Lead Backend Developer

Lead Backend Developer

Location: London - 1x a month

Salary: Up to £120,000 (D.O.E) + benefits

Fruition Group are partnering with a high-growth Insurtech unicorn that's scaling its engineering function. This is a unique chance to work across both proven, revenue-generating products and greenfield initiatives that are reshaping the future of insurance. It's an ideal role for a driven Lead Engineer who thrives in ambitious environments and wants to make a tangible impact.

As a Lead Backend Engineer, you'll take ownership of designing and scaling cloud-native backend systems. You'll work primarily with Python (FastAPI) and play a key role in shaping the architecture of microservices that support millions of users. Beyond hands-on development, you'll provide technical leadership, mentor team members, and influence strategic engineering decisions.

This is a high-impact role where your work directly drives product growth, system resilience, and platform evolution.

What will I be doing:

• Design, develop, and optimise scalable backend services in Python, leveraging FastAPI.
• Lead architectural discussions with a focus on performance, scalability, and reliability.
• Deliver complex features end-to-end - from design through deployment and monitoring.
• Provide mentorship through code reviews, technical guidance, and best practices.
• Collaborate with Product, Design, and Engineering teams to deliver at pace.
• Continuously raise the bar for engineering standards, code quality, and delivery.
• Shape the long-term direction of the platform's service-oriented architecture.
• Champion the use of AI and automation to enhance productivity across the team.

What experience do I need:

• Strong background building and scaling Python-based systems (FastAPI, Flask, or Django REST).
• Proven leadership experience in a development environment
• Solid expertise in microservices, APIs, messaging patterns, and distributed systems.
• Proficient with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure) and containerisation (Docker; Kubernetes preferred).
• Strong engineering fundamentals - testing, clean code, performance tuning, and algorithms.
• Experience with relational and non-relational databases (PostgreSQL, MongoDB).
• Comfortable working in agile, fast-moving environments with high ownership.
• Curious about new technology, with a growth mindset and interest in AI-driven tools.

If this role sounds of interest, please apply and a member of the team will be in touch to discuss your application.

We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their race, sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation, or age.