Technical Lead

Cambridge University Press & Assessment; Cambridgeshire and Peterborough; Hybrid; GBP 51,000 - 69,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading education organization in the United Kingdom seeks a Technical Lead to guide the migration of legacy applications to cloud-based architectures. The ideal candidate will possess strong leadership skills alongside technical expertise, mentoring an agile team while actively participating in technical delivery. This permanent role offers a competitive salary range of £51,400 - £68,800 and includes benefits such as private medical insurance and a discretionary annual bonus.

Benefits

28 days annual leave plus bank holidays

Private medical and Permanent Health Insurance

Discretionary annual bonus

Group personal pension scheme

Life assurance up to 4 x annual salary

Green travel schemes

Qualifications

• Broad expertise in cloud architecture and migration strategies.
• Experience transforming legacy applications into scalable solutions.
• Ability to manage stakeholder expectations in collaborative settings.

Responsibilities

• Lead the migration of legacy applications to AWS.
• Implement robust observability frameworks for system performance.
• Develop responsive, high‑performance web applications.

Skills

Leadership and Mentoring

Communication and Stakeholder Management

Adaptability and Collaboration

Problem-Solving and Resilience

Job description

Job Title: Technical Lead

Salary: £51,400 - £68,800

Location: Cambridge/Hybrid

Contract: Permanent

About the role

We’re seeking a hands‑on Tech Lead with strong leadership and collaboration skills to guide the migration of legacy 3‑tier enterprise applications to scalable, cloud‑native architectures on AWS, balancing technical innovation with effective stakeholder engagement. In this role, you will not only lead and mentor an agile, cross‑functional engineering team, but also remain deeply involved in the technical delivery‑applying your expertise directly to architect, code, and implement solutions. You will set technical standards, write and review code, and solve complex challenges alongside your team, ensuring resilient, high‑performance systems that empower our global platforms and serve millions of users worldwide.

Key Responsibilities

• Shape Cloud‑Native Architecture: Lead the migration of legacy applications to AWS, designing scalable, resilient architectures using approaches like microservices, serverless, and containerisation, while communicating design rationale to diverse stakeholders for buy‑in and feedback.
• Drive Observability: Implement robust observability frameworks to ensure system performance, reliability, and proactive issue resolution, fostering a team culture of shared accountability and continuous improvement.
• Prepare for Event‑Driven Architecture: Design systems with flexibility for EDA patterns, collaborating with cross‑functional groups to identify opportunities for decoupled, scalable solutions.
• Build Web‑App Solutions: Develop responsive, high‑performance web applications using modern frameworks integrated with cloud‑native backends, adapting to user feedback and business priorities through iterative collaboration.
• Optimise Cloud Deployments: Leverage cloud services and Infrastructure as Code to ensure cost‑effective, scalable solutions, while mentoring teams on best practices and facilitating knowledge‑sharing sessions.
• Ensure Security and Compliance: Champion secure practices aligned with industry standards, influencing stakeholders to prioritise security in decision‑making processes.
• Lead Automation and CI/CD: Drive automation through CI/CD pipelines to accelerate delivery and minimise technical debt, promoting agile ways of working that encourage team input and adaptability.
• Mentor and Collaborate: Guide engineers, foster a culture of learning and inclusivity, and collaborate with product teams, architects, and stakeholders to align technical solutions with business goals, using strong communication skills to bridge technical and non‑technical perspectives.
• Facilitate Stakeholder Engagement: Act as a key liaison in stakeholder groups, translating technical concepts into actionable insights, resolving conflicts, and building consensus to ensure project success.

About you

As a hands‑on Tech Lead, you’ll bring broad expertise in cloud architecture and migration strategies, coupled with exceptional soft skills to thrive in collaborative environments. Your experience includes transforming legacy enterprise applications into modern, scalable solutions, with a focus on horizontal skills like problem‑solving, adaptable design thinking, and leading through influence. You excel in agile, cross‑functional teams, where your ability to communicate effectively, mentor diverse groups, and manage stakeholder expectations is as critical as your technical acumen. You will be expected to apply your technical skills directly‑writing code, architecting systems, and solving complex technical challenges alongside your team.

Key soft and horizontal skills

• Leadership and Mentoring: Proven track record of guiding teams, fostering collaboration, and promoting a growth mindset to unlock team potential.
• Communication and Stakeholder Management: Skilled at articulating complex technical ideas to non‑technical audiences, facilitating workshops, and building relationships to align on shared goals.
• Adaptability and Collaboration: Thrive in dynamic settings, adapting to evolving priorities while collaborating across functions to drive innovation and resolve challenges.
• Problem‑Solving and Resilience: Approach issues with a holistic, user‑centred mindset, balancing technical feasibility with business impact.

Rewards and benefits

• 28 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Private medical and Permanent Health Insurance
• Discretionary annual bonus
• Group personal pension scheme
• Life assurance up to 4 x annual salary
• Green travel schemes

Ready to pursue your potential? Apply now.

We review applications on an ongoing basis, with a closing date for all applications being 7 th January with interview taking place shortly after.

Please note that successful applicants will be subject to satisfactory background checks including DBS due to working in a regulated industry.

Cambridge University Press & Assessment is an approved UK employer for the sponsorship of eligible roles and applicants under the Skilled Worker visa route. Please refer to the gov.uk website for guidance to understand the eligibility based on the role you are applying for.

Why join us

Joining us is your opportunity to pursue potential. You’ll belong to a collaborative team that’s exploring new and better ways to serve students, teachers and researchers across the global— for the benefit of individuals, society and the world. Sharing our mission will inspire your own growth, development and progress, in an environment which embraces difference, change and aspiration.

Cambridge University Press & Assessment is committed to being a place where anyone can enjoy a successful career, where it’s safe to speak up, and where we learn continuously to improve together. We welcome applications from all candidates, regardless of demographic characteristics (age, disability, educational attainment, ethnicity, gender, marital status, neurodiversity, religion, sex, gender identity and sexual identity), cultural, or social class/background.

We believe better outcomes come through diversity of thought, background and approach. We welcome applications from people from all backgrounds and communities, actively seeking to employ people from a wide range of different communities.