Edinburgh
We are partnered with a high-growth digital product agency to appoint a Lead Developer to join their Edinburgh-based team. This is a permanent, full-time position operating on a hybrid basis. Our client delivers AI-enabled, human-centred digital products for ambitious organisations across the UK and internationally. The Role This is a senior, hands-on leadership position combining technical ownership with people leadership. You will shape engineering standards, influence architectural direction, and remain actively engaged in production-level code. Expect an approximate 70/30 split between hands-on development and leadership responsibilities, flexing according to project phase and delivery requirements. You will work across: • Bespoke web platforms and business-critical applications, • Mobile applications built with React Native, • API integrations and backend systems, • A combination of greenfield builds and scalable legacy platforms This is a dynamic agency environment. Projects vary in scope and sector, and context switching is part of the role. Delivery methodologies include Scrum and Kanban, with two-week sprints typical. Engagements range from fixed-price to time-and-materials models. Core Responsibilities • Delivery Ownership, • Technical Leadership, • Mentorship & Team Development, • Commercial Contribution Technology Stack Frontend • React, • Inertia.js, • React Native, • Tailwind CSS Backend • Laravel, • PHP, • Node.js Essential Experience • 5+ years’ commercial software development experience, • Minimum 2 years operating at Senior or Lead level with people responsibility, • Experience within an agency or consultancy environment, • Full lifecycle delivery exposure (scoping through to live support), • Demonstrated experience mentoring and developing engineers, • Strong commercial experience with Laravel or Symfony, • Solid React experience, • Strong SQL capability (MySQL or PostgreSQL), • Proficient with Git workflows and pull request processes, • Experience implementing and maintaining CI/CD pipelines, • Comfortable owning cloud deployment and hosting decisions Desirable Experience • Production integration of LLMs or AI services, • React Native applications delivered to production, • Node.js API development, • Inertia.js and Tailwind, • Docker and containerisation, • AWS infrastructure, • MongoDB Role Expectations This role is for people who want ownership and responsibility in a fast-paced agency environment. This isn't a single-product environment, and it isn't a role for developers seeking purely hands-on coding without leadership accountability. Variety, pace, and ambiguity are inherent in the role. You will lead a cross-functional delivery squad consisting of: 1 Product Owner, 2/ 4 Mid-Level Developers, & You as Lead Developer. Benefits • Competitive salary aligned with experience, • Company pension scheme, • Private healthcare, • Enhanced maternity and paternity leave, • Hybrid working model, • Regular team events, • Supportive, collaborative working environment, • Ongoing professional development and training, • 30 days annual leave plus birthday leave If you are interested in leading delivery within a high-growth digital agency environment and shaping technical standards across diverse client engagements, we welcome your application.