R&D Team Lead (Technical/Hands-on Role)

We are looking for an experienced Head of R&D Manager (Hands on Position) to lead a small R&D team, combining strong technical expertise with proven leadership skills. The role involves full ownership of designing and developing large-scale backend systems, leading cross-functional teams, and driving innovation from concept to production.

About Us:

ThinkUp is a well-funded b2c startup with a huge mission to build an AI platform for entrepreneurs. We aim to help tech entrepreneurs fulfill their mission and change the world. We do so by turning best practices methodologies into a “Doing” approach, enhanced with AI-driven data and a structured validation process.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a cross-functional R&D team. 
• Setting technical vision and priorities.
• Design and develop scalable backend systems and microservices.
• Implement best practices for software development to improve code quality and delivery speed.
• Collaborate closely with product managers and business stakeholders to align technical solutions with business goals.
• Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and technical excellence

Qualifications

Must have

• 7+ years of experience in software development 
• 5+ years of experience leading a cross-functional R&D team
• Strong background in Backend development and distributed systems
• Proficiency in Python, Java, or Node.js for large-scale system development
• Solid knowledge of data structures, algorithms, and system architecture
• Some experience in client-side development in React
• Passion for clear code, product usability, and robust architectures.
• Experience researching, developing, and utilizing generative AI technologies
• Ability to manage people both from technical and personal standpoints
• Excellent communication and leadership skills
• Love to be a hands-on leader - a must!

Advantage/Nice to Have

• Experience with Spring Boot, Microservices, and Multithreading.
• DevOps Advantage: Hands-on experience with AWS (EC2, S3, ECS, Lambda), Docker, Kubernetes, Terraform (IaC), and CI/CD.
• Full-Stack development and people management experience.
• Experience with Big Data and Real-time Analytics solutions.
• Experience with SQL and NoSQL databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, DynamoDB).

Why Join Us

- Be part of a well-funded startup with an audacious mission and amazing team.

- Contribute and influence the high-tech industry.

If you're a driven expert in innovation and entrepreneurship processes, passionate about working with Gen AI tools, and ready to make an impact, apply now to shape our products and industry.

To apply, send your CV to: hr@thinkup.global