Tech Lead

Zinc Work Limited; London; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading tech firm in London is seeking a Tech Lead to expand its engineering team. This role combines hands-on feature building and mentoring engineers while owning product areas for optimal performance. Ideal candidates will have strong skills in full-stack development, cloud infrastructure, and leadership. Compensation ranges from £80,000 to £85,000 yearly with various perks, including 24 days holiday and a benefits allowance.

Benefits

24 days holiday + Bank Holidays + your birthday off

£1200 annual benefits allowance

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 and Free Monday lunches

Nursery workplace benefit scheme

Option to lease an electric car through Electric Car Scheme

Celebrated Zinc anniversaries

Qualifications

• Strong experience across frontend and backend, ideally with TypeScript, Vue/Nuxt (or React/Angular), and Node.js.
• Experience with AWS and cloud-native systems.
• NoSQL expertise, particularly with document-based databases.
• Proven ability to keep systems performant, scalable, and reliable over time.
• Able to clearly explain complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Makes sound decisions balancing speed, quality, and long-term impact.
• Navigates ambiguity, finds solutions, and unblocks others.
• Builds trust with direct reports, supports their growth, and fosters a positive team culture.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical initiatives, ensuring your team delivers high-quality, impactful work on time.
• Balance coding (60%) with management (40%), including running 1:1s, performance reviews, and mentoring.
• Take high ownership of your product’s performance, stability, and long-term maintainability.
• Partner with Product, Customer Success, and Account Management to explain new features and technical decisions.
• Support smooth onboarding for new engineers.

Skills

Full Stack Development

Cloud & Infrastructure

Database Knowledge

System Maintenance

Great Communicator

Pragmatic & Ownership-Driven

Problem Solver

Empathetic Leader

Job description

Tech Lead

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 (ThanksBen, 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