At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead tech initiatives, mentor engineers, and own product performance while coding hands-on.
- Company: Zinc, a forward-thinking tech company in London with a vibrant culture.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, 24 days holiday, early finish Fridays, and annual benefits allowance.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on data ownership in hiring while growing your leadership skills.
- Qualifications: Strong full stack development experience and excellent communication skills.
- Other info: Enjoy a dynamic work environment with opportunities for personal and professional growth.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 85000 £ per year.
Overview
Tech Lead – Zinc
Department: Tech – Engineering
Employment Type: Full Time
Location: Zinc – London
Reporting To: Sanjeev Ponnapula
Compensation: £80,000 – £85,000 / year
Description
We’re expanding our engineering team and looking for a Tech Lead to help take Zinc to the next level. In this role, you’ll be a true player-coach – building high-quality features hands-on, while mentoring and supporting engineers, and owning a core product area to keep it running at peak performance.
You’ll work closely with Product and the wider business to shape not just what we build but how we build it, ensuring long-term success. And as the voice of engineering across teams, you’ll help communicate new features, align priorities, and set the pace. With a blend of coding and leadership, this is your opportunity to make a lasting impact on both our platform and our people as we scale.
Key Responsibilities
- Driving projects & productivity – Lead technical initiatives, ensuring your team delivers high-quality, impactful work on time.
- Player-coach leadership – Balance coding (60%) with management (40%), including running 1:1s, performance reviews, and mentoring two direct reports.
- Owning your product area – Take high ownership of your product’s performance, stability, and long-term maintainability.
- Cross-team communication – Partner with Product, Customer Success, and Account Management to explain new features and technical decisions, through presentations, Q&As, and tailored updates.
- Team onboarding & growth – Support smooth onboarding for new engineers, helping them ramp up quickly and feel set up for success.
Skills, Knowledge and Expertise
- Hard Skills
- Full Stack Development – Strong experience across frontend and backend, ideally with TypeScript, Vue/Nuxt (or React/Angular), and Node.js.
- Cloud & Infrastructure – Experience with AWS and cloud-native systems.
- Database Knowledge – NoSQL expertise, particularly with document-based databases.
- System Maintenance – Proven ability to keep systems performant, scalable, and reliable over time.
- Soft Skills
- Great Communicator – Able to clearly explain complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.
- Pragmatic & Ownership-Driven – Makes sound decisions balancing speed, quality, and long-term impact.
- Problem Solver – Navigates ambiguity, finds solutions, and unblocks others.
- Empathetic Leader – Builds trust with direct reports, supports their growth, and fosters a positive team culture.
What we offer
Zinc offers a chance to work on a product that brings a fresh perspective on data ownership in hiring
- 24 days holiday + Bank Holidays + your birthday off
- £1200 annual benefits allowance (from month 2)
- Early finish Fridays (16:00)
- Yearly company retreat abroad
- 30 days to Work from anywhere
- Enhanced Maternity, Paternity, and Adoption Leave (2 months full pay, then statutory)
- Statutory pension with NEST (3% employer, 5% employee)
- Zinc shares, issued through the EMI Scheme
- Unlimited access to MoreHappi coaching
- Company socials, quarterly team socials Free Monday lunches
- Nursery workplace benefit scheme (Yellownest)
- Option to lease an electric car through Electric Car Scheme
- Celebrated Zinc anniversaries
#J-18808-Ljbffr
Tech Lead employer: Zinc
Contact Detail:
Zinc Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Tech Lead
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the tech industry, especially those who might know someone at Zinc. A friendly chat can open doors that a CV just can't.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! If you have a portfolio or GitHub with projects that highlight your full stack development expertise, make sure to share it. It’s a great way to demonstrate your coding chops and problem-solving abilities.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for the interview by understanding Zinc's products and culture. Think about how your experience aligns with their needs, especially in terms of team leadership and cross-team communication. We want to see how you can make an impact!
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to 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 the Zinc team.
We think you need these skills to ace Tech Lead
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV reflects the skills and experiences that match the Tech Lead role. Highlight your full stack development experience and any leadership roles you've had. We want to see how you can bring your unique flair to our team!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're passionate about the role and how your background aligns with our mission at Zinc. Don’t forget to mention your experience with cloud infrastructure and team management!
Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills: In your application, share examples of how you've navigated challenges in previous roles. We love candidates who can demonstrate their problem-solving abilities, especially in tech environments. Let us know how you’ve unblocked others and driven projects forward!
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website for the best chance of getting noticed. It’s super easy, and we can’t wait to see your application come through. Let’s make this happen together!
How to prepare for a job interview at Zinc
✨Know Your Tech Stack
Make sure you’re well-versed in the technologies mentioned in the job description, like TypeScript, Vue/Nuxt, and Node.js. Brush up on your full stack development skills and be ready to discuss how you've used these technologies in past projects.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Style
As a Tech Lead, you'll need to balance coding with management. Prepare examples of how you've mentored team members or led projects. Think about specific situations where you’ve helped others grow or resolved conflicts within a team.
✨Communicate Clearly
Practice explaining complex technical concepts in simple terms. You’ll need to communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders, so be ready to demonstrate your ability to bridge that gap during the interview.
✨Prepare for Problem-Solving Questions
Expect to face questions that assess your problem-solving skills. Think of scenarios where you navigated ambiguity or found innovative solutions. Be prepared to walk through your thought process and the impact of your decisions.