We''re partnering with a fast-growing sports/entertainment business looking to hire a Senior Backend Engineer on a 6-month contract (outside IR35), with potential to convert to permanent (£95k). This is a hands-on tech lead role with ownership of core platform systems powering multiple websites and internal services.The RoleYou''ll take full technical ownership of the NextGen CMS and Master Data (MDM) systems, designing, developing, and mentoring a small team of engineers. This role is perfect for someone who thrives in complex, high-scale environments and wants real impact from day one.Key Responsibilities:Lead development across CMS and MDM systemsMaintain and expand complex backend systems (not standard CMS)Mentor engineers and set engineering standards/patternsDrive architecture, integrations, and system scalabilityWork closely with stakeholders to deliver features and improvementsTeam Environment:5 Backend, 3 Frontend engineers, 1 Delivery ManagerSupported by 1 Architect; Product hire joining soonDistributed across UK and Poland; hybrid working with optional Holborn officeRequired Skills and ExperienceNode.js and TypeScript in production systemsAWS or other cloud at scaleExperience owning large, complex backend systemsProven mentorship or tech lead experienceStrong system design and architecture experienceIntegration-heavy environmentsNice-to-Have:Experience with high-scale platforms (gaming, sports, fintech, marketplaces)DevOps/SRE awarenessSoft Skills:Excellent communi