Lead Developer

Lead Developer post in the Legal Aid Agency Digital team within the Ministry of Justice's Justice Digital, Data and Science function. The role combines hands-on software development with leading, mentoring and managing developers in one team or two small related teams, and shaping technical direction with architects and product managers. It is aligned to the Government Digital and Data Framework's Lead Developer profile, with hybrid working and four vacancies. Security Check clearance is required, and candidates must be willing to be assessed against it.

What the job involves

• Lead, mentor, coach and manage software developers within a business domain, focused on their wellbeing and development
• Set product direction with technical architects and product managers
• Help design systems and build coherent, sustainable technical roadmaps
• Lead discussions with developers to reach consensus on technical and team decisions
• Support backlog refinement, planning and prioritisation of actionable tasks
• Carry out hands-on software development
• Support delivery managers in unblocking work, giving honest effort estimates and improving team maturity
• Promote knowledge sharing and documentation of systems through brown bags, workshops and other channels
• Maintain good coding standards and practices with principal developers and the wider community
• Help shape the wider technical strategy of the business unit
• Keep up with emerging technologies, tools and good practice, encouraging open discussion
• Take part in recruiting and onboarding developers

What’s required

Experience

• Experience making and guiding complex technical decisions and contributing to technical strategy
• Experience nurturing a culture of good software practice that makes change easy
• Experience contributing to a high-performing, inclusive team culture
• Experience delivering value sooner and safer through DevOps, XP or other agile ways of working
• Experience coaching or managing other people
• Experience building or contributing to a community of practice

Checks & eligibility

• Security Check (SC) clearance
• Willingness to be assessed against the requirements for SC clearance

Other

• Contribution to the team, such as acting as point of contact or advocate, working with stakeholders, supporting delivery and product management, and improving processes
• Contribution to other developers through coaching, training, inspiring and encouraging learning and development

Nice to have

• Robust understanding of web technologies, including semantic HTML, CSS, JavaScript and TypeScript, for front-end work
• Familiarity with Java, Python or Ruby, AWS, Kubernetes and Docker, though an exact match in languages is not required

What’s offered

• Employer pension contribution of 28.97% through the Civil Service Pension Scheme
• 25 days annual leave rising to 30 after 5 years, plus 8 bank holidays and a privilege day for the King's birthday
• Flexible working, including hybrid working, part-time working and compressed hours
• 10% of working time allocated to personal and professional development
• £1k per person learning budget, with conferences, professional accreditation, funded vocational programmes and e-learning
• Maternity, adoption and shared parental leave, including up to 26 weeks at full pay, 13 weeks at partial pay and 13 further weeks
• Maternity support or paternity leave at full pay for 2 weeks
• Non-pensionable Government Digital & Data Allowance, a temporary allowance reviewed annually