Lead Software Developer - Crown Prosecution Service - G7

Manchester Digital; England; Hybrid; GBP 58,000 - 68,000; Full time

Job summary

A UK governmental agency is seeking a Lead Software Developer to oversee digital service development. This full-time role demands extensive experience in C# and .NET, with a focus on designing cloud-native solutions. Candidates should be skilled in mentoring teams and shaping development standards within a collaborative environment. The position offers competitive pay and the flexibility of location within England and Wales, requiring travel as necessary. Strong knowledge of Azure and RESTful APIs is essential.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in .NET 8-10/C# (preferably C# 12) development.
• Proven experience in designing, implementing, and maintaining backend services.
• Familiar with Agile/Scrum environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor developers in C# and .NET processes.
• Shape digital software development standards.
• Write code for complex projects and handle escalations.

Skills

C# and .NET

Azure services

RESTful APIs

Agile methodologies

Database skills

Tools

PostgreSQL

Terraform

Job description

Lead Software Developer - Crown Prosecution Service - G7

Full-time (Permanent) National - £58,330 - £67,450 London - £62,820 - £73,520 + £3150 RRA
Published on 9 January 2026 Deadline 18 January 2026

Location

Please note that this post can be based in any location within England and Wales, where a CPS office is located. Whilst it’s an expectation of the role to travel to CPS locations as per business needs, CPSis disability confident employer and all reasonable adjustments will be considered in line with Equality Act of 2010.

About the job

Job summary

Are you a seasoned software engineer ready to lead from the front? We are looking for Lead Developers to join our dynamic team and shape the future of digital services at CPS. This is a hands-on leadership role where you combine deep technical expertise with strategic influence, mentor others, and drive delivery across high-impact projects.

You bring extensive experience in C# (ideally C# 12) and .NET 8-10, with a strong track record in designing and building scalable backend services and RESTful APIs using ASP.NET. You’re skilled in leveraging Azure services—including Azure Functions—for cloud-native solutions. Your deep understanding of Microsoft Azure architectures, combined with solid computer science fundamentals, clean architecture, and SOLID principles, enables you to deliver robust, maintainable systems. You thrive in agile environments and champion DevOps practices.

As a technical authority, you lead developers as part of multidisciplinary teams, shape development standards, and collaborate across departments to deliver secure, accessible, and high-quality digital solutions. You also play a key role in recruitment, skill development, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

If you are passionate about modern software engineering, eager to mentor others, and ready to make a tangible impact, we want to hear from you.

As part of this role, you undertake direct line management responsibilities.

The Crown Prosecution Service is based in England and Wales. If you’re applying for this role and live in Scotland or Northern Ireland, you must let us know when accepting this offer as you need permission to work from your home address if hybrid working is part of your role. There’s no guarantee that we will grant this approval.

You must be aged 16 before starting in this role. The start date is expected to be 8‑12 weeks after the application deadline.

Your roles and responsibilities

• You have an in-depth technical understanding of C# and .NET, and coach and mentor others in their use. Proficient in a range of development tools and skills relevant to your specialism, you are a committed learner who pivots to new skills as the technology ecosystem evolves
• You advocate a modern standards approach to software development, including test‑driven development (TDD), automated testing, continuous integration, pair programming, code review, and version control
• You shape and share digital software development standards that are pragmatic and fit for CPS, recognising and advocating for change where needed
• You inform the overarching strategy and define decision‑making processes as part of the wider Technical Leadership group within Software Engineering
• You write code for complex projects, break down barriers for teams, handle escalations, and plan at a high level while also diving into the detail to make things happen

To be eligible to apply for this job you should have

• Extensive professional experience in .Net 8‑10/ C# (preferably C# 12) development, and with a strong track record of designing, implementing, and maintaining back end services
• Developed and implemented RESTful based Web API's using ASP.Net
• Understanding of Cloud Native Architectures and various Cloud Products in particular use of Azure Functions
• Software Design: Strong Experience in use of Domain Driven Design, Clean Architecture, SOLID and clean code principles
• Database Skills : Hands‑on experience with Relational Databases (i.e., PostgreSQL/Oracle), including writing and optimizing SQL queries.
• Testing: Knowledge of Unit Testing, TDD/BDD, Integration Testing
• Agile Methodologies: Proven ability to work in Agile/Scrum environments, with excellent communication and collaboration skills
• CI/CD and Version Control: Experience with CI/CD pipelines, Version Control Systems, and modern software development practices
• Cloud Platforms: Experience with Cloud Platforms, in particular Azure

It is desirable that you have the below experience but this is not required to apply

• DevOps Principles: Understanding of DevOps principles (i.e. YAML) and infrastructure as code tools (i.e., Terraform, ARM or Bicep)
• Observability and Monitoring: Solid experience with Observability and Monitoring tools (e.g. Azure Application Insights, Azure Log Analytics)

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Changing and Improving
• Managing a Quality Service
• Leadership

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Leadership

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• The technical assessment (coding test) with questions will last 1 hour. A Teams meeting will be scheduled before the technical interview, and you will be invited to participate. Screen sharing is required during the interview process.