Lead Software Engineer - Digital Technology

ZipRecruiter; London; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading global commodities trading firm is seeking a Software Engineering Lead to drive key automation and digitalization initiatives. This hands-on role involves mentoring software engineers and collaborating with trading and operations teams. The ideal candidate should have strong programming skills and experience in leading teams, with a focus on innovative solutions to streamline operations. This position offers competitive compensation and strong career development opportunities.

Benefits

Competitive compensation

Career development prospects

Diverse project work

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading and mentoring software development teams.
• Strong programming skills in at least one object-oriented language.
• Practical experience designing and deploying automation solutions.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a team of software engineers.
• Collaborate with Business Change Managers to gather requirements.
• Design and build scalable applications for business operations.

Skills

Leadership skills

Software development

Programming skills (Python, C#, Java, C++)

Database management

Problem-solving

Stakeholder management

Education

Degree in Computer Science or related field

Tools

RPA tools (e.g., UiPath)

Cloud platforms

Job description

Job Description

A leading global commodities trading firm is seeking a Software Engineering Lead to drive business-critical automation and digitalisation initiatives. This is a hands-on leadership role within a small but growing technology team, working directly with trading desks, operations, and change managers to deliver high-impact solutions.

The successful candidate will combine strong technical expertise with leadership skills and a commercial mindset, helping shape the future technology landscape of the business.

Key Responsibilities:

- Lead and mentor a team of software engineers, ensuring high-quality technical delivery
- Collaborate closely with Business Change Managers and trading teams to gather requirements, understand workflows, and identify areas for process improvement
- Evaluate and prioritize digital and automation projects based on commercial impact and technical feasibility
- Design and build scalable, high-performance applications and workflows to streamline business operations
- Leverage existing infrastructure and establish strong cross-team partnerships to ensure system integration
- Implement cutting-edge technologies, such as Intelligent Document Parsing (IDP), to improve efficiency and productivity
- Oversee the delivery, maintenance, and support of automation tools and systems
- Provide hands-on technical leadership and problem-solving across the full software development lifecycle

Candidate Profile:

- Degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Information Technology, or a related field
- Proven experience leading and mentoring software development teams
- Strong programming skills in at least one object-oriented (Python, C#, Java, or C++)
- Solid experience in database management (SQL or NoSQL systems)
- Practical experience designing and deploying automation solutions using Robotic Process Automation (RPA) tools (e.g., UiPath)
- Familiarity with front-end frameworks such as Angular or React is beneficial
- Cloud platform experience and CI/CD best practices are desirable
- Excellent problem-solving ability and attention to detail
- Strong stakeholder management and communication skills
- Prior exposure to commodities trading environments is a plus, but not essential

Why Join?

- Opportunity to lead digital transformation within a fast-paced, high-impact commodities trading environment
- High visibility role working closely with business decision-makers
- Diverse project work covering automation, workflow engineering, and digital tooling
- Competitive compensation and strong career development prospects