Technical Lead - Software

Chroma Recruitment; Preston; On-site; GBP 46,000 - 86,000; Full time

Job summary

Chroma Recruitment is expanding its in-house engineering capability and seeks an experienced engineering leader to guide a growing team in Preston. The role blends hands-on coding with leadership, owning platform architecture, DevSecOps practices, and major transitions from external partners.

You will mentor engineers, drive delivery with stakeholders, and report to the Head of Development and Architecture.

Qualifications

• Strong Java experience with at least 3 years on high-volume applications.
• 3+ years leading or mentoring engineers with demonstrable growth.
• Ownership of architecture and strategic technical decisions.

Responsibilities

• Lead a small, growing team of engineers as we bring development in-house.
• Work hands-on in the codebase (approx. 60% development, 40% leadership).
• Define architecture and make strategic technical decisions.
• Conduct code reviews and establish standards for the team.
• Report to Head of Development and Architecture.

Tools

Terraform

Job description

Salary: £46,000 - 86,000 per year

Requirements:

• Strong commercial experience in Java, with at least three years working on high-volume applications
• Minimum three years experience leading or mentoring engineers, with demonstrable examples of team development and growth
• Ownership of architecture and strategic technical decisions from start to finish
• Experience with infrastructure alongside software: cloud servers, containerisation, and a solid understanding of DevSecOps principles
• Familiarity with TypeScript, Node.js, GraphQL, and PostgreSQL within the platform stack
• Proven ability to lead through challenging delivery scenarios, such as failed releases, inherited technical debt, or complex migrations
• Excellent communication skills, able to explain technical decisions to non-technical stakeholders and link them to commercial outcomes
• Relevant cloud certifications
• Experience with Terraform, Docker, and integration tooling
• Awareness of ISO 27001 or exposure to recognised security frameworks
• Experience with headless commerce, Next.js, or modern CMS platforms
• Comfortable with AI-assisted development and able to articulate the code you deliver

Responsibilities:

• Lead a small, growing team of engineers as we bring development and support in-house
• Work hands-on in the codebase, with approximately 60% development and 40% leadership responsibilities
• Take ownership of the platform transition and bring domain knowledge in-house
• Define architecture and make strategic technical decisions
• Conduct code reviews and establish the standards that guide the teams work
• Lead a team of four, with growth expected to six as the team expands
• Manage a significant infrastructure and DevSecOps element as these capabilities transition in-house
• Report directly to the Head of Development and Architecture
• Support delivery through challenging scenarios, including failed releases, technical debt, and complex migrations
• Communicate technical decisions clearly to non-technical stakeholders and connect them to commercial outcomes

Technologies:

• AI
• Cloud
• CMS
• DevSecOps
• Docker
• GraphQL
• Support
• Java
• PostgreSQL
• Security
• Terraform
• TypeScript
• NodeJS
• JavaScript
• Swift

More:

We are a well-established group expanding our in-house engineering capability and bringing development and support in-house from an external partner. This is a pivotal stage where we are establishing the technical direction rather than inheriting it. We offer an influential leadership role with genuine ownership, the opportunity to build and grow a team, and a leadership group that makes decisions swiftly. The wider leadership team reports to the CFO, and the recruitment process consists of two interview stages and will progress promptly. Salary is competitive and flexible, dependent on experience.

last updated 36 week of 2026