Tech Lead - Zurich Nova

About the role

Zurich Nova, an AI start-up acquired by Zurich in 2023, is looking for a Tech Lead in Bristol. The role combines hands-on engineering with leading a small team of associate software engineers. It is not a traditional management role: you stay close to the technology, designing and building software while setting high standards for quality, pace and delivery. Working hours are part-time, job-share or full-time, with three days a week in the office and flexible hours; the closing date for applications is 29 October 2026.

Key responsibilities

• Lead a small team of associate software engineers, setting clear expectations around quality, ownership and delivery.
• Stay hands-on with the design, development and delivery of production software.
• Provide technical direction, coach and mentor engineers, and remove blockers so the team keeps momentum.
• Work with product, business and technical stakeholders to prioritise problems and turn ideas into products.
• Drive continuous improvement of engineering practices, tooling and ways of working.
• Explore AI, Generative AI and emerging technologies to accelerate development.
• Make pragmatic architectural and technical decisions that balance speed, scalability and maintainability.

Required profile

• Strong software engineering experience, preferably in a fast-paced start-up, scale-up, fintech or technology-led environment.
• Hands-on coding skills and experience delivering production-quality software.
• Experience leading engineering projects, mentoring developers or managing a small technical team.
• Able to make technical decisions and give direction when requirements are not fully defined.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to influence technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• An interest in AI, Generative AI and large language models.

Required skills

• Automation, workflow technology, cloud platforms or modern Agile environments are valuable.
• Ability to learn new technologies quickly and make good engineering decisions.

What we offer

• Salary depending on experience plus an attractive benefits package.
• Flexible working arrangements, including part-time, job share, flexible hours and some working from home.