Searchland.
We think you need these skills to ace Lead Engineer in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the Lead Engineer role. Highlight your experience with React, Node.js, and any leadership roles you've had. We want to see how your skills align with our needs!
Showcase Your Technical Skills: Don’t just list your skills; demonstrate them! Include specific projects where you’ve used technologies like PostgreSQL or Tailwind. We love seeing real examples of your work and how you’ve tackled challenges.
Be Clear and Concise: When writing your application, keep it straightforward. Use clear language and avoid jargon unless necessary. We appreciate a well-structured application that gets straight to the point!
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way to ensure your application gets into the right hands. Plus, it shows us you’re keen on joining our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at SearchLand Ltd
✨Know Your Tech Stack
Make sure you’re well-versed in the technologies mentioned in the job description, especially React, Tailwind, Node.js, and PostgreSQL. Brush up on your knowledge of these tools and be ready to discuss how you've used them in past projects.
✨Prepare for Technical Challenges
Expect a technical task during the interview process. Practice coding challenges that involve system design and architecture. Be prepared to walk through your thought process and explain your decisions clearly, as this will showcase your leadership and technical insight.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Since this role involves mentoring and leading teams, come prepared with examples of how you've successfully led engineering initiatives or mentored others. Highlight your ability to foster a positive engineering culture and how you’ve influenced product direction through technical insights.
✨Understand the Business Context
Familiarise yourself with the prop-tech industry and how data impacts property decisions. Being able to translate complex technical challenges into actionable insights for non-technical stakeholders will demonstrate your holistic understanding of the role and its impact on the business.