Lead Software Engineer

Northrop Grumman Corp.; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 58,000 - 86,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working options

Private healthcare

Cash health plan

Holiday buy/sell scheme

Career development programmes

Performance-based bonuses

Job summary

Northrop Grumman UK is seeking a Lead Software Engineer in Manchester. You will design, develop and maintain critical infrastructure powering diverse services, leading a team through technical and delivery challenges in a hybrid work setup.

You will drive end-to-end software delivery, mentor junior staff, and collaborate with product, front-end, and QA teams to ensure robust, scalable solutions that meet customer needs.

Qualifications

• Experience designing and deploying scalable backend systems.
• Strong frontend experience with React and related tooling.
• Proven ability to lead a small engineering team and guide delivery.
• Experience with CI/CD, containers and cloud platforms (Jenkins, Kubernetes, Docker, AWS).
• Excellent communication and collaborative skills in agile environments.

Responsibilities

• Take ownership of the team’s deliverables and align with the Scrum Master on the best path forward.
• Contribute across the full software lifecycle from requirements to deployment.
• Collaborate with product teams, frontend engineers and QA to deliver high-quality solutions.
• Mentor and guide junior developers to grow team capability and skills.

Skills

Java backend

Frontend React

CI/CD pipelines

Docker

Kubernetes

AWS

Spring Boot

Maven

Leadership

Tools

Jenkins

Kubernetes

Docker

AWS

Job description

UK CITIZENSHIP REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION: Yes

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available

TRAVEL: Yes, 10% of the Time

Lead Software Engineer

Location: Manchester - hybrid

Salary: £58,000 - £86,000 DOE

Clearance: You must currently hold the highest level of UK Government clearance

Define Possible at Northrop Grumman UK

What’s your possible?

At Northrop Grumman UK, you are part of a team driving innovation where it matters most - solving tomorrow’s challenges and shaping the technology solutions of the future. It’s what we call Defining Possible.

This mind-set goes beyond our customer solutions; it’s the foundation for your career development and the impact we have within the community.

The Opportunity

This is more than just a job; it’s a mission.

As a Lead Software Engineer, you will play a pivotal role in designing, developing and maintaining the critical infrastructure that powers our services. You’ll work across a variety of exciting, complex projects within a unique mission space, building elegant, stable solutions that have real-world impact.

You’ll also bring strong leadership, guiding your team through both technical and delivery challenges to ensure solutions meet customer needs.

“My purpose is to lead a team of engineers, rise to the challenges presented, push the boundaries and define possible together.”

What You’ll Do

• Take ownership of the team’s deliverables, working closely with the Scrum Master to define the best path forward.
• Contribute across the entire software development lifecycle, from requirements and design through implementation, testing and deployment.
• Collaborate with product teams, front-end engineers and QA to deliver high-quality solutions.
• Mentor and guide junior developers, contributing to team capability and skill growth.

What We’re Looking For

• Experience as a Software Developer with strong focus on one of the following:
  • Backend Java development (Spring Boot, Maven)
  • Frontend development (React, npm)
• Proven experience designing, developing and deploying scalable backend systems.
• Familiarity with CI/CD, containerisation, deployment technologies and cloud platforms (Jenkins, Kubernetes, Docker, AWS).
• Excellent communication, collaboration and problem-solving skills, ideally gained in an agile environment.

If you don’t meet every requirement, we still encourage you to apply. We value potential, curiosity and a willingness to grow.

Security Clearance

Due to the nature of our work, you must be British National for this clearance type.

You must be able to currently hold the Highest Level of UK Government security clearance.

Benefits

• Flexible working options, including hybrid working and an optional compressed fortnight
• Private healthcare
• Cash health plan
• Holiday buy/sell scheme
• Career development programmes and specialist training
• Performance-based bonuses

Why Join Us?

A Mission to Believe In

Every day we help build a more secure and connected world across land, sea, air, space and cyberspace. The work we do together matters.

A Place to Belong and Thrive

Every voice matters. You can bring your authentic self to work and be part of an inclusive community supported by employee-led groups and partnerships that champion diversity, mental health and service leavers.

Your Career, Your Way

Shape your career with diverse roles, mentoring, training opportunities and the flexibility to balance your professional and personal life. We invest in your wellbeing, growth and future.

Northrop Grumman is committed to hiring and retaining a diverse workforce, and encourages individuals from all backgrounds and all abilities to apply and consider becoming a part of our diverse and inclusive workforce.