Lead Node.js Engineer - Platform Lead

Our client is building a brand-new logistics platform designed to replace legacy freight systems that currently restrict scale and innovation. This is a true greenfield initiative, not a rework, with modern architecture, strong engineering standards, and real commercial urgency behind it.

They are at a pivotal stage, making their first senior engineering hire to take full technical ownership of the platform. Backed by committed investment, direct access to decision-makers, and a clear delivery roadmap, this is an opportunity to shape a platform, and an engineering culture, from the ground up, solving real-world logistics challenges at scale.

How you'll spend your day

As Lead Node.js Engineer, you'll take end-to-end ownership of the platform's technical direction, delivery, and quality, working hands-on while setting standards for future growth.

You'll be responsible for:

• Leading the design and development of a microservices-based platform using Node.js (JavaScript / TypeScript)
• Making pragmatic architectural decisions focused on scalability, resilience, and speed to market
• Designing systems to handle real operational load, including failure handling, retries, and resilience
• Driving event-driven architecture using technologies such as Kafka or RabbitMQ
• Selecting and implementing appropriate data stores (NoSQL and relational) based on use case
• Embedding observability, monitoring, and logging from day one
• Acting as the technical authority, defining coding standards and best practices
• Mentoring engineers as the team grows and preventing unnecessary technical debt
• Owning delivery against aggressive timelines, including readiness for initial client onboarding
• Working directly with senior stakeholders (product, commercial, and leadership) to translate business needs into robust technical solutions, Should we both wish to proceed, we will submit your details to the client and be in touch regarding the outcome and any further steps.

The interview process for this client consists of:

• Stage 1 - 30-60 minutes initial chat via MS Teams
• Stage 2 - 60minute Technical Discussion via MS Teams

This role suits a senior engineer who has built and operated real systems at scale and wants ownership, autonomy, and influence, not layers of sign-off.

You'll bring:

• 8+ years' professional software development experience
• Strong, recent hands-on experience with Node.js in production environments
• Proven experience building scalable, reliable, distributed systems
• Solid knowledge of microservices and event-driven architectures
• Experience with Docker, CI/CD pipelines, and modern infrastructure
• Strong judgement informed by seeing systems fail, and knowing how to design better
• A delivery-focused, pragmatic, and commercially aware mindset
• Confidence working closely with senior stakeholders and influencing technical direction

Highly desirable experience includes:

• Platform or tech stack transitions (e.g. PHP/Laravel to Node.js)
• Kubernetes in production environments
• Prior tech lead or platform ownership roles
• Consultancy or delivery-led backgrounds with real accountability (not just design work), * Node.js
• Docker
• CI/CD
• Kubernetes