Lead Full Stack Software Engineer

Lead Full Stack Software Engineer - Public Sector Digital Transformation

Location: UK (Fully Remote) Security Clearance: SC cleared/eligible

Lead engineering teams building modern, impactful digital services for the UK public sector.

We're supporting a purpose-driven digital consultancy in hiring a Lead Software Engineer to guide multidisciplinary teams on high-profile transformation programmes. You'll shape architectures, lead delivery, mentor engineers, and drive best-practice engineering - all while helping public sector organisations improve services for people and communities.

If you're an experienced engineer who enjoys leadership, hands-on problem solving and collaborating with non-technical stakeholders, this is an excellent next step.

The Role

As a Lead Software Engineer, you'll set the technical direction for complex software systems, ensuring solutions are high-quality, secure and scalable. You'll manage and mentor engineers, foster a culture of continuous improvement, and work directly with product, UX, DevOps and delivery teams to deliver user-centred digital services.

You'll also help shape engineering culture through your craft - from code standards to CI/CD pipelines to architectural decision-making.

What You'll Be Doing

• Leading the architecture, design and delivery of large-scale digital services
• Managing, coaching and developing software engineers at multiple levels
• Championing engineering best practice, secure design and high coding standards
• Working with Product, UX, DevOps, QA and other teams to turn business needs into robust technical solutions
• Driving continuous improvement across performance, reliability, security and development processes
• Overseeing and improving CI/CD pipelines, automation and release processes
• Conducting code reviews and providing actionable, constructive feedback
• Troubleshooting complex technical challenges
• Identifying and introducing new technologies or tools where beneficial
• Managing scope, timelines and technical delivery across projects
• Contributing to early-stage discovery, bids, and occasionally supporting hiring activity (e.g., technical assessments)

What We're Looking For

Essential

• Extensive full-stack engineering experience across design, build, test and deployment
• Strong hands-on skills in Java, Spring Boot, Python, microservices, and ideally a polyglot mindset
• Deep understanding of Agile, TDD, DevOps and modern engineering practices
• Real-world experience building and maintaining CI/CD pipelines and automated testing frameworks
• Solid experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure or GCP) and Infrastructure as Code
• Knowledge of modern architecture patterns: microservices, event-driven, containerised (Docker/Kubernetes)
• Experience leading engineering teams through successful delivery
• Strong grounding in secure, scalable and well-architected system design
• Excellent communication skills, including working with stakeholders at all levels

Desirable

• Knowledge of emerging technologies (e.g., AI/ML tools)
• Previous senior/lead engineering experience
• Experience running large multidisciplinary projects
• Line management experience
• Experience interviewing and supporting technical hiring
• Experience contributing to bids/proposals

Who This Role Suits

This role is ideal for engineers who want to:

• Lead teams delivering meaningful public sector services
• Have a mix of hands-on engineering, leadership and stakeholder interaction
• Influence engineering standards and culture
• Shape long-term technical direction for major transformation programmes
• Work in an environment that values empathy, collaboration and purpose

Why Join

This consultancy is committed to people-powered transformation, combining technology, design and data to help public sector organisations deliver outcomes that genuinely improve lives. You'll join a thoughtful, collaborative community that values diversity, learning and openness.

Benefits include:

• 30 days holiday + bank holidays
• 2 paid volunteer days
• Enhanced maternity/paternity leave
• 5% employer pension contribution
• Health cash plan & wellbeing support
• Personal L&D budget
• Share Incentive Plan
• EV leasing, cycle-to-work and green benefits ...and a supportive culture where your leadership can make a real impact.

Interested?

If you're a lead-level engineer who cares about high-quality software and wants to help shape better public services, we'd love to hear from you.

Reasonable Adjustments:

Respect and equality are core values to us. We are proud of the diverse and inclusive community we have built, and we welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and perspectives. Our success is driven by our people, united by the spirit of partnership to deliver the best resourcing solutions for our clients.

If you need any help or adjustments during the recruitment process for any reason , please let us know when you apply or talk to the recruiters directly so we can support you.