Software Development Team Lead

Royal Society of Chemistry; Cambridge; Hybrid; GBP 53,550 - 72,450; Full time

Job summary

The Royal Society of Chemistry is seeking a Software Development Team Lead in the United Kingdom to shape the software architecture and drive the detailed configuration and implementation across the full software development lifecycle for performance, security and maintainability. You will lead a cross-functional team including backend, frontend, test automation, and SREs in a hands-on capacity.

This role sits within our DevOps function, guiding design decisions, backlog priorities, and releases

Qualifications

• Deep understanding of programming principles and maintainable enterprise applications.
• Extensive experience with .NET C# backend development.
• High-level understanding of frontend development (HTML/CSS/JS/Vue.js).
• Experience with DevOps best practices: CD, CT, IaC.
• Cloud architecture knowledge with hands-on AWS experience.
• Proven track record delivering projects across the full SDLC.
• Experience in Agile environments (Scrum/Kanban).
• People management including delivery quality and team development.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a cross-functional software development team including backend, frontend, test automation, and SREs.
• Shape software architecture and guide implementation across the full software development lifecycle focusing on performance, security, and maintainability.
• Act as hands-on technical leader while supporting design decisions and best practices.
• Own the technical direction of the product roadmap and collaborate with Solution Architects and other leaders.
• Guide agile teams through backlog prioritization and ensure high-quality delivery and releases.
• Line manage and mentor developers, fostering a high-performance culture and growth.
• Operate within a DevOps framework, contributing to continuous delivery and infrastructure as code.
• Support cloud architecture principles with hands-on AWS experience.
• Travel to offices as needed with hybrid working arrangements.

Skills

Backend C#

Frontend basics (HTML/CSS/JS/Vue)

DevOps practices

Cloud architecture (AWS)

SDLC delivery

Agile (Scrum/Kanban)

People management

Job description

Overview

Circa: Salary - Salary Plan, 63,000.00 GBP Annual. The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) has a great opportunity for a Software Development Team Lead to join us on a permanent full-time basis. You will shape the software architecture and the fine-grained detail of configuration and implementation throughout the software development lifecycle for performance, security and maintainability of the applications we build. You will play a key role within our DevOps function, acting as a hands-on technical leader while managing a team of cross-functional engineers. This team includes back-end developers (C#/.NET, Node.js), front-end developers (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Vue.js), test automation engineers, and Site Reliability Engineers (AWS).

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a cross-functional software development team, including back-end, front-end, test automation, and Site Reliability Engineers.
• Shape software architecture and guide the implementation across the full software development lifecycle with focus on performance, security, and maintainability.
• Act as a hands-on technical leader while supporting design decisions, coding, and ensuring best practices are followed.
• Own the technical direction of the product roadmap and collaborate with Solution Architects and other technical leaders to evolve an architectural vision.
• Guide agile teams through implementation, prioritise and assign backlog work, and ensure high-quality, reliable delivery including responsibility for technical changes and releases.
• Line manage and mentor a small group of developers, fostering a collaborative, high-performance culture and supporting professional growth.
• Operate within a DevOps framework, contributing to continuous delivery, continuous testing, and infrastructure as code practices.
• Support the use of cloud architecture principles with hands-on experience in AWS or similar platforms.
• Travel to offices as needed and participate in hybrid working arrangements with occasional in-person collaboration.

Qualifications

• Deep understanding of programming principles and how they impact the maintainability of enterprise applications.
• Extensive, expert-level experience with .NET C# back-end development.
• High-level understanding of front-end development (HTML/CSS/JS/Vue.js).
• Experience with DevOps best practices, such as continuous delivery, continuous testing, infrastructure as code, etc.
• Understanding of cloud architecture principles with hands-on experience in AWS or similar platforms.
• Proven experience delivering projects across the full software development life cycle (SDLC), from requirements gathering and design through to deployment and post-release support.
• Experience working within Agile practices, particularly Scrum and Kanban.
• People management experience including delivery quality, workloads and personal development.

Additional information: We recognise the benefits of a diverse workforce and welcome applicants from a range of backgrounds. We are committed to making our recruitment processes accessible and flexible in the ways we give and receive information.