Lead Developer - Ministry of Justice - G7

Manchester Digital; Manchester; On-site; GBP 85,000 - 115,000; Full time

Job summary

Justice Digital, Data and Science is recruiting for Lead Software Developers to join the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) Digital team. You will mentor developers and lead delivery of user-centred services with modern tools, embracing an agile culture of openness.

You will work with Technical Architects and Product Managers to shape systems, set roadmaps, and share knowledge across teams, while driving quality and collaboration.

Qualifications

• Proven ability to guide complex technical decisions and shape technical strategy.
• Experience nurturing a culture of quality and good software practices.
• Track record of building high-performing, inclusive software teams.
• Experience delivering value quickly through DevOps, XP or equivalent agile methods.
• Experience coaching or managing other people.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor software developers within one or two teams, reporting to a principal developer.
• Set product direction with technical architects and product managers.
• Promote good coding standards and sustainable architectural practices.
• Assist backlog refinement and plan actionable tasks for the team in an agile setup.
• Support recruitment and onboarding of new developers and foster knowledge sharing.

Skills

Technical leadership

People management

DevOps/XP practices

Decision making

Coaching/mentoring

Job description

Location

East Midlands (England), East of England, London (region), North East England, North West England, Scotland, South East England, South West England, Wales, West Midlands (England), Yorkshire and the Humber

Please note this role requires you to pass Security Check clearance. Please click on the link for details.

We’re recruiting for Lead Software Developers here at Justice Digital, Data and Science to be part of our warm and collaborative Legal Aid Agency (LAA) Digital team.

This role aligns against Lead Developer from the Government Digital and Data Framework.

We really want to hear from people who value making a difference and building user-centred services using modern tools and practices as part of a highly collaborative team. We strongly encourage empathetic approaches and cross functional working and are looking for people to help build on this culture of agility and openness.

As an example, you could be helping teams that are:

• Building services to enhance an application for legal aid


• Developing services to process and review applications for legal aid caseworkers


• Providing access to court data


• Building services to provide access to historic applications

Key Responsibilities

In addition to hands‑on development, you will inspire, mentor, coach, manage and lead Software Developers within a business domain. You will focus on generating a culture of quality, maintaining balance between building sustainable well architected products and unlocking citizen value early.

The areas of your responsibility for leadership will shift between people, architecture, development and product strategy, depending on context and need.

You will have responsibility for one team, or two small related teams, and report to the Principal Developers.

Technical Leadership

• Collaborate with Technical Architects and Product Managers to set product direction


• Collaborate with Technical Architects to help in the design of systems and implementation of coherent and sustainable technical roadmaps


• Lead discussions with Developers to nurture consensus on technical/team decisions


• Support backlog refinement, helping plan, define and prioritise actionable tasks for the team


• Build inclusivity and understanding by promoting strategies to share technical knowledge of our systems with appropriate documentation and other activities


• Support Delivery Managers in unblocking value where necessary and/or honest representations of effort in an agile environment as the teams learn more

Engineering Management

• Managing, coaching and growing people with a focus on their wellbeing and development


• Support Delivery Managers in improving team maturity

Engineering Profession

• Work with your local Principal Developers and the wider community to improve and maintain good coding standards and practices


• Help provide feedback on wider technical strategy of your business unit


• Share knowledge and build enthusiasm for sharing via activities like brown bags, cooperative workshops, chat discussions and other means


• Encourage open discussion and drive communities in our primary communication tools


• Have a mindset for growth and learning, looking for emerging technologies, tools and good practice


• Help build and maintain a diverse, inclusive culture across the development community, growing awareness, inclusivity, and balance


• Take part in the recruitment and onboarding of other Developers

Person Specification

Essential

• You have experience making and guiding complex technical decisions and contributing to technical strategy.


• You have experience nurturing a culture of good software practice that makes change easy.


• You have contributed towards building a high performing, inclusive team culture.


• You have experience in delivering value sooner and safer, through DevOps, XP or other ways of working that lead to agility and collaboration.


• You have experience either coaching or managing other people.


• Been


• Contribution towards the team e.g. being point of contact or team advocate, working with stakeholders, helping with Delivery Manager and Product Manager DM/PM activities, improving processes.


• Contribution towards other developers: e.g. coaching / training / inspiring; encouraging L&D.

Willingness to be assessed against the requirements for SC clearance