Lead Full-Stack Developer (Contract)

Magic - Insurance, Smarter.
Contract: Rolling monthly contract
Initial engagement: 2–4 months
Location: Remote
About Magic
Magic is building a modern digital insurance platform designed to make insurance easier to understand, compare and purchase.
Our ambition is to combine the expertise and trust of an established insurance brokerage with the simplicity, transparency and technology of a modern digital business.
We are now looking for a talented, hands-on Lead Full-Stack Developer to help turn this vision into a scalable, secure and commercially effective digital platform.
The Opportunity
This is an opportunity to take technical ownership of a website development project, working directly with the project lead and CEO.
We have a clear business vision and defined commercial objectives, but we do not currently have an in-house software development specialist or technical lead. We therefore need someone who can work independently, recommend the right technical solutions and lead the implementation of our agreed requirements.
This is a hands-on role combining software development, technical architecture and project delivery. You will have direct access to decision-makers and the opportunity to influence how the platform is built from the ground up.
We are looking for someone who can take a project from business requirements and design through to a working, tested and deployable product, without needing day-to-day technical supervision.
Key Responsibilities
Technical Architecture & Planning
Recommend an appropriate technology stack and scalable, maintainable application architecture.
Translate business requirements and design concepts into practical technical specifications.
Identify technical dependencies, risks, third-party requirements and delivery priorities.
Full-Stack Development
Build a modern, responsive website with a strong focus on user experience, performance, accessibility and conversion.
Develop the back-end application logic, databases, APIs and supporting infrastructure.
Implement secure, maintainable and well-documented code.
Insurance Platform Functionality
Develop the foundations for digital insurance quotation, comparison and customer journeys.
Support product comparison, eligibility rules and recommendation logic where required.
Integrate third-party insurer systems, quotation services, CRM platforms and other tools where suitable APIs and access are available.
Partner Distribution & AI Readiness
Establish the technical foundations for a referral partner network, including the ability to embed or distribute Magic’s comparison technology through partner websites.
Structure insurance products, providers, benefits and eligibility information in a consistent, machine-readable format to support search visibility and future AI-enabled distribution.
Recommend practical ways to make the platform extensible as new products, providers and integrations are introduced.
Testing, Deployment & Handover
Establish appropriate testing, version control, security and deployment processes.
Manage development and production environments and support the launch of agreed functionality.
Produce clear technical documentation covering architecture, code, integrations and deployment.
Ensure the codebase and technical knowledge can be handed over effectively to our existing IT teams.
Required Experience & Skills
Proven commercial experience delivering full-stack web applications.
Strong front-end and back-end development skills, including modern frameworks, databases and API development.
Experience designing application architecture and making independent technical decisions.
Demonstrable experience deploying and maintaining production applications.
Strong understanding of web security, testing, performance and software development best practices.
Experience integrating third-party platforms and external services.
Ability to manage your own workload, prioritise development tasks and deliver against agreed milestones.
Excellent communication skills, with the ability to explain technical concepts and trade-offs to non-technical stakeholders.
A proactive, pragmatic approach to problem-solving and identifying potential delivery risks.
Desirable Experience
Experience in one or more of the following areas would be a strong advantage:
Insurance technology, financial services or regulated digital platforms.
Insurance quotation engines, comparison websites or product recommendation systems.
API-driven platforms and complex third-party integrations.
Referral partner networks, embedded technology or white-label platforms.
Structured product data and AI-ready website architecture.
CRM integrations, lead-generation journeys and conversion optimisation.
How We Will Work Together
You will work directly with the project lead and CEO, who will provide the business vision, commercial priorities, user requirements and design direction.
There is no dedicated in-house development specialist to provide day-to-day technical supervision. You will therefore be expected to take ownership of the technical implementation, recommend appropriate solutions, communicate progress clearly and raise risks or dependencies early.
We do not expect you to make commercial decisions independently. We do expect you to provide the technical expertise needed to turn our requirements into a robust, maintainable solution.
Contract & Initial Deliverables
The initial engagement is expected to run for approximately 2–4 months on a rolling monthly contract, with progress, priorities and continuation reviewed regularly.
The initial scope will be agreed at the outset and is expected to include:
Technical discovery and architecture recommendations.
An agreed development roadmap and delivery milestones.
Implementation of prioritised website functionality and integrations.
Testing, deployment preparation and launch support.
Technical documentation and handover to our existing IT team.
The successful candidate will help assess the scope, identify dependencies and establish realistic delivery milestones before committing to a delivery plan.
How to Apply
Please provide:
Your CV or professional profile.
Examples of websites or applications you have personally built or led.
A brief overview of your preferred technology stack and relevant integration experience.
Your availability and proposed monthly contract rate.
A short explanation of how you would approach leading a project like this without an in-house technical lead.
We are looking for someone who combines strong development skills with sound technical judgement, commercial awareness and the independence to deliver.

Work arrangement
Yes