Head of Development

NHS; London; Hybrid; GBP 72,000 - 83,000; Full time

Job summary

A public health organisation in London seeks a Head of Development to lead software initiatives. Responsibilities include overseeing development teams, implementing service management processes, and ensuring quality assurance in software projects. Ideal candidates should have leadership experience and strong technical expertise in software methodologies and DevOps practices. A degree in a relevant subject is essential.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in a leadership role within a software development team.
• Extensive experience in software development methodologies.
• Strong technical expertise in programming languages relevant to web development.

Responsibilities

• Manage a team of various grades in software development.
• Develop and implement service management processes.
• Oversee testing strategies including quality assurance.

Skills

Leadership

Agile methodologies

DevOps

Communication

Stakeholder management

Education

Degree in computer science or software development

Tools

CI/CD tools

Infrastructure as Code

Job description

Job summary

We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Head of Development to lead our software development initiatives across various platforms in UKHSA. This is a unique and exciting opportunity to lead a team of talented developers in the delivery of world-class digital solutions for UKHSA.

You will:

• oversee the software development lifecycle, ensuring projects are completed on time, to budget, and the highest quality. Your ability to balance technical expertise with strategic vision will drive innovation and efficiency across our digital platforms. A key aspect of this role is maintaining robust software development governance frameworks and best practices.
• play a critical role in managing service levels, overseeing Level 2 and Level 3 service management teams, ensuring that issues are resolved quickly and effectively.
• oversee all aspects of testing, including non-functional, functional, and Quality Assurance testing, ensuring our software meets stringent quality standards before deployment

Main duties of the job

You will:

• lead the integration of DevOps methodologies, promoting collaboration between development and operations teams. Your expertise in CI/CD and Infrastructure as Code will enable us to automate and manage our infrastructure efficiently, ensuring consistent and repeatable deployments across various environments.
• be leading a diverse team of G6's including Principal Developers and Principal DevOps Engineers who in turn will be managing teams of engineers.

The ideal candidate will bring extensive expertise in software development best practices, service management, and DevOps methodologies, with a strong track record of managing suppliers, contracts and ensuring the highest standards of quality assurance.

• Lead the development and deployment of robust services, APIs, and mobile applications.
• Oversee project lifecycles from requirements gathering to implementation, ensuring timely delivery and alignment with strategic objectives
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to design, develop, and deploy innovative solutions and enhance service delivery
• Establish and enforce software development governance frameworks, standards, and best practices.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement and adherence to industry standards
• Ensure compliance with relevant regulations and policies across all development

About us

We pride ourselves as being an employer of choice, where Everyone Matters promoting equality of opportunity to actively encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce.

UKHSA ethos is to be an inclusive organisation for all our staff and stakeholders. To create, nurture and sustain an inclusive culture, where differences drive innovative solutions to meet the needs of our workforce and wider communities. We do this through celebrating and protecting differences by removing barriers and promoting equity and equality of opportunity for all.

Please visit our careers site for more information https://gov.uk/ukhsa/careers

Details Date posted

31 July 2025

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

£72,739 to £82,746 a year per annum pro rata + £15k Market Pay Supplement

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time, Job share, Flexible working

Reference number

919-JB-308375-EXT

Job locations

10 South Colonnade

London, Canary Wharf

E144PU

Job description Job responsibilities

Responsibilities will include:

• Manage a team of various grades, from G6 to HEO
• Manage L2 and L3 support teams to provide effective and efficient incident resolution and management.
• Develop and implement service management processes to ensure high availability and reliability of applications and services.
• Monitor / report on service performance, identifying areas for improvement and implementing corrective actions
• Oversee the planning and execution of testing strategies, including non-functional, functional, and quality assurance testing
• Ensure the development of automated testing frameworks and continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines
• Champion DevOps practices and collaboration between development and operations teams
• Implement / manage CI/CD pipelines to streamline the development and deployment process.
• Utilise Infrastructure as Code to automate and manage infrastructure, ensuring scalability and consistency across environments
• Establish core patterns of reusability for deployment of services
• Manage relationships with suppliers, negotiate contracts and ensure compliance with SLA

Essential criteria:

• Educated to degree level in a relevant subject such as computer science or software development
• Proven experience in a leadership role within a software development team
• Extensive experience in software development methodologies, tools, and techniques, including Agile, Scrum, DevOps, etc. (lead criteria)
• Strong technical expertise in programming languages, frameworks, and technologies relevant to web and application development
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to effectively interact with diverse stakeholders at all levels.
• Demonstrable ability to lead and motivate a team, drive results, and foster a collaborative and inclusive work environment.
• Proven track record of successfully delivering complex development projects on time and within budget, including experience in supplier management, vendor selection, contract negotiation, and relationship management.

Desirable criteria:

• Demonstrated ability to stay updated on emerging technologies and trends in software development, and to recommend innovative solutions to enhance organisational capabilities.

Selection Process Details:

This vacancy is using Success Profiles and will assess your Behaviours and experience.

Stage 1: Application & Sift

You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the listed 7 essential criteria, and this will be in the form of a:

• Application form (Employer/ Activity history section on the application)
• 1000 supporting statement.

This should outline how your skills, experience, and knowledge, provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria.

The Application form and supporting statement will be marked together.

Longlisting: In the event of a large number of applications we will longlist into 3 piles of:

• Meets all essential criteria these will be taken to shortlist
• Meets some essential criteria
• Meets no essential criteria

Shortlisting: In the event of a large number of applications we will shortlist on:

• Extensive experience in software development methodologies, tools, and techniques, including Agile, Scrum, DevOps, etc

Desirable criteria may be used in the event of a large number of applications/large amount of successful candidates.

If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview & assessment

Please do not exceed 1000 words. We will not consider any words over and above this number.

Feedback will not be provided at this stage.

Stage 2: Technical Test

Candidates who are successful at the SIFT stage will be invited to complete a technical test designed to assess the essential criteria for the role.

• The test must be completed and submitted within 48 hours of receipt.
• Late submissions will not be considered and will not progress to the interview stage.
• Candidates who do not meet the required standard in the test will not progress to the interview stage.

We appreciate your interest and understanding as we ensure a fair and thorough recruitment process

Stage 3: Interview (success profiles)

You will be invited to a single face to face interview. In exceptional circumstances, we may be able to offer a remote interview

The Behaviours tested during the interview stage will be:

• Leadership (lead behaviour
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing

Interviews will be held week commencing 25th August 2025. Please note, these dates are subject to change.

Eligibility Criteria

External

Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants).

Security Clearance Level Requirement

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Basic Personnel Security Standard

Location

This role is being offered as hybrid working based at our Core HQ in Canary Wharf, London. We offer great flexible working opportunities at UKHSA and operate using a hybrid working model where business needs allow. This provides us with greater flexibility about how and where we work, to get the best from our workforce. As a hybrid worker, you will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of your contractual working hours (approximately 3 days a week pro rata, (averaged over a month). Our core HQ offices are modern and newly refurbished with excellent city centre transport link and benefit from benefit from co-location with other government departments such as the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC).

Job description Job responsibilities

Responsibilities will include:

• Manage a team of various grades, from G6 to HEO
• Manage L2 and L3 support teams to provide effective and efficient incident resolution and management.
• Develop and implement service management processes to ensure high availability and reliability of applications and services.
• Monitor / report on service performance, identifying areas for improvement and implementing corrective actions
• Oversee the planning and execution of testing strategies, including non-functional, functional, and quality assurance testing
• Ensure the development of automated testing frameworks and continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines
• Champion DevOps practices and collaboration between development and operations teams
• Implement / manage CI/CD pipelines to streamline the development and deployment process.
• Utilise Infrastructure as Code to automate and manage infrastructure, ensuring scalability and consistency across environments
• Establish core patterns of reusability for deployment of services
• Manage relationships with suppliers, negotiate contracts and ensure compliance with SLA

Essential criteria:

• Educated to degree level in a relevant subject such as computer science or software development
• Proven experience in a leadership role within a software development team
• Extensive experience in software development methodologies, tools, and techniques, including Agile, Scrum, DevOps, etc. (lead criteria)
• Strong technical expertise in programming languages, frameworks, and technologies relevant to web and application development
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to effectively interact with diverse stakeholders at all levels.
• Demonstrable ability to lead and motivate a team, drive results, and foster a collaborative and inclusive work environment.
• Proven track record of successfully delivering complex development projects on time and within budget, including experience in supplier management, vendor selection, contract negotiation, and relationship management.

Desirable criteria:

• Demonstrated ability to stay updated on emerging technologies and trends in software development, and to recommend innovative solutions to enhance organisational capabilities.

Selection Process Details:

This vacancy is using Success Profiles and will assess your Behaviours and experience.

Stage 1: Application & Sift

You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the listed 7 essential criteria, and this will be in the form of a:

• Application form (Employer/ Activity history section on the application)
• 1000 supporting statement.

This should outline how your skills, experience, and knowledge, provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria.

The Application form and supporting statement will be marked together.

Longlisting: In the event of a large number of applications we will longlist into 3 piles of:

• Meets all essential criteria these will be taken to shortlist
• Meets some essential criteria
• Meets no essential criteria

Shortlisting: In the event of a large number of applications we will shortlist on:

• Extensive experience in software development methodologies, tools, and techniques, including Agile, Scrum, DevOps, etc

Desirable criteria may be used in the event of a large number of applications/large amount of successful candidates.

If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview & assessment

Please do not exceed 1000 words. We will not consider any words over and above this number.

Feedback will not be provided at this stage.

Stage 2: Technical Test

Candidates who are successful at the SIFT stage will be invited to complete a technical test designed to assess the essential criteria for the role.

• The test must be completed and submitted within 48 hours of receipt.
• Late submissions will not be considered and will not progress to the interview stage.
• Candidates who do not meet the required standard in the test will not progress to the interview stage.

We appreciate your interest and understanding as we ensure a fair and thorough recruitment process

Stage 3: Interview (success profiles)

You will be invited to a single face to face interview. In exceptional circumstances, we may be able to offer a remote interview

The Behaviours tested during the interview stage will be:

• Leadership (lead behaviour
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing

Interviews will be held week commencing 25th August 2025. Please note, these dates are subject to change.

Eligibility Criteria

External

Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants).

Security Clearance Level Requirement

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Basic Personnel Security Standard

Location

This role is being offered as hybrid working based at our Core HQ in Canary Wharf, London. We offer great flexible working opportunities at UKHSA and operate using a hybrid working model where business needs allow. This provides us with greater flexibility about how and where we work, to get the best from our workforce. As a hybrid worker, you will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of your contractual working hours (approximately 3 days a week pro rata, (averaged over a month). Our core HQ offices are modern and newly refurbished with excellent city centre transport link and benefit from benefit from co-location with other government departments such as the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC).

Person Specification Application form and supporting statement Essential

• Application form and supporting statement

Behaviours Essential

• Leadership (lead behaviour)
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing

Person Specification Application form and supporting statement Essential

• Application form and supporting statement

Behaviours Essential

• Leadership (lead behaviour)
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Additional information Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Employer details Employer name

UK Health Security Agency

Address

10 South Colonnade

London, Canary Wharf

E144PU

Employer's website

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-health-security-agency (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details Employer name

UK Health Security Agency

Address

10 South Colonnade

London, Canary Wharf

E144PU

Employer's website

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-health-security-agency (Opens in a new tab)