Software Engineering Team Lead

ABOUT THE ROLE We are looking for an experienced Lead Engineer (back-end) to lead the team building and scaling the infrastructure behind Scenario Builder, our electricity grid modelling platform. Scenario Builder is an in-browser platform that currently provides capacity expansion and dispatch modelling through an accessible no-code interface. The vision for Scenario Builder is to expand into power flow modelling to create a fully integrated grid modelling platform with the features and functionality needed to enable users to develop bankable scenarios that support energy investment decisions. You will line-manage a small team of engineers while remaining a highly active individual contributor. You will own the technical shape of engineering work on the back-end team — leading planning, architecture, and code quality. You will work closely with the wider product and engineering team to design, develop, and maintain the back-end services that power our platform. This hybrid role is based out of our London office near Waterloo Station and reports to the Head of Platform. RESPONSIBILITIES BACK-END DEVELOPMENT & ARCHITECTURE * Design, develop, and maintain scalable back-end services and APIs using Python and modern frameworks (FastAPI). * Design and build high-performance API endpoints to handle complex hierarchical data queries and multi-dimensional aggregations for grid modelling computations * Ensure system reliability, performance, and security through best practices in code quality, testing, and monitoring. * Collaborate with front-end engineers to design and implement RESTful APIs that support our web application. * Collaborate with data engineers and domain experts on the evolving core data model INFRASTRUCTURE & DEVOPS * Manage and optimise cloud infrastructure (GCP) to support our computational workloads. * Implement and maintain CI/CD pipelines to enable rapid, reliable deployments. * Monitor system health and performance, proactively identifying and resolving issues. * Implement and maintain infrastructure-as-code TECHNICAL LEADERSHIP & COLLABORATION * Participate and lead in code reviews, architectural discussions, and technical planning sessions. * Own technical planning: break down roadmap items into well-scoped engineering work, lead estimation, and drive architectural decision records (ADRs). * Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including product, data engineering, and modelling, to deliver impactful features. * Set and uphold the team's technical standards — code quality, testing strategy, API design — through direct example and code review. PEOPLE & LINE MANAGEMENT * Line-manage a team of 3–5 engineers: run regular 1:1s, support career development, and provide timely, constructive feedback. * Partner with the Head of Platform on performance reviews and personal development plans. * Act as the first point of escalation for day-to-day technical blockers ABOUT YOU You should have a long-term commitment to advancing the energy transition and be driven to build robust, scalable systems that power our grid modelling platform. Passionate about creating highly performant back-end services, you understand the technical challenges associated with building niche B2B products that handle complex computational workloads. In addition to seeking out people with a proactive, problem-solving attitude and an eye for detail, as a growing organisation, collegiality and empathy for our coworkers are a requisite. While we are a rapidly growing tech startup, we are also a non-profit, so a high level of adaptability and willingness to approach challenges with creativity and curiosity is essential. SKILLS & EXPERIENCE ESSENTIAL * 7+ years of experience in back-end software development, with strong proficiency in Python. * Experience designing and building RESTful APIs and microservices architectures. * Strong understanding of database technologies (PostgreSQL, Redis, Firestore), ORMs and data modelling principles. * Experience with cloud platforms (preferably GCP) and containerisation technologies (Docker). * Solid understanding of software engineering best practices, including testing, code review, and documentation. * Excellent problem-solving skills and ability to work independently on complex technical challenges. * Experience line managing or formally mentoring engineers, with confidence running 1:1s and supporting career development. * Understanding of OAuth and web security best practices. * Experience with AGILE/Scrum based ways-of-working  DESIRABLE * Experience in the energy sector or with computational modelling/simulation software. * Familiarity with scientific computing libraries (NumPy, Pandas) and optimisation frameworks. * Experience with generative AI/LLMs in applied engineering contexts * Experience with infrastructure-as-code tools (Terraform, Terragrunt) and GitOps practices.

OUR MISSION At Omnea, we’re reinventing how enterprise businesses operate, starting with the most painful parts: procurement – where a single purchase can drag on for months, trigger 50+ emails, and pull in Finance, Legal, Security, and IT just to get something approved. We’ve raised $75M from Khosla Ventures, Insight Partners, and Accel to change that. Our AI-native platform connects every person, step, and system so buying is fast, safe, and efficient – one place to request, automated approvals and renewals, real-time supplier risk, and complete spend visibility. The opportunity is massive. Every enterprise on the planet has this problem and nobody has solved it. We’ve 10x’d ARR to double-digit millions in 18 months and are trusted by global enterprises like Spotify, MongoDB, Monzo, and Albertsons. We’re now the 4th fastest growing startup in Europe & the Sunday Times' #1 Best Medium Sized Tech Company To Work for. Our team previously scaled Tessian (cybersecurity tech, backed by Sequoia, Balderton, Accel, acquired post-Series C), and our team includes ex-founders operators who’ve grown unicorns, shipped world-class products, and executed at the highest levels. You’ll work alongside leaders like Ben, Abs, Sabrina, and Rebe. FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE TEAM AND LIFE AT OMNEA HERE. WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR We're looking for an ambitious and talented Engineering Manager to join Omnea, the UK's #1 Startup in 2026, as part of our Engineering leadership team. As we grow from tens to hundreds of enterprise customers and through 10x revenue growth in the next 2-3 years, you'll play a crucial role in building and leading the best Engineering function in its category. You'll be responsible for multiple teams, ensuring we ship high-quality solutions while maintaining the velocity a fast-growing environment demands. You'll operate with high autonomy, collaborating closely with other EMs, Team Leads, and Product to drive real impact. WHAT YOU’LL DO Build and lead high-performing teams: * Lead multiple engineering teams, fostering a culture of technical excellence and continuous improvement * Drive engineering best practices, quality standards, and high performance * Mentor and develop engineers, helping them grow their careers and impact * Collaborate with Product, Design, Team Leads and other key stakeholders on team structures and deliveries to ensure optimal outcomes Drive technical excellence: * Implement and refine engineering processes that scale * Facilitate architectural decisions that impact multiple teams * Champion quality improvements across teams while maintaining high velocity * Ensure robust monitoring, observability, and incident response processes Shape technical product strategy: * Partner with Product leadership to define and execute our technical roadmap * Balance technical debt, feature development, and system reliability with other deliverables * Ensure customer feedback drives technical priorities Teams and products you might end up working on: * Accounting and Goods Receipting - ensuring procurement and finance teams have the right information and tools to operate accurately, automatically, and at scale * Insights and Reporting - deep, complex custom visualisations bringing together AI and data to surface meaningful insights and context across the platform * Sourcing - building the tools that find the right suppliers, shape the right deals, and make sure the best option is already in play before a request is even created * Workflow Orchestration - the configurable backbone of our systems that accurately model company operations, underpinning a single source of truth * And many more areas we’re actively starting or expanding upon! ABOUT YOU Leadership Experience: * You have 8+ years of software engineering experience, with 3+ years managing engineering teams * You've successfully managed multiple teams simultaneously (typically 2-3 teams / 12-20 engineers) * You've demonstrated success in fast-moving, ambiguous environments, particularly in rapid-growth periods * Ideally, you have experience as an Engineering Manager at multiple companies, including at least one successful Series A+ SaaS company Technical Excellence: * Strong technical background with hands-on experience in modern web technologies * Deep understanding of distributed systems, cloud architecture (preferably AWS), and scalability challenges * Experience with our stack (TypeScript, React, AWS Serverless) is a plus, but not required Track Record of Impact: * Strong track record of successful project delivery in fast-paced environments * Proven history of improving team velocity and quality * Experience scaling engineering teams through rapid growth * Experience implementing engineering processes that scale effectively at pace * Experience working directly with customers and translating their needs into technical solutions Leadership Style: * You're data-driven but know when to trust intuition * You're comfortable making decisions with incomplete information * You excel at collaboration and influence across teams and stakeholders * You have a track record of growing and developing engineering talent Nice to haves that really stand out to us: * Track record of successful product launches in B2B SaaS * Experience with procurement / finance systems * History of contributions to engineering communities You can learn more about Engineering at Omnea and our hiring process via our R&D Candidate Hub here. At Omnea, we embrace diversity. To build a product that's loved by everyone, we're best served by a team with all sorts of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. We encourage you to apply even if your experience doesn't quite match the full job spec! And regardless of your race, religion, colour, gender, or anything else! If you think you could be a good fit for Omnea, please reach out. A FEW THINGS TO NOTE: * We offer competitive geo-localised benefits, and you can check out our UK Benefits Package here and our US Benefits Package here. * We work Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays in-person at our offices. At this early stage of our company life-cycle it's important to us that we get this together-time, and you can read more about why we believe this is a winning move here * We're commercial, ambitious and we don't pretend otherwise! We're actively seeking folks looking to make the most of a career-defining opportunity, with the hunger to be part of building something really impressive. You can see our values here and our Omnea Future Founder's fund here! * We sometimes use AI note-takers to help us transcribe interview notes, so we can be more present in your interview. If you'd like to opt out of us using automatic transcribers, please note this in the free text field in your application, otherwise we'll take your application as confirmation that you're happy for us to use notetakers (whether added to video calls or in the background). We are proud to be recognised for both our culture and product, and we are just getting started. Join us as we grow! LEGAL NOTE: IF YOU ARE VIEWING THIS POSTING OUTSIDE OF THE OMNEA CAREERS' PAGE, THIS MAY BE AN AUTO-GENERATED ADVERTISEMENT AND MAY LACK THE FULL RANGE OF ADVERTISED INFORMATION - PLEASE CLICK THROUGH TO THE POSTING AT HTTPS://JOBS.ASHBYHQ.COM/OMNEA TO VIEW ADDITIONAL ADVERTISED INFORMATION ON THIS POSTING. ADDITIONALLY, WHERE ROLES HAVE HARD-SPECIFIED REQUIREMENTS (E.G. [X] DAYS IN OFFICE, UNABLE TO PROVIDE VISAS, ETC), IF IN YOUR APPLICATION YOU PROVIDE DETERMINISTIC CHECK-BOX CONFIRMATION THAT YOU DO NOT MEET THE HARD-SPECIFIED REQUIREMENTS, DETERMINISTIC (NOT AI OR SUBJECTIVE) AUTOMATIC REJECTION CRITERIA ARE IN PLACE.