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Tech Lead (Node&React) - South Africa

Role overview

Qualifications

  • 2+ years in a leadership role
  • 6+ years in engineering
  • 3+ years in building web applications using Node.js and React
  • Experience in architecting software (projects from scratch is a plus)

Responsibilities

  • Lead, mentor, and manage a team of engineers, fostering a collaborative and high-performing culture, and align with Product Manager and Design Lead to deliver a seamless, performant front-end experience.
  • Own the technical delivery, including architecture and infrastructure, select and update technologies, contribute hands-on to feature development, conduct code reviews, and ensure deadlines and architecture alignment.
  • Collaborate with the Product Manager on discovery refinement, ensuring epics and user stories are refined, estimated, and prioritized in line with business goals.
  • Proactively improve development processes and team efficiency, and participate in internal engineering initiatives (e.g., AI Guild and Engineering Leads Council).

About the company

OAK'S LAB logo

OAK'S LAB

OAK’S LAB is a leading product development partner specializing in custom web and mobile application development that drives tangible business results. With Silicon Valley founders and top-tier European tech talent, we operate from Prague and have successfully delivered over 55 software products for early-stage startups, scaleups, and global enterprises. Notable Clients: • AAA - 61M members • Blackpoint Cyber - $201M in funding • Blue Owl Capital - $251B AUM • Capital Markets Gateway - $69M in funding • Nasdaq Private Market - $62M in funding • PlexTrac - $81M in funding • Productboard - $261M in funding • Volkswagen - $5B market cap Our Services: 1. Product Discovery Before writing a single line of code, we help you identify the right product to build. Through market research, user validation, and rapid prototyping, we reduce risk and ensure your product meets real user needs and is commercially viable. 2. Custom Web & Mobile Development We build scalable, high-performance applications using React.js and Node.js, tailored to your business goals. Our focus on clean architecture and modern frameworks ensures your product is fast, secure, and ready to scale. 3. AI & Agentic Systems We design and build AI-powered systems that automate workflows, streamline operations, and connect siloed data. Leveraging LLMs, RAG, and AI orchestration, we create intelligent solutions that deliver efficiency gains.

Company details

Company size51 - 200

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Job description

* The position is fully remote and is open to candidates based in South Africa

* The position is for a B2B/freelancing cooperation and it is a long-term contract engagement

ABOUT US

We are a leading product development partner specializing in custom web and mobile application development. With Silicon Valley founders and top-tier European tech talent, we operate from Prague and have successfully delivered over 65 software products for early-stage startups, scaleups, and global enterprises.

  • Founded in 2016

  • Headquartered in Prague

  • Built and launched 65+ products

  • 85+ team members

  • Driving product innovation for leading US companies

At OAK’S LAB, we take an AI-first approach, utilizing AI on almost every project. From streamlining design and testing workflows to enhancing developer productivity, our teams leverage tools such as Figma MCP Server, Playwright MCP Server, and Cursor, and we’re actively experimenting with remote AI agents to push the boundaries of what’s possible in product development.

OUR PROJECTS

Here are a few from our portfolio:

THE ROLE

Our product development team is looking for an experienced Tech Lead who combines creative thinking, exceptional problem-solving skills, and technical expertise to own the technical buildout of the product. On each of our products, we have a dedicated team that is led by a Tech Lead, a Product Manager, and a Design Lead. Our teams are small and effective and range from 5 to 15 people.

This role requires a combination of strong technical and leadership capabilities. You’ll be responsible for managing an engineering team (usually 3-7 engineers), owning the software architecture and infrastructure, engaging with the business to understand the product needs, and overseeing the technical direction and delivery.

You’ll get support and guidance from our Head of Engineering and will also be part of our Engineering Leads Council, where we consult on large technical challenges and tech-related decisions that shape the startups we build. You’ll also have the opportunity to join our internal AI Guild, a community where engineers share insights, experiment with cutting-edge AI tools, and learn from one another.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Leadership

  • Collaborate with the Product Manager and Design Lead to align on the project’s goals and ensure the delivery of a seamless, performant front-end experience.

  • Lead, mentor, and manage a team of engineers, fostering a collaborative and high-performing team culture

  • Create and maintain an environment where your engineers are motivated, engaged, and constantly improving their skills.

Development

  • Own the technical delivery of the project, ensuring deadlines are met and deliverables align with the client's objectives.

  • Select and update technologies that are most appropriate for the client's needs, ensuring they align with our standards

  • Assist the Product Manager in discovery refinement, ensuring that epics and user stories in the roadmap are refined, estimated, and prioritized in line with business goals

  • Be a hands-on contributor to the project, developing features together with the team

  • Conduct regular code reviews to maintain code quality

  • Oversee the overall software architecture

  • Proactively seek ways to improve the development process and team efficiency


SKILLS & REQUIREMENTS

  • 2+ years in a leadership role

  • 6+ years in engineering

  • 3+ years in building web applications using Node.js and React

  • Experience in architecting software (for projects from scratch is a plus)

  • Experience in setting up and maintaining hosting infrastructure

  • Strong business acumen (experience in early-stage startups is a plus)

  • Desire to learn new technologies and apply AI in your workflow

  • Strong analytical and critical thinking skills for complex technical challenges

  • Willingness to learn new technologies

  • Proficiency in English

OUR TECH STACK

  • Typescript

  • Node.js

  • React + Next.js

  • React Native

  • GraphQL, tRPC

  • Material UI

  • Playwright

  • PostgreSQL

  • Google Cloud Platform

  • Python

  • HuggingFace API, LLM APIs (eg OpenAI API), Langchain, Vector Databases for RAG

Important Notice: OAK'S LAB communication, including interview requests and job offers, are only sent from an "@oakslab.com" or "@oaks-lab.com" email addresses (e.g., john@oakslab.com or john@oaks-lab.com). Any message from a different email domain is not associated with OAK'S LAB. We will never ask for payment information or banking details via email, phone, or any other communication channel during the interview process. If you receive messages using our name, domain, or brand assets in an attempt to impersonate us or act on our behalf, do not engage. Instead, report it to Econsumer.gov at Government Shutdown Notice / Aviso de cierre del gobierno (if you are in the EU), Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at Government Shutdown Notice / Aviso de cierre del gobierno , or the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in case of investment fraud at SEC.gov | Report Suspected Securities Fraud or Wrongdoing (if you are in the US).

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MR

Marcus Rivera

Chief Revenue Officer

m.rivera@company.com
linkedin.com/in/marcusrivera
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