Lead Backend Engineer - REMOTE

At Zego, we know that traditional motor insurance holds good drivers back. It’s too complicated, too expensive, and it doesn't take into account how well you actually drive. Our mission at Zego is to offer the lowest priced insurance for good drivers. From van drivers and gig workers to everyday car drivers, our customers are our driving force — they’re at the heart of everything we do. We’ve sold tens of millions of policies so far, and raised over $200 million in funding. We’re looking for a Lead Backend Engineer to help shape the future of Zego’s platforms and services. This role is ideal for someone who thrives on solving complex problems, working at scale, and acting as a technical leader within a cross-functional product team. As a Lead Engineer at Zego, you’ll bring deep backend expertise driving delivery, influencing architecture, and mentoring others. You'll play a key role in evolving our microservices ecosystem and ensuring we build software that’s resilient, scalable, and impactful. Design, build and own Python microservices that power our insurance platform-secure, observable, and built for scale. ~ Collaborate with engineers, product managers, designers and data analysts to deliver user and business value fast. ~ Lead and coordinate the delivery of large, complex technical initiatives with clarity and impact. ~ Stay curious about how AI can enhance our work, adopting tools and workflows that unlock better productivity and insight. You’re a strong backend engineer with hands-on experience building cloud-native microservices (Python preferred, but open to strong experience in other languages ~ You bring deep knowledge of programming fundamentals- data structures, algorithms, system design. ~ You’ve built systems at scale and understand distributed architectures, performance tuning and observability. ~ You lead by example: through mentoring, clear communication, and a collaborative mindset. ~ When something isn’t working or could be improved, you step in- raising concerns early, engaging the right people, and helping the team align on a path forward. You will be someone who’s actively curious about how AI can enhance your work - keen to experiment, learn quickly, and apply tools that improve productivity, streamline tasks, or unlock new ways of thinking. Whether you’re already hands-on or fast building confidence, you take ownership of staying ahead and working smarter We’re proud of our company and our culture – a friendly and inclusive space where we can lift each other up and celebrate our wins every day. We recognise our achievements, learn from our mistakes, and help each other to be the best we can be. Together, we’re making insurance matter. We call it Zego Hybrid. While some of our team choose to come into our central London office once a week, we’re flexible - some people prefer being in once a month or even quarterly. It’s all about finding the right balance between collaborative face time and focused home-working, so we can achieve great results while maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Our approach to AI We believe in the power of AI to meaningfully improve how we work - helping us move faster, think differently, and focus on what matters most. At Zego, we encourage people to stay curious and intentional about how AI is leveraged in their work and teams to drive practical impact every day. Join us and you’ll get a market-competitive salary, private medical insurance, company share options, generous holiday allowance, and a whole lot of wellbeing benefits. We also offer an annual flexible hybrid working contribution, which you can use to support with your travel to the office or towards your own personal development. We’re an equal opportunity employer and we value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, or disability status. #LI-Hybrid #