Lead Software Engineer

About CTM

CTM is an award-winning provider of travel service solutions spanning corporate, events and sports markets. Headquartered and founded in Australia, CTM has offices all around the world, including Europe, Asia, North America, Australia and New Zealand. www.travelctm.co.uk

About the role

We are building next-generation, high-performance applications and intelligent platforms, and we’re looking for a Lead Software Engineer / Architect who can bridge classic software engineering with modern AI/ML-enabled systems.

This is a hands-on technical leadership role for someone who can go deep in code while also shaping architectural direction across the team. The right person will be able to break down complex problems from first principles, determine where deterministic logic versus probabilistic systems are most appropriate, and design scalable, secure, maintainable solutions that combine both effectively.

You will work across front-end, back-end, APIs, workflows, and system architecture, while helping the organization build a clear, pragmatic approach to applied AI. This role requires technical depth, strong architectural judgment, leadership presence, and the ability to connect engineering decisions to business outcomes. We are not looking for someone who chases tools or trends. We are looking for someone who can make sound decisions about how intelligent systems should actually be designed, governed, and operated in production.

Specialized Skills:

• Microservices architecture and API design
• Container orchestration (Kubernetes/Docker)
• Database design and optimization (SQL/NoSQL)
• Security best practices and implementation
• Comfortable with event driven architectures (RabbitMQ, Azure Service Bus, etc)
• Agile methodologies and team leadership
• Performance monitoring and optimization tools

Required Qualifications:

• Strong JavaScript/TypeScript skills with extensive hands-on experience in React.js and Nest.js.
• Proficiency in Prisma, database design, and API architecture.
• Strong experience with modern front-end performance optimization techniques.
• 5+ years of software development experience, including 2+ years in a senior or lead role.
• Proven ability to lead technical discussions, architect solutions, and guide team members.
• Experience designing and optimizing scalable full-stack applications.
• Comfortable working in cross-functional teams, communicating effectively with developers, designers, and product managers.
• A problem-solving mindset with a focus on performance, security, and scalability.
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines, automated testing, and modern development workflows.
• Familiarity with cloud platforms like Azure.
• Understanding of DevOps best practices.

Please note that this role requires a security clearance process (you must have lived in the UK for 5 consecutive years to be eligible) and a DBS check. Do not apply if you are not willing to undergo these conditional background checks, this continually applies during the course of your employment.

You can read about SC on the government site - National security vetting: clearance levels - GOV.UK

Join our crew and help CTM take flight. Apply now and pack your skills for a business travel journey that promises growth, discovery and plenty of first-class moments.

What to expect from the recruitment process

• Every hire starts with a chat with our Talent Acquisition team, if your profile is selected you will be contacted by phone or email (please check your spam folder);
• Then, if you are progressing, the hiring manager will invite you to an interview, usually on Teams;
• If you are successful we will invite you to our office for a final stage interview.

Wherever possible we will provide you with feedback, however we are a small team and often we won't be able to do so until after we fill the vacancy.

Please note that we will run a Health & Safety assessment of your working space to ensure it is suitable for remote work.

CTM is a responsible employer and is dedicated to conduct thorough right to work checks in the interests of both parties, candidates and the company. Candidates selected and invited to an interview will be invited to a mandatory 15 min call with the TA lead to produce their RTW documents. This call is a mandatory step for all candidates regardless of their RTW status. This call is confidential and conducted by HR professionals only.

CTM is an equal opportunity employer. We want to make sure our entire recruitment process is accessible to everyone. If you need accommodations at any stage of the application or interview process, please let us know: as a Disability Confident Employer, we’re here to support you in any way we can. Do not hesitate to connect with our Recruitment team if you need to discuss arrangements.

Reward & Recognition

Our learning platform CTM Learning, our annual conference the All Stars, our High-Performance programme and a global leadership programme.

Employee Wellbeing and Flexibility

Our wellbeing platform Vitality, our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), our new private healthcare Medicash + our mental health first aiders.

Most of our roles offer a hybrid working pattern, with 3 days per week in the office. Where permitted and depending on the role, we can offer flexible start and finish times to suit your other commitments and support a healthy work-life balance. We are committed to finding a setup that works for you and the business.

Sustainability Focus

Principles of Governance, People, Planet, and Prosperity, CTM’s Sustainability Strategy identifies material issues and outlines initiatives to achieve this.

CTM is the Data Controller with respect to the personal information you provide during your application. We will use this information solely to process your application, and our legal basis is that you are considering taking up an employment contract with us. We may share this information with our parent company in Australia, but otherwise we will not disclose it to any other organisation. If you take up employment with us, we will keep the information for the duration of your employment, otherwise we will destroy it 2 months after the post is filled.

All the information that we ask for in application forms has to be completed for your application to go ahead. There is no profiling or automated decision making applied to the personal information you supply. You have all the legal rights with your personal data as laid out in the General Data Processing Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018, including the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office. Our Data Protection Officer may be contacted at EU.DPO@travelctm.com