Lead Engineer, Data Science Manager, Systems Engineer

Typescript or Python Full-time Hybrid (London)

At Carpata, our vision is to build the vehicle and parts data infrastructure that powers the automation of the entire automotive aftersales industry. We're working with garages, dealerships, manufacturers, parts suppliers, and insurance companies across the ecosystem.

We're looking for a talented, customer-focused Lead Engineer who holds exceptionally high standards for accuracy, approaches challenges creatively, and obsesses over automation because automotive data is always evolving.

This is a unique opportunity to join a seed-stage company founded by experienced entrepreneurs who have built and exited automotive tech businesses. Backed by Concept Ventures (Eleven Labs, Jigcar, Superlinked), Nosara Capital (Leaf Link, Max Retail), and angels from UK automotive tech leaders like Car Wow, Just Park, Autotrader, and Bumper, we have big ambitions to drive change.

We're building a world-class team where you'll solve a huge pain point felt by millions across the globe in a +$2 trillion industry and do the most impactful work of your career. Join us in building the future of B2B parts.

We've validated product-market fit with paying customers using our platform in production. Now we're scaling our capabilities - expanding our data infrastructure, building out key capabilities, and growing the team.

This is a founding-level technical role. You'll have a significant influence on our architecture, engineering culture, and how we build as we scale.

We're eliminating time-consuming part lookups and quote creation for automotive businesses, enabling them to order the right parts, first time, confidently. Service teams will be able to instantly convert customer queries into OEM part numbers, eliminating costly returns and delays.

Dealership health checks automatically generate accurate service recommendations, enabling fleet operators to procure parts across hundreds of vehicles without manual cross-referencing. Integration with existing systems will create unified workflows from inspection to ordering.

Complex vehicle specifications and inconsistent supplier data become invisible to end users through a single, authoritative platform that anyone can use reliably. The industry knowledge shortage is addressed by making parts identification simple enough for less experienced staff to achieve professional-level accuracy.

Own the Architecture

• Design and build systems that handle complex automotive data at scale
• Build intelligence that learns from usage and improves over time

Scale the Platform

• Architect systems that power our data API and procurement platform
• Maintain performance and accuracy as we grow
• Design for both current customer needs and future scale
• Drive and uphold engineering standards and practices that balance quality with speed
• Mentor engineers on technical excellence
• Build foundations for scaling the team as we grow

Automotive parts data is fragmented, inconsistent, and constantly changing across multiple sources. You'll design systems that:

• Resolve conflicting information from disparate data sources to deliver accurate results
• Handle complex matching logic across millions of vehicle and parts combinations
• Maintain data quality and accuracy as the system scales
• Build intelligence that improves from real-world usage

• Frontend: React

• You've designed and built systems that handle complex, conflicting data at scale

Engineering Leadership

• You build cultures where quality is the default. You coach, set standards, and lead technical decisions while developing others

Extreme Attention to Detail

• When customers rely on your data, "mostly right" destroys trust. You build systems that catch errors before customers see them

Pragmatic Delivery

• You ship small, learn fast, and iterate. You know when to validate quickly and when to optimise, without…