Lead Engineer

Who we are

CreateFuture is fast becoming the UK’s most recognisable digital consultancy, with years of experience building digital products and services for major organisations whilst putting our people first. We have offices in the centre of Edinburgh, Leeds, Manchester, and London as well as remote employees located throughout the country. 

We are a team of creators - whether that’s code, project plans, go to market strategies, culture initiatives, marketing campaigns, large language models or people policies. And together, with our clients, we create the future. This has seen us collaborate and partner across a multitude of industries and sectors, with the likes of PayPal, Adidas, NatWest, FanDuel and Money Saving Expert to name just a few.

Our reputation as a partner determined to deliver high-quality, robust and thoughtful products has enabled us to scale to over 500 people in the last couple of years, and it is our amazing people - along with the safe, supportive and friendly culture we have built - that makes CreateFuture a great place to work. Don’t just take our word for it though, we have been recognised by Best Workplaces UK multiple years in a row - across a number of categories - and our employee exit rate is astonishingly low. 

Join us on our journey… Let’s create something awesome, together, today.

 

About the Role

We are seeking a highly skilled and adaptable engineering leader to embed within a client team. This role blends deep technical expertise with leadership and consulting skills. Whether your focus leans more towards line management and broader leadership (Tech Lead) or technical depth and delivery excellence (Lead Engineer), you will play a pivotal role in shaping solutions and guiding best practices on a high-impact initiative.

Key Responsibilities

Technical Leadership & Delivery

• Take ownership of technical work in the Paid Marketing / Audience Experience space, contributing directly to code and architecture while remaining fully hands-on in delivery.
  
  
• Implement and maintain Google Tag Manager (GTM) integrations, ensuring accurate data collection, consent handling, and compliance with privacy regulations.
  
  
• Deliver high-quality front-end features in React, integrating seamlessly with GTM and maintaining strong standards of performance, accessibility, and maintainability.
  
  
• Set up and maintain deployment pipelines, contribute to infrastructure automation, and bring curiosity about architecture and experience with different cloud solutions, including Terraform and Kubernetes.
  
  
• Engage confidently with stakeholders at different levels, explaining technical concepts clearly and enabling informed decision-making across the team.
  
  

Consulting & Client Engagement

• Act as a trusted technical partner, building strong relationships with stakeholders at all levels.
  
  
• Translate client needs into actionable solutions, balancing business value with technical feasibility.
  
  
• Identify opportunities for improvement, growth, and innovation within the client engagement.
  
  
• Confidently represent CreateFuture in client discussions, workshops, and architecture sessions.
  
  

Leadership (Depending on Track)

• Tech Lead track: Provide line management for a small group of engineers, supporting their development and career progression. Foster a culture of feedback, coaching, and continuous improvement.
  
  
• Lead Engineer track: Focus on technical mentorship and thought leadership within the client and CreateFuture engineering communities, without direct reports.
  
  

Requirements

• Strong experience in Google Tag Manager configuration, debugging, and optimisation.
  
  
• Proven experience with React and modern front-end frameworks.
  
  
• Awareness of Consent Management Platforms (CMPs) and regulations (GDPR, CCPA, ePrivacy).
  
  
• Exposure to Terraform and Kubernetes for infrastructure automation.
  
  
• Excellent consulting and stakeholder management skills — able to simplify complexity and build trust.
  
  
• Strong problem-solving mindset: curious, adaptable, and able to thrive in ambiguous situations.
  
  
• Comfortable working 2 days/week on site in London or Edinburgh.
  
  

Nice-to-Have

• Experience with MarTech tools (Firebase, Google Ads, Meta, Criteo).
  
  
• Knowledge of A/B testing frameworks and analytics integrations.
  
  
• Prior experience in regulated or consumer-facing industries.
  
  

Why This Role?

• Flexibility to shape the role around your strengths: Tech Lead (with line management) or Lead Engineer (deep technical leadership).
  
  

A platform to showcase your expertise, grow client relationships, and make a measurable impact.