Profile

Ben Payne Hunt

Engineering Leader

Technical leadership done right

Location

Dartmooor, UK

Local Time

GMT • --:-- --

Currently at:

Haysto

Social Media

🧭

Tech

Leadership

🧠

Problem

Solving

♟️

Product

Strategy

👨‍💻

System

Design

Key Skills

🧭 Leadership
Expert
🧠 Problem solving
Expert
♟️ Strategy
Expert
👂 Communication
Expert
👨‍💻 Programming
Expert
🕺 Stakeholder management
Advanced
🙋‍♀️ Technical recruiting
Advanced

Work Experience

Engineering Manager III

Haysto

Sep 2024 - present
  • Partnering with the CEO and CTO to set technical direction and translate commercial strategy into engineering roadmaps, operating at the intersection of business, product and technology with direct influence on investor-facing decisions
  • Leading all engineering delivery across all product verticals (Mortgages, Insurance, Secured Loans, etc), accountable for technical outcomes, quality and performance across the full department
  • Directly line-managing 10 engineers and 2 squad leads across the department, operating as a manager of managers - owning individual performance, career development and team health across both squads simultaneously
  • Driving the company's AI adoption strategy through Anthropic integrations, positioning Haysto ahead of the curve on engineering efficiency and product intelligence
  • Defined and enforced engineering standards across the department - including documentation guidelines, code review criteria, PR templates, AI-assisted review via Claude, and testing standards - with adoption tracked through LinearB
  • Led engineering delivery for the public launch of Picnic, a mainstream consumer mortgage brand built on Haysto's platform - a high-profile release backed by press coverage that significantly expanded the company's addressable market and brand reach
  • Delivered engineering for a strategic partnership with Experian that directly resulted in Experian becoming an investor in Haysto, strengthening the company's financial position and commercial trajectory
  • Delivered partnerships with OakNorth and Checkmyfile, expanding Haysto's lender and data network and improving the breadth and quality of customer outcomes
Claude php Typescript Laravel Node.js Vue.js Nuxt Tailwind Digital Ocean Docker MySQL

Technical Lead

Shift

Jul 2022 - Sep 2024
  • Built and led a mid-sized, cross-functional engineering team across Europe, delivering Shift’s flagship B2B product and driving it to become the company’s primary revenue stream
  • Grew and guided a distributed engineering team by mentoring junior developers and embedding advanced engineering practices
  • Streamlined the CI/CD process for B2B platform, reducing management overhead, cutting release cycle time from 5 days to 2 per release, representing a 60% improvement
Copilot GO php Typescript Dart Laravel React.js Node.js Flutter AWS Docker MongoDB

Senior Sofware Engineer

Shift

Sep 2021 - Jul 2022
  • Ensured high engineering standards through rigorous code reviews, maintaining an average review depth of 0.8
  • Built a driver-operations mobile web messaging system, eliminating reliance on a third-party provider and reducing operational costs
php Typescript Laravel Node.js React.js AWS Docker MongoDB

Sofware Engineer

Computech

Jan 2019 - Sep 2021
  • Core member of the engineering team, leading development of complex backend components and delivering reliable, bespoke solutions aligned to client needs (web, mobile, embedded systems)
  • Shaped delivery through clear, roadmapped user stories and close collaboration with internal teams and external stakeholders
  • Drove continuous improvement by championing best practices and codebase enhancements that improved quality and maintainability
Typescript Node.js React.js React Native Bash MySQL

Freelance Sofware Engineer

Contractor

Jan 2010 - Jan 2019
  • Developed full-stack web applications for enterprise and individual clients
  • Architected and engineered CLI applications
  • Contributed to opensource pojects
C C# GO Rust Typescript VB MySQL PostgreSQL

Education

Invitational Resident

Exeter College, University of Oxford

June 2017
  • Resident at Turl Street site
  • Attended lectures and coordinated with tutors

Invitational Masterclass

Corpus Christi College, University of Cambridge

March 2017
  • Attended academic super-curricular talks

International Baccalaureate

Torquay Boys Grammar School

2016 - 2018
  • Computer Science, Maths, Economics, History, English Lit, French
  • Specialised in Artificial Intelligence
  • Hawkins House Captain - student & staff vote
  • Founder of Computer Science Society (CSSoc)
  • Founder of Politics, Philosophy & Economics Society (ESoc)

GCSEs

Kingsbridge Community College

2013 - 2016
  • 5 A*s
  • 7 As

What People Say

Simon Robertson

His technical expertise is top-tier, and he has an exceptional ability to design and implement solutions for even the most complex software challenges ... He is a natural team leader who fosters an environment of collaboration, ensuring that everyone’s strengths are utilised and the team consistently delivers high-quality results ... On top of all this, Ben’s calm and professional demeanour under pressure makes him someone you can rely on in any situation.

Simon Robertson

Senior Software Engineer @ Prospect Path

Steven McGill

What sets him apart is his remarkable ability to break down complex solutions into simple, digestible pieces, enabling his team to tackle challenges effectively. As a leader, Ben shines ... His genuine care for his team's results and efficiency is evident in his proactive use of performance monitoring tools and his willingness to experiment with new approaches to optimise team output. Ben's dedication goes beyond his official duties ... His "can-do" attitude and supportive nature significantly contribute to a positive, collaborative team atmosphere.

Steven McGill

Seniod Backend Engineer @ Bumble

Ed Stuckey

I can’t speak highly enough of his leadership and planning skills. He always managed to anticipate projects needs and in turn always ensured our squads consistently met deadlines and exceeded expectations. He was always around to lend a hand or provide some guidance and support, and never failed to boost the team's morale. An approachable attitude combined with his years of experience make him an exceptional team leader that can tackle any challenge.

Ed Stuckey

Backend Engineer @ Chip

Mark Eliasen

Ben is curious, passionate and always on the ball. He was my go-to for helping our juniors skill up and get comfortable in our very high pace technical function at Shift. He was never afraid of giving honest and direct feedback, something I value highly. Ben will be an asset to any team who he works with, I cannot recommend him enough.

Mark Eliasen

Head of Technology @ Peregrine RM

Joanne Buxton

I was very impressed with how he managed and supported his team. He was an active mentor, guiding his colleagues and helping them to gain confidence and independence. In addition, he has very strong technical skills, with an interest and drive to learn new concepts and technologies and he was always willing to help and support during critical times.

Joanne Buxton

Full Stack Tech Lead @ Nourish

Loïc Fontaine

Ben is a fantastic Tech Lead who creates collaborative and fun environments, ensuring every pull request adds real value ... he played a key role in disrupting the logistics industry. Ben excels in developing complex React.js front-end applications with Node.js or PHP Laravel backends, and has a knack for choosing the right tool for the job, including innovating with Go or Rust. Ben is passionate about value stream management and dev team efficiency, always eager to share his knowledge and foster continuous improvement. Beyond his technical expertise, Ben is a joy to work with, approachable, respectful, and full of positive energy.

Loïc Fontaine

Senior Backend Developer @ CREApluriel

Get in Touch

Contact Information

Office Hours

Monday - Friday

9:00 - 18:00 GMT