Lead Developer (Contract, AI-Driven Environment, Node.JS) We re looking for an experienced backend senior developer to support API development and backend delivery for a high-traffic consumer platform. You ll work alongside front-end engineers to build scalable, secure, and performant systems using modern tools and AI-assisted development. 6 month, fully remote contract. Outsdie IR35 You ll be a good fit if you: Deliver production-ready APIs fast and independently Have proven experience with consumer-facing platforms Use AI coding tools (Cursor, Claude Code, Codex, or similar) to speed up development Make confident technical decisions with minimal guidance Follow clear architectural standards and established development patterns Understand backend performance, scalability, and security at production scale Build reliable, maintainable APIs and data systems Collaborate effectively with front-end developers to design and implement seamless integrations Apply caching and optimization techniques for high-traffic environments We re not looking for: Developers needing extensive supervision or mentoring Anyone without production experience in consumer-facing systems Those who avoid AI coding tools Core Technical Requirements: Node.js (extensive production experience) - this is key, you must have RESTful API design and development (production experience) Database design and optimization (SQL and/or NoSQL) Authentication, authorization, and security best practices AI coding too