Updated September 2026
A strong startup lead developer job description makes clear that this is a player-coach role: most of the week is still hands-on code, with the rest spent reviewing, unblocking and growing a small team. It says who the hire reports to, how big the team will get, and which technical decisions they own, then lists outcomes for the first six months and the salary and equity ranges.
Copy-and-paste lead developer job description
About [Company]
[Company] helps [customer] to [outcome]. We're [number] people, backed by [investors], and our product is used by [who and roughly how many].
The role
You'll lead a team of [number] engineers while writing code most days. You report to [CTO / CEO name]. [If relevant: we plan to hire a CTO in [timeframe], and you'll help choose them.] You own how we build, review and ship; [CTO / CEO name] owns what we build and why.
What you'll do in your first 6 months
- Get us to a predictable release rhythm, shipping [weekly / every two weeks].
- Set code review and testing standards the team agrees with and follows without you chasing.
- Deliver [named feature or project] with the team by [month].
- Help hire [number] engineers and run their onboarding.
- Hold regular 1:1s so each engineer knows what good looks like in their role.
What you'll bring
- Strong hands-on experience with [core stack]. You will be one of our best coders.
- You've led or mentored [number]+ engineers, formally or informally.
- You've owned releases to production and dealt with the incidents that followed.
- You can break a vague product idea into work the team can ship in small pieces.
- You explain technical trade-offs clearly to people who don't write code.
Nice to have
- Experience in a team of [X to Y] engineers at a startup.
- [Specific depth, e.g. mobile, data pipelines, payments].
- You've run an interview loop.
What we offer
- Salary: [£/$/€ X to Y].
- Equity: [X% to Y%], [vesting schedule].
- [Remote / hybrid, X days in City].
- Stage: [Seed / Series A / Series B], [number] months of runway. [Benefits].
Want a quicker first draft? Use our free job description builder, then run the lead developer interview questions against the scorecard below.
How the role changes by stage
| Seed | Series A | Series B | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hands-on code | Most of the week | More than half | Around half, more design and review |
| Team | Two to four engineers, maybe contractors | One team they lead day to day | One of several team leads |
| Reports to | Often the CEO | CTO | Engineering manager or VP Engineering |
| Main risk | Stops coding too early | Becomes the bottleneck on every review | Stuck between managing and building |
Scorecard: how you'll judge success
| Outcome | What good looks like at 12 months | How you'll test it in interviews |
|---|---|---|
| Delivery rhythm | Releases on a steady cadence; the founder can plan launches around them | Ask how they ran releases in their last team and what broke |
| Code quality | Review and testing standards in place; fewer repeat incidents | Live code review of a real pull request |
| Growing engineers | Every engineer has had clear feedback and at least one stretch project | Ask for a specific engineer they helped improve, and how |
| Technical decisions | Decisions in their area written down and rarely reversed | Design discussion on a feature from your roadmap |
| Hiring | Helped hire [number] engineers who are still here | Ask what they look for and how they would sell your team |
30-60-90 day plan
| Days | Focus | By the end they should have |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 30 | Ship code in the first two weeks; review every open pull request; meet each engineer | Merged work in production and a short note on what slows the team down |
| 31 to 60 | Agree review and release standards with the team; take over sprint planning | A release cadence the team is hitting and a written review checklist |
| 61 to 90 | Deliver the first project they led from start to finish; start 1:1s | A shipped project and a development plan for each engineer |
Mistakes founders make in lead developer job descriptions
Asking for a manager and a 10x coder at once. A lead developer at Seed is a strong engineer with some leadership. If the JD reads like an engineering manager role, the best builders skip it.
No cap on the team. Past a handful of direct reports, the lead stops coding. Say how big the team will get before you add a manager or split it. When you get there, our guide to hiring a VP of Engineering is the next step.
Treating it as a promotion ladder. Some of your current engineers may want the role. Decide whether you'll consider them before the JD goes live, and tell them first.
Where Funded.club fits
We've helped 500+ startups from Seed to Series D across North America, Europe and APAC hire engineers and engineering leads. Funded.club agrees a low fixed fee upfront, averaging 6 to 9% of salary, from $4,900 to $21,900 per hire (see pricing). One dedicated recruiter runs the search end to end, with first screened candidates within 7 days and 33 days on average from kick-off to hire.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a lead developer and a CTO?
A lead developer owns how the team builds and ships, and codes most of the week. A CTO owns technical direction, senior hiring and the investor conversation. Many startups hire a lead developer first and a CTO later.
Should a lead developer have direct reports?
It depends on your setup. Some startups give the lead formal 1:1s and reviews; others keep people management with the CTO. Say which in the JD, because it changes who applies.
Can I promote an existing engineer to lead developer instead?
Often, yes, if they already review others' code and people go to them for help. Write the JD anyway, since the scorecard gives you both a clear bar.
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