Technical Lead

The Acorn Group; Liverpool; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working (3 days in office)

Job summary

The Acorn Group is seeking a Tech Lead to guide a cross-functional squad in Liverpool. You will design, build and deliver high-quality software leveraging .NET, Azure and a microservice architecture, while remaining hands-on and mentoring others.

You’ll work 3 days in the Liverpool HQ, with hybrid flexibility and a salary in the 70,000–85,000 range, depending on experience. You’ll collaborate with architecture, product, QA and design to ensure scalable, reliable services that delight customers.

Qualifications

• Experience leading software delivery within a microservice-based environment.
• Strong technical background in .NET and Azure.
• Back-end focused with ability to guide full-stack delivery.
• Experience mentoring developers in an agile setup.
• Excellent communicator with clarity and empathy in technical discussions.
• Committed to clean, maintainable code and continuous improvement.
• Curious, proactive and able to drive architectural decisions.

Responsibilities

• Lead a multidisciplinary squad to deliver production-ready software.
• Design and build scalable microservices in .NET and Azure.
• Evolve microservice architecture and integration patterns.
• Collaborate with React/Next.js frontend developers for seamless UX.
• Translate customer needs into clear technical plans with PMs and BAs.
• Work with QA and automation testers to ensure quality from the start.
• Mentor developers, promote best practices and hands-on coding.
• Drive technical discussions and improve engineering standards.
• Contribute to wider engineering initiatives and developer tooling.

Skills

Leadership

Mentoring

Communication

Agile

Cross-functional

Problem-solving

Tools

Azure

Docker

Kubernetes

Redis

MongoDB

SQL Server

Entity Framework

MassTransit

Mediator

Job description

We’re looking for a Tech Lead to guide a talented, cross-functional squad as they design, build and deliver products that make a real difference for our customers.

You’ll lead a team made up of backend and frontend developers, QA and automation testers, designers, product managers and business analysts. Together, you’ll create and evolve high-quality software using modern engineering practices and a microservice architecture built on Azure.

As Tech Lead, you’ll be hands-on with the code while supporting others to grow. You’ll set technical direction, drive standards and help shape how your squad works, with real autonomy and trust. You’ll collaborate closely with the Architecture Team to ensure your services fit seamlessly into our broader platform and long-term technical strategy.

We work together in our Liverpool HQ three days a week because collaboration, quick feedback and creative problem-solving are key to how we deliver.

Job Title: Tech Lead

Working hours: 37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday

Location: Liverpool City Centre HQ / Hybrid (3 days in office)**
Salary: £70,000–£85,000 depending on experience

Your Impact

The systems you’ll design, and lead will power key parts of our products, used by thousands of customers every day. Your technical decisions will directly influence product quality, performance and customer experience. You’ll help your team deliver features that are reliable, scalable and genuinely improve how people interact with our services.

What You’ll Do

• Lead a multidisciplinary squad to deliver high-quality, production-ready software
• Design and build scalable microservices in .NET and Azure
• Contribute to the evolution of our microservice architecture and integration patterns
• Collaborate with frontend developers working in React and Next.js to deliver seamless user experiences
• Partner with product managers, BAs and designers to translate customer needs into clear technical plans
• Work closely with QA and automation testers to ensure quality and reliability are built in from the start
• Stay hands-on with code while mentoring developers and promoting best practices
• Drive technical discussions, champion clean architecture and improve our engineering standards
• Contribute to wider engineering initiatives, including developer experience and shared tooling

Backend: C#, .NET 8.0, Redis, MongoDb, SQL Server, Entity Framework, MassTransit, Mediator
Frontend: React, Next.js, TypeScript
Infrastructure: Azure, Docker, Kubernetes (AKS), Nginx, RabbitMQ
Architecture: Microservices, Event-driven patterns, Clean Architecture
Observability and Monitoring: Grafana, Loki, Sentry, PostHog
Tooling and Practices: Git, CI/CD pipelines, Agile methodologies

What We’re Looking For

• Proven experience leading software delivery within a microservice-based environment
• Strong technical background in .NET and Azure
• Comfortable working across the stack, with deeper expertise in backend systems
• Experience mentoring and guiding developers in a collaborative, agile setup
• Product-focused mindset with an understanding of trade-offs between speed, scalability and user experienceExcellent communicator who brings clarity and empathy to technical discussions
• Passion for clean, maintainable code and continuous improvement
• Curious and proactive, always looking for better ways to build, measure and deliver

Why Join Us

• Real autonomy to shape how your squad designs, builds and delivers software
• A modern, cloud-native architecture that encourages experimentation and ownership
• Work with talented developers, designers, testers and product professionals who care about what they build
• Influence technical decisions that shape the direction of our products and platforms
• Opportunities to grow into staff, principal or architecture-focused leadership roles
• A supportive, transparent culture where craftsmanship, curiosity and learning are celebrated
• Regular opportunities for professional development, conferences and innovation time

Team and Culture

You’ll join a highly skilled, cross-functional squad where engineers, testers, designers and product specialists work side by side to deliver meaningful outcomes.

We believe in ownership, openness and trust. Our squads have the autonomy to make decisions, experiment and continuously improve. We support one another, share knowledge freely and take pride in the quality of what we deliver.

You’ll thrive here if you value autonomy, enjoy collaboration and believe that great products are built by great teams.

If you love technology, mentoring others and shaping how teams deliver impactful products, this is a place where you’ll have the freedom and support to make a real difference.

Grow with Acorn

At Acorn Insurance , we’re proud of our Liverpool roots — and even prouder of how far we’ve come. As part of the Acorn Group , we bring over 40 years of specialist insurance expertise to the table. From humble beginnings, we’ve grown into a national leader, now employing 1,700+ people across the UK and reached a milestone £750 million in total value of insurance policies written in 2024.

We’re growing fast, with new opportunities emerging every week. That growth is largely due to the values we share :

W e run through walls for our customers and each other

W e challenge the status quo

W e succeed when we help those around us succeed

We decide quickly when the smart thing to do is use our judgement

A maximum of 35 days’ holiday ( depending on role and tenure) including bank holidays, with addit ional buy/sell options

24/7 mental health support & free counselling available

Grow with us : Through career fairs, leadership programs, and learning on the go!

Flexible benefits , including early access to salary via our internal platform

H ybrid working options to support work-life balance and individual needs

Our Commitment to our colleague ’ s :

T h ese aren’t just words — they’re the principles we live by. And we’re proud to back them up with real action, earning recognition and accreditation from leading organisations that share our commitment to people and growth:

Mindful Employer – championing mental health and wellbeing

Disability Confident Level 1 & 2 – creating accessible, inclusive opportunities

Menopause Friendly accredited – supporting every stage of life

Armed Forces Covenant signatory – honouring those who serve

Armed Forces Defence employer recognition scheme - Supporting those who serve

Great Places to Work 2024/25 – fostering an engaging and positive workplace culture

Best Place to Work for Development – proud to be investing in people’s future

Best Place to Work for Women – breaking down barriers to women's career progression

If you’re looking for a company with a strong culture, real career progression, and a people-first approach — all rooted in the heart of Liverpool — Grow with Acorn.

A Few Things to Know Before You Apply

We’re really excited that you’re considering joining Acorn! To help everything go smoothly, here are a couple of things to keep in mind:

If your application is successful, we will commence relevant employment checks prior to you commencing employment with us. These will include a standard criminal record check and an insolvency register check.

Visa Requirements B ecause our training is quite comprehensive, we can only consider applicants who have at least one year remaining on their Graduate or Post-Study Work visa. At the moment , we’re not able to offer visa sponsorship.

We’re Here to Support You W e’re committed to creating an inclusive, supportive workplace where everyone can flourish . If you need any adjustments during the recruitment process—or once you’re part of the team—just let us know. Whether it’s flexible hours, adapted equipment, or a bit of extra support, we’ll work with you to make sure you can do your best work.