Development Team Lead £700 a day

Python Django Tech Lead / Senior Software Engineer (SC Cleared)

Location: Central Government Department (UK)

Rate: Up to £700 per day

Clearance: Active SC Clearance required

Start Date: Immediate

We are seeking an experienced Python Django Tech Lead / Senior Software Engineer with 8–10 years' experience to join a high-profile Central Government programme. This is an exciting opportunity to lead the delivery of user-focused digital services within a multidisciplinary Agile team.

As a technical leader, you will guide a squad comprising a Business Analyst, three User-Centred Designers, and three Developers, taking ownership of end-to-end feature delivery while ensuring engineering excellence and alignment with GOV.UK standards.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain secure, scalable, and high-quality software using Python and Django.
• Lead the development of complex features across the full stack, following modern engineering practices and test-driven development.
• Write clean, reusable, and maintainable code that is open by default and easy for other developers to build upon.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to understand user needs and translate them into effective technical solutions.
• Provide technical leadership and mentoring within a multidisciplinary squad.
• Oversee software integration, build processes, and support integration testing across systems.
• Operate and improve production services, enhancing robustness, resilience, performance, and stability.
• Identify and resolve faults efficiently while driving continuous improvement and process optimisation.
• Design solutions with security embedded from the outset, ensuring appropriate mitigation of security threats.
• Review architectural and system designs to ensure effective technology choices, resource utilisation, and system integration.
• Apply modern development standards, prototyping techniques, and engineering best practices throughout the software lifecycle.

Required Skills & Experience

• 8–10 years' commercial software engineering experience, including significant expertise with Python and Django.
• Experience leading development teams or acting as a technical lead within Agile environments.
• Strong understanding of full-stack application development and modern software architecture.
• Proven experience delivering secure, scalable, cloud-based services.
• Excellent knowledge of test-driven development, CI/CD, and software integration practices.
• Ability to distinguish genuine user needs from user requests and translate them into effective technical solutions.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to work collaboratively across technical and non-technical disciplines.
• Experience working on GOV.UK or public sector digital services is highly desirable.
• Active SC Clearance is essential.

What We're Looking For

We are looking for a hands-on technical leader who combines deep engineering expertise with the ability to lead and inspire multidisciplinary teams. The ideal candidate is comfortable making architectural decisions, solving complex technical challenges, and delivering high-quality digital services that meet both user and business needs.