Software Engineering Lead

Ocho People; Craigavon; On-site; GBP 75,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flagship project

Hybrid work after six months

Strong mentorship and growth

Competitive compensation

Job summary

Ocho People Ltd. is seeking an Engineering Lead in Craigavon to guide a team of Java/Spring engineers on business-critical applications while launching a cloud-based client portal on AWS. This hands-on leadership role combines technical direction with people management to keep delivery on track.

You will run daily stand-ups, coach engineers, set standards, and collaborate with product and business teams to deliver the right solutions in a fast-paced, regulated environment.

Qualifications

• Strong hands-on experience in Java and Spring or Spring Boot.
• Experience leading engineers as a tech lead or in early people management, including running stand-ups and mentoring.
• Excellent communication skills, and the ability to explain your thinking clearly, including at a whiteboard.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach and develop a team of Java and Spring engineers
• Run daily stand-ups and keep the team's priorities and delivery on track
• Provide hands-on technical direction, including design discussions and code reviews
• Set and maintain engineering standards for quality, testing and CI/CD
• Keep existing business applications reliable and moving forward while the new platform is built
• Hold regular one-to-ones and support career development, including onboarding new starters
• Explain technical decisions clearly to technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Contribute to cloud-native thinking on AWS and infrastructure as code
• Work closely with product and business teams to understand needs and deliver the right solutions

Skills

Java

Spring

Leadership

Communication

Angular

AWS

Oracle PL/SQL

Tools

CI/CD

Infrastructure as Code

Job description

Engineering Lead - Craigavon

At a Glance

• Craigavon-based. On site five days a week for the first six months, then hybrid (five office days a fortnight)
• Step up into leadership: your first or second year leading a team of engineers
• Java and Spring with Angular, AWS and Oracle in the mix
• Lead on a flagship cloud platform build
• Must have UK right to work

About the Company

This is a large, established global pharmaceutical services business with a clear purpose: to advance human health. Their technology teams build the systems that support drug development and clinical trials worldwide. They're investing in a major digital transformation, with stability and long-term growth behind it.

Role Overview

You’ll lead a team of software engineers on business-critical applications while a major new cloud-based client portal is built on AWS. It’s a hands‑on technical lead role with real people leadership: running the team day to day, coaching engineers, setting standards and keeping delivery on track. You’ll be a trusted voice between engineering and the wider business, so clear communication matters as much as technical ability.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, coach and develop a team of Java and Spring engineers
• Run daily stand-ups and keep the team's priorities and delivery on track
• Provide hands‑on technical direction, including design discussions and code reviews
• Set and maintain engineering standards for quality, testing and CI/CD
• Keep existing business applications reliable and moving forward while the new platform is built
• Hold regular one-to-ones and support career development, including onboarding new starters
• Explain technical decisions clearly to technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Contribute to cloud-native thinking on AWS and infrastructure as code
• Work closely with product and business teams to understand needs and deliver the right solutions

What You’ll Need

Essential

• Strong hands‑on experience in Java and Spring or Spring Boot
• Experience leading engineers as a tech lead or in early people management, including running stand-ups and mentoring
• Excellent communication skills, and the ability to explain your thinking clearly, including at a whiteboard

Desirable

• Angular and AWS experience, including infrastructure as code
• Oracle PL/SQL or Forms experience
• Experience in a regulated environment such as pharma, healthcare or finance

Benefits & Package

• A flagship, high‑visibility project to lead
• A stable, established business with a meaningful mission
• Hybrid working after the first six months
• Supportive environment and development opportunities for your next step in leadership