Lead Software Engineer

National Grid; United Kingdom; Hybrid; GBP 75,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus up to 30%

Pension scheme with 12% match

Flexible benefits

Digital GP access

Work and family support

Job summary

National Grid is seeking a Lead Software Engineer to guide a team in designing, implementing, and maintaining secure, scalable software across cloud and on-premise environments. You’ll influence architecture, standards, and technical debt while mentoring engineers and promoting Agile practices.

You'll collaborate with QA, IT Operations, and Product teams to deliver high-quality outcomes, lead incident resolution, and drive automated deployment strategies in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Experience delivering scalable, high-performance software solutions.
• Strong architectural principles for modular, secure systems.
• Experience with microservices and event-driven architectures.
• Proven leadership and mentoring abilities within engineering teams.

Responsibilities

• Design and deliver scalable software aligned with business goals.
• Guide architectural decision-making and promote secure, maintainable solutions.
• Define and enforce engineering standards and best practices.

Skills

Python

Ruby

C++

Java

Software architecture

Leadership

Agile

CI/CD

Security practices

Distributed systems

Tools

CI/CD tooling

Job description

About us

At National Grid, we keep people connected and society moving. But it's so much more than that. National Grid supplies us with the environment to make it happen. As we generate momentum in the energy transition for all, we don't plan on leaving any of our customers in the dark. So, join us as a Lead Software Engineer, and find your superpower.

National Grid is hiring a Lead Software Engineer for our Technology team. You'll play a key role in designing and developing secure, scalable software solutions that support critical operations across our enterprise.

About The Role

We're looking for a Lead Software Engineer to guide a team of engineers in designing, implementing, and maintaining secure, scalable software solutions across both cloud and on-premise environments. Reporting to the Head of Software Engineering, you'll shape platforms, tooling, and systems that support our wider development and technology teams.

You will play a key role in architectural decisions, defining and upholding engineering standards, and actively managing technical debt to keep our technology estate modern and efficient. As a core contributor to project delivery, you'll ensure work is well-coordinated, timelines are met, and engineering output aligns with the strategic goals of the business.

Alongside technical leadership, you'll support the growth and development of your engineering team through mentoring, coaching, and role modelling. You'll champion Agile ways of working, act as a subject matter expert, and help foster an inclusive, collaborative culture across the Technology department.

What You'll Do

• Design and deliver scalable, high-performance software aligned with long-term business and operational goals.
• Guide architectural decision-making, ensuring solutions are modular, reliable, secure, and built for reusability and maintainability.
• Define, document, and enforce engineering standards, best practices, and high-quality delivery across the team.
• Proactively identify and manage technical debt, embedding prevention and reduction into planning and implementation.
• Monitor and optimise large-scale distributed systems to ensure performance, stability, and continuous uptime.
• Build and enhance automation for configuration management, provisioning, and deployment to streamline operations.
• Implement strong security practices, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements and modern security protocols.
• Lead incident resolution, performing root cause analysis and implementing long-term fixes to prevent recurrence.
• Collaborate closely with QA, Systems Engineering, IT Operations, and Product teams to deliver aligned, high-quality outcomes.
• Own project delivery, coordinating resources, managing timelines, and ensuring successful execution.Maintain clear, comprehensive documentation to support knowledge sharing and long-term maintainability.

About You

You're an inspiring technical leader who thrives on developing high-performing engineering teams. You combine deep hands-on engineering expertise with the ability to coach, mentor, and elevate those around you. You're passionate about building scalable, secure, and resilient software, and you're just as committed to driving excellence in how your team delivers it.

You'll succeed in this role if:

• Bring strong experience designing and delivering scalable, high-performance software solutions.
• Have a solid grasp of architectural principles, creating modular, maintainable, and secure systems.
• Have proven experience defining, shaping, and influencing software architecture, with a strong focus on microservices and event-driven architectures.
• Bring previous experience in at least one of the following programming languages: Python, Ruby, C++, or Java.
• Champion engineering standards and best practices, ensuring quality and consistency.
• Confidently manage and reduce technical debt, taking a proactive, long-term view of platform health.
• Understand large-scale distributed systems and know how to optimise performance and reliability.
• Are skilled in automation, CI/CD, deployment tooling, and streamlining engineering workflows.
• Demonstrate strong knowledge of security practices and compliance requirements.
• Stay calm under pressure and can lead incident resolution with a focus on prevention.
• Collaborate naturally with cross-functional teams and thrive in a fast-paced, delivery-focused environment.
• Bring strong organisational skills, managing project timelines, priorities, and resources effectively.
• Value clarity and maintain high-quality documentation that supports your team and the wider business.

You're also someone who role-models Agile principles, fosters an inclusive and collaborative culture, and brings energy, curiosity, and a continuous-improvement mindset to everything you do.

What You'll Get

• Competitive Salary: circa £75,000 - £90,000 per annum (based on capability, and experience)

Additional benefits

• Annual performance bonus opportunity of up to 30% of your earnings
• A competitive contributory pension scheme where we will double match your contribution to a maximum company contribution of 12%
• Flexible benefits such as a cycle scheme, share incentive plan, technology schemes
• Access to apps such as digital GP service for round the clock access to GP video consultations and NHS repeat prescriptions, wellbeing app to support your health and fitness
• Access to Work + Family Space, providing support and resources for work and family life, including paid emergency childcare and eldercare

More information

• This role operates under a hybrid working model.
• Every quarter, you'll attend a 2-3 day in-person planning event held at one of our office locations.
• This role is offered on a full time basis.
• This role closes on 31st August however we strongly encourage candidates to submit their application as early as possible.

We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive workplace for all. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates - we make appointments purely on merit, assessed against objective selection criteria. We support flexible working and will make reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process should you have any physical or mental impairment which may affect your ability to participate in the process.

Please note that in most cases, National Grid is unable to offer sponsorship for employment under the UK points-based immigration system. As such, applicants must have the legal right to work in the UK without requiring sponsorship now or in the future under the UK points-based immigration system. However, in exceptional circumstances where there is a clear and demonstrable need for specialist skills that cannot be sourced from the local labour market, National Grid may consider offering sponsorship. All applications are welcome from candidates who meet these requirements, regardless of race, nationality, or ethnic origin.