Lead Software Engineer

Government Recruitment Service; Belfast; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A government agency in the UK seeks a Lead Software Engineer to lead multiple engineering teams focused on delivering innovative technology solutions. You will define engineering standards, influence delivery vision, and drive quality across teams. The ideal candidate will have a passion for problem-solving and proven experience in software craftsmanship. This role is crucial for shaping the future of DWP Digital’s technology solutions, ensuring high-quality software products and fostering the next generation of engineers.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in leading multiple engineering teams.
• Expertise in software design, development, and support.
• Ability to drive consistency, standards, and quality.

Responsibilities

• Lead and reshape the engineering capability.
• Define and enforce engineering standards across teams.
• Influence the future vision for delivery within the leadership team.

Skills

Leading engineering teams

Problem-solving

Software craftsmanship

Technical debt understanding

Coaching and recruitment

Job description

Are you capable of leading multiple engineering teams, helping to shape and deliver services? Are you passionate about building quality software and driving engineering excellence?

You will lead and help to reshape an existing engineering capability made up of a blend of DWP and supplier engineers.

The successful candidate will join DWP Digital and be an integral part of directing and determining how we build the technology solutions of the future that will enable us to realise our key mission with passion and excellence.

Our engineers work within multi-disciplinary teams delivering a mixture of Citizen facing online products, channel and contact centre agent solutions as well as platform and utility services.

What really excites the successful candidate is problem-solving and the opportunity to deliver innovative technology that carries real value for users.

You will be tasked with making significant advances in our engineering practices and capabilities within the function as we accelerate both the transformation of the digital services we offer and widen our adoption of a microservices and event-based architecture style.

Our Lead Software Engineers are experts in their field, role models in software craftsmanship and have proven experience in the design, development, and support of software products. You will:

• Define standards for the Engineering community and lead their adoption across teams to deliver quality software products.
• Be an enabler for multiple teams, driving consistency, standards, pace and quality, resolving technical blockers, and promoting re-use and collaboration through the wider community.
• Influence our future vision for delivery as part of the leadership team and take ownership for bringing the engineering community on that journey.
• Have an excellent ability to self-organise and define priorities.
• Be capable of diving in where necessary, but the focus of this role will be to lead and set direction for multiple engineering teams effectively and successfully.
• Be capable of delegating responsibility to others while supporting them in their work.
• Work with multiple stakeholders and be able to help non-technical colleagues understand areas such as technical debt, domain driven design and shifting left processes.
• Support and build the next generation of engineers within the department through coaching and recruitment.