Tech Lead - New Applications Team

Hybrid in London / Remote within the UK

We’re hiring a Tech Lead

Lead the evolution of our decision-making systems and associated architecture. You'll build and improve critical systems, shape iwoca’s technical vision, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver innovative, data-driven solutions.

The company

Fast, flexible finance empowers small businesses to manage their cash flow better and seize opportunities — making both their business and the economy stronger. We help businesses get the funds they need, when they need it, often within minutes. We’ve already made several billion in funding available to more than 100,000 businesses since we launched in 2012, and positioned ourselves as a leading Fintech in Europe. 

Our mission is to finance one million businesses. We’ll get there by continuing to make our finance ever more relevant and accessible to more businesses by combining cutting-edge technology, data science, and 5-star customer service. 

The team

The New Applications team is the centre of our customer acquisition process. They optimise the customer journey, from the moment a potential customer lands on our website through their completed credit assessment. By identifying and implementing the most efficient ways to convert prospects into successful applicants, the team maximises the number of businesses that get our best possible offers. Their remit:

• Optimise the customer journey: Make it easy for potential customers to go from just ‘brand aware’ to enthusiastic applicants.

• Strategise customer assessments: Identify how and when we run credit checks to maximise conversion rates.

• Promote data efficiency: Continually improve how iwoca collects information from both applicants and third-party sources, minimising how long customers wait for funds. 

The role

You’ll help iwoca to realise a long-term vision of a dynamic, automated process that harmonises different input data, for different customers, wanting different products. You’ll lead the development of a new system to dynamically route new applications to the most appropriate credit-assessment process. The system will be fundamental to iwoca’s future success and will extend the current system, which is static and inflexible.

Technical autonomy:

• Re-architect the team’s code to meet an ambitious set of ever-changing challenges, though you’ll need to collaborate with principal engineers in other teams to design and deliver a coherent system as the system evolves to meet our long-term goals.

• Conceive projects for the team to continuously improve aspects of various systems and processes.

• Own integrations with third-party data providers.

Leadership and influence:

• Lead the evolution of our system architecture to optimise customer journeys and enhance decision-making processes.

• Build strong stakeholder relationships, mentor junior developers, and foster a culture of learning and innovation. The systems that relate to new applications are fundamental to iwoca’s success. 

• Share a clear technical vision that aligns with long-term goals while working closely with tech, product, and analytics teams. 

Startup-up culture in a scale-up environment:

• Enjoy open communication and access to leadership without layers of bureaucracy.

• Embrace the energy and adaptability of a startup, where decisions are made quickly, and every day brings new opportunities and challenges.

• Collaborate with teams that use shared systems and infrastructure, with support from common resources like a DevOps team.

The requirements

Essential:

• Expertise in systems architecture, including designing and managing complex domain models. .

• Advanced proficiency in software development using an object-oriented language.

• Business-orientation: you can collaborate with stakeholders to translate complex challenges into scalable solutions. You have owned technical systems that deliver business outcomes in fast-paced environments.

• Demonstrable leadership skills: you have mentored juniors and inspired teams to deliver cross-functional projects. You can balance hands-on coding with strategic planning.

• Experience building and shaping large systems in complex business domains.

Bonus:

• Experience with Python, Django or PostgreSQL.

• Familiarity with data analytics and Machine Learning processes.

• An understanding of complex data systems, including event-sourced data models.

• A strong numerical or technical background, ideally with a degree in maths, physics, computer science, engineering, or a related field.

• Front-end development experience.

The salary

We expect to pay from £100,000 - £140,000 for this role. But, we’re open-minded, so definitely include your salary goals with your application. We routinely benchmark salaries against market rates, and run quarterly performance and salary reviews. 

The culture

At iwoca, we prioritise a culture of learning, growth, and support, and invest in the professional development of our team members. We value diversity in thought and skill, and encourage you to explore new areas of interest to help us improve our products and services.

The offices

We put a lot of effort into making iwoca a brilliant place to work:

• Offices in London, Leeds, and Frankfurt with plenty of drinks and snacks

• Events and clubs, like bingo, comedy nights, yoga classes, football, etc.

The benefits

• Flexible working hours

• Medical insurance from Vitality, including discounted gym membership, and a private GP service for you, your partner, and your dependents.

• 25 days’ holiday, an extra day off for your birthday, the option to buy or sell an additional 5 days of annual leave, unlimited unpaid leave, and one-month fully paid sabbatical after 4 years.

• Instant access to emotional and mental health support with our partner, Spill.

• Pension and share options.

• Generous parental leave and a nursery tax benefit scheme to help you save money.

• Paid volunteering day to support your chosen charity.

• Cycle-to-work scheme and electric car scheme.

• Two company retreats a year, we’ve been to France, Italy, Spain and further afield.

And to make sure we all keep learning, we offer:

• A learning and development budget for everyone.

• Company-wide talks with internal and external speakers.

• Access to learning platforms like Treehouse.

Useful links:

• See iwoca benefits & policies for detail and some additional benefits.

• See Interview welcome pack to learn more about the process.