Lead Engineer

Carpata; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A seed-stage automotive tech firm in Greater London seeks a Lead Engineer to design scalable architecture for automotive parts data. This hybrid role demands exceptional engineering leadership, attention to detail, and systems thinking. You will impact accuracy and performance in a +$2 trillion industry. Compensation ranges from £80k to £120k plus equity and benefits. Join us to shape the engineering culture and influence product strategy as we grow.

Benefits

Early employee equity

3% pension matching

Additional fringe benefits

Qualifications

• Experience designing systems that manage complex, conflicting data at scale.
• Ability to build cultures prioritizing software quality.
• Approach challenges with pragmatism and deliver solutions iteratively.

Responsibilities

• Own the architecture and design of systems handling complex automotive data.
• Mentor engineers and uphold engineering standards.
• Ensure the platform scales while maintaining performance and accuracy.

Skills

Engineering Leadership

Attention to Detail

Systems Thinking

Problem Solving

Education

Relevant technical degree or equivalent experience

Tools

React

Job description

Typescript or Python Full-time Hybrid (London)

Design and Build the Architecture That Powers Automotive Parts Procurement

About Us

At Carpata, our vision is to build the vehicle and parts data infrastructure that powers the automation of the entire automotive aftersales industry. We're working with garages, dealerships, manufacturers, parts suppliers, and insurance companies across the ecosystem.

We're looking for a talented, customer-focused Lead Engineer who holds exceptionally high standards for accuracy, approaches challenges creatively, and obsesses over automation because automotive data is always evolving.

This is a unique opportunity to join a seed-stage company founded by experienced entrepreneurs who have built and exited automotive tech businesses. Backed by Concept Ventures (Eleven Labs, Jigcar, Superlinked), Nosara Capital (LeafLink, Max Retail), and angels from UK automotive tech leaders like CarWow, JustPark, Autotrader, and Bumper, we have big ambitions to drive change.

We're building a world-class team where you'll solve a huge pain point felt by millions across the globe in a +$2 trillion industry and do the most impactful work of your career. Join us in building the future of B2B parts.

Where We Are

We've validated product-market fit with paying customers using our platform in production. Now we're scaling our capabilities - expanding our data infrastructure, building out key capabilities, and growing the team.

This is a founding-level technical role. You'll have a significant influence on our architecture, engineering culture, and how we build as we scale.

Industry-wide Problems We're Solving

Eliminating Manual Parts Procurement

We're eliminating time-consuming part lookups and quote creation for automotive businesses, enabling them to order the right parts, first time, confidently. Service teams will be able to instantly convert customer queries into OEM part numbers, eliminating costly returns and delays.

Workflow Automation

Dealership health checks automatically generate accurate service recommendations, enabling fleet operators to procure parts across hundreds of vehicles without manual cross-referencing. Integration with existing systems will create unified workflows from inspection to ordering.

Democratising Parts Knowledge: Simple, Reliable Access

Complex vehicle specifications and inconsistent supplier data become invisible to end users through a single, authoritative platform that anyone can use reliably. The industry knowledge shortage is addressed by making parts identification simple enough for less experienced staff to achieve professional-level accuracy.

What You'll Do

Your Immediate Priorities

Own the Architecture

• Design and build systems that handle complex automotive data at scale
• Build intelligence that learns from usage and improves over time

Scale the Platform

• Architect systems that power our data API and procurement platform
• Maintain performance and accuracy as we grow
• Design for both current customer needs and future scale
• Drive and uphold engineering standards and practices that balance quality with speed
• Mentor engineers on technical excellence
• Build foundations for scaling the team as we grow

The Technical Challenges

Automotive parts data is fragmented, inconsistent, and constantly changing across multiple sources. You'll design systems that:

• Resolve conflicting information from disparate data sources to deliver accurate results
• Handle complex matching logic across millions of vehicle and parts combinations
• Maintain data quality and accuracy as the system scales
• Build intelligence that improves from real-world usage

The Stack

• Frontend: React

What We're Looking For

Must-Haves

• You've designed and built systems that handle complex, conflicting data at scale

Engineering Leadership

• You build cultures where quality is the default. You coach, set standards, and lead technical decisions while developing others

Extreme Attention to Detail

• When customers rely on your data, "mostly right" destroys trust. You build systems that catch errors before customers see them

Pragmatic Delivery

• You ship small, learn fast, and iterate. You know when to validate quickly and when to optimise, without cutting corners on correctness

Systems Thinking

• You see the connections - how data accuracy drives customer trust, repeat usage, and business outcomes. You design for the system, not just the feature
• You work effectively with domain experts, product people, and engineers. You value diverse expertise and explain technical trade-offs clearly to non-technical stakeholders

Nice-to-Haves

• AI/ML experience and understanding of practical applications
• Data quality and validation systems at scale
• Complex taxonomy or catalogue experience
• Early-stage startup experience shaping engineering culture

Cultural Fit

We live by these values:

• Customer-First Reality Check: We build for the real world - mechanics who need parts NOW
• Run at the Hard Stuff: We tackle genuinely difficult problems, head-on
• Show the Numbers: Decisions backed by evidence, not opinions
• Build Fast. Learn Loud: Ship small, test with real users, iterate on what breaks
• Stay Beautifully Curious: We get excited when proven wrong because we're learning

This Role Is NOT For You If...

• You need problems to be fully defined before starting work
• You prefer perfecting systems over shipping solutions that customers depend on
• You think "good enough" is acceptable when our customers demand high accuracy
• You want to work in isolation rather than as part of a collaborative team where everyone's role matters
• You're looking for a remote-first working environment
• You dismiss feedback that challenges assumptions rather than getting excited when proven wrong

Why This Role Will Define Your Career

Genuine Technical Challenges

Build learning systems that resolve conflicting automotive data at scale with no ground truth. Design for accuracy, performance, and systems that improve from real-world feedback.

Real Business Impact

Your architecture powers our APIs and platforms. Accuracy determines whether customers trust us enough to reorder - you'll see the direct connection between your technical decisions and business outcomes.

Founding-Level Influence

Shape engineering culture, own architectural decisions, and influence product strategy as we scale. Work directly with experienced founders and with genuine ownership.

Well-funded seed stage with a clear path to Series A, customers in production, growing revenue, and support from angels at the UK's top automotive companies.

£80-120k + early employee equity, 3% pension matching plus additional fringe benefits

Visa

We cannot sponsor visas at this time

Hiring Process

• Intro call with the CTO
• Technical deep-dive with our Lead Engineer
• Meet the CEO

Ready to Lead Automotive's Data Infrastructure?

If you're excited about owning the architecture that powers an entire industry and building systems that thousands of businesses depend on, we want to hear from you.

Don't wait if you don't tick every box. We're building an inclusive team and value diverse perspectives. If you're energised by running at the hard stuff and have the technical depth to lead, apply now.