Opportunities
With Bonfire-Backed Companies

Engineering Lead

Role Overview

We are looking for an experienced and driven Engineering Lead to join the core team at Upp.ai, where AI and automation power everything we do. In this role, you’ll lead a small, high-performing engineering squad delivering technical solutions that scale, solve customer problems, and contribute directly to our ambitious revenue and product growth.

You’ll shape and evolve our engineering practices, balance hands-on technical leadership with people management, and collaborate cross-functionally to deliver impact fast. At Upp.ai, everyone is expected to move quickly, think boldly, and build responsibly with AI as a force multiplier at the core of how we work.

Key Responsibilities

• Product Development & Feature Design – Own the delivery of features aligned to customer value and the product roadmap.
• Code Quality & Reviews – Drive quality through peer reviews, test coverage, and engineering best practices.
• System Architecture & Infrastructure – Design and evolve scalable, efficient, secure infrastructure and services.
• Cycle & Agile Management – Lead cycle planning, retros, and standups to keep delivery on track.
• API Development & Integration – Deliver robust APIs and service integrations to extend platform capability.
• Scalability & Performance – Improve response times, uptime, and efficiency across our systems.
• Team Development & Mentoring – Grow talent through coaching, feedback, and support.
• Security & Compliance – Ensure alignment with ISO standards using platforms like Vanta.
• Innovation & AI-native Thinking – Identify opportunities to integrate AI, machine learning, or automation to unlock efficiency and scale.
• Stakeholder Communication – Translate technical topics to cross-functional teams and leadership.
  
  

Skills & Qualifications

• Expertise in Modern Programming – Strong in TypeScript, Node.js, Python.
• Cloud Infrastructure (AWS preferred) – Experience deploying scalable, cost-effective cloud solutions.
• CI/CD & DevOps – Confident with pipelines, observability, and automation.
• API & Database Management – RESTful services, MongoDB performance tuning.
• Agile Delivery – Experienced running lean delivery teams in startup environments.
• Team Leadership – Proven ability to coach, support, and retain high-performing engineers.
• Customer-Centric Mindset – Comfortable prioritising work around commercial outcomes.
• AdTech or SaaS Background (nice to have).
• Security Awareness – Hands-on understanding of compliance, data protection, and system integrity.
  
  

Competencies - Core & Functional & Technical

Core

• Customer Centricity (L4) – Drives customer-focused decisions and builds for impact.
• Team Leadership (L4) – Builds trust, clarity, and accountability within teams.
• Communication (L4) – Engages stakeholders with clarity and empathy.
• Problem Solving (L5) – Tackles complex issues with creativity and pragmatism.
• Adaptability (L4) – Thrives in ambiguity and changes course fast when needed.

Functional

• Project Planning (L4) – Breaks down work into structured, trackable plans.
• Stakeholder Management (L4) – Works well with PMs, execs, and commercial teams.

Technical

• Programming Languages (L5) – Leads by example with code quality and patterns.
• Cloud Strategy (L5) – Builds and scales efficient architectures.
• Deployment Tooling (L4) – Owns the delivery pipeline and automation.
  System Design (L4) – Champions simplicity and maintainability.
• AI/ML Ops (L3) – Curious and proactive about applying AI/ML where it counts.
  
  

Performance Metrics

• Code Quality – Reduction in tech debt, peer-reviewed and tested code.
• Feature Delivery – Timely and value-adding releases.
• System Performance – High uptime, fast response times.
• Team Growth – Positive feedback, skill development, retention.
• Customer Feedback – Performance tied to client satisfaction and success metrics.
  
  

Cultural Fit

Upp.ai has strong cultural values that allow us to develop a special working environment for our teams.We are a small, high growth business creating new technologies and a new market. We are passionate about what we do, we care about excellence in every part of our business and we move very quickly.

We work by these 5 principles:

• Bold Under Pressure; Stay calm, act decisively, and thrive in ambiguity.
  
  
• Extreme Ownership; No excuses. Own outcomes, not just tasks.
  
  
• Insatiable Curiosity; Challenge everything. Learn relentlessly.
  
  
• Mission Over Ego; It’s not about credit; it’s about outcomes.
  
  
• Unyielding Standards; We do excellent work or we fix it.