Lead Software Engineer

Oscar Associates (UK) Limited; Leicester; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A dynamic tech company based in Leicester is seeking a Lead Software Engineer to join its expanding engineering leadership team. In this role, you will lead a team of developers, shape technical strategy, and deliver enterprise-grade solutions using PHP, Laravel, and Vue.js. The offer includes a competitive salary range of £70,000 - £80,000, with hybrid working options and professional development benefits. Strong leadership skills and open-source experience are essential for this position.

Benefits

Flexible hours and work-life balance

Company pension scheme

Private healthcare and wellbeing support

Annual learning and development budget

Modern equipment provided

Clear progression and leadership development opportunities

Qualifications

• 5+ years commercial experience in software engineering with team leadership.
• Strong understanding of PHP and Laravel for full-stack development.
• Comfortable with open-source technologies in a production environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead design, development, and maintenance of scalable web applications.
• Drive architectural decisions and best practices within the team.
• Mentor engineers to foster collaboration and growth.

Skills

PHP

Laravel

Vue.js

Leadership

Agile methodologies

Tools

MySQL

PHPUnit

Jest

Job description

Leicester (Hybrid - 2 days per week in office : Tuesday & Thursday)

Industry :

Open-Source / Enterprise Web Applications

The Opportunity

I'm recruiting for an ambitious Leicester-based tech company that's expanding its engineering leadership team. This role is perfect for a Lead Software Engineer with a passion for PHP and modern web development, looking to shape technical strategy, mentor a team, and deliver enterprise-grade solutions.

You’ll lead a team of around 15 developers, working in a collaborative environment that values open-source contributions, code quality, and professional growth.

What You'll Be Working On

• Leading the design, development, and maintenance of scalable web applications
• Driving architectural decisions and best practices across the team
• Mentoring and coaching engineers, fostering a culture of collaboration and growth
• Collaborating with Product and Design teams to deliver high-quality features
• Conducting code reviews and strategic technical planning
• Improving system performance, reliability, and developer experience
• Projects include enterprise web platforms, customer‑facing applications, and internal tools built on open‑source technologies.

Tech Stack (Open-Source)

• Frontend : Vue.js
• Databases : MySQL
• Testing : PHPUnit, Jest

Strong leadership, full‑stack development experience, and open‑source mindset are more important than knowing every tool.

What They're Looking For

• 5+ years commercial experience with software engineering, including team or project leadership
• Strong PHP and Laravel experience, with full‑stack development knowledge
• Experience with open‑source technologies in production
• Comfortable making architectural decisions and guiding technical strategy
• Excellent mentoring, leadership, and communication skills
• Agile team experience and collaborative mindset

Salary & Benefits

• 70,000 - £80,000 depending on experience
• Hybrid working : 2 days per week in Leicester office (Tuesday & Thursday)
• Flexible hours and work‑life balance
• Company pension scheme
• Private healthcare and wellbeing support
• Annual learning and development budget
• Modern equipment provided
• Clear progression and leadership development opportunities

Why Apply?

This is an exciting opportunity for a Lead Software Engineer to drive technical strategy, mentor a talented team, and work with a modern PHP / Laravel / Vue stack in a collaborative Leicester-based company.

Oscar Associates (UK) Limited is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.

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