Lead Software Engineer

Lead Software Engineer

Salary: £85,000 + 20% bonus + private healthcare

Location: Manchester (Hybrid – 2 days onsite)

The Opportunity

This is not another “lead role” in name only.

You’ll be stepping into a high-impact position on a flagship, enterprise-scale SaaS platform that sits at the core of a global business. This platform is a greenfield-to-evolving product driving real commercial outcomes - not a side project, not a support function.

You’ll lead a tight, high-calibre team of 5 engineers, shaping both the technical direction and the engineering standards of a platform being actively invested in.

If you enjoy building properly, influencing architecture, and staying hands-on, this is the kind of role where you’ll actually get the autonomy to do it.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Leading a small, high-performing engineering team (5 developers)
• Remaining hands-on (circa 70%) while setting technical direction
• Owning architecture decisions, code quality, and engineering standards
• Working closely with product to shape roadmap and delivery
• Driving modern engineering practices across the platform (CI/CD, testing, scalability)
• Playing a key role in the evolution of a flagship SaaS product at scale

The Tech Environment

You’ll be working in a modern, cloud-native environment with a strong focus on scalability and performance:

• .NET / C# (core backend)
• Microservices architecture
• Cloud-first (Azure)
• API-driven, distributed systems
• Modern DevOps and CI/CD practices

This is a forward-thinking engineering function, not legacy firefighting.

What They’re Looking For

• Proven experience as a Senior / Lead Engineer in a SaaS or product-led environment
• Strong .NET / C# background
• Experience working on distributed, scalable systems
• Someone who can lead engineers while still writing quality code
• Comfortable influencing architecture and engineering direction
• A natural communicator who can bridge engineering and product

Why This Role Stands Out

• Flagship platform with real business impact
• Small team, big ownership — no layers, no bureaucracy
• Hands-on leadership (not people management for the sake of it)
• Backed by a well-funded, enterprise organisation investing heavily in tech
• Clear opportunity to shape a platform and leave your mark