At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a talented team to create innovative AAC solutions that change lives.
- Company: Smartbox, a global leader in assistive technology with a supportive culture.
- Benefits: Hybrid working, strong benefits package, and opportunities for personal growth.
- Other info: Join a purpose-driven company committed to inclusion and sustainability.
- Why this job: Make a real-world impact while developing cutting-edge technology for those in need.
- Qualifications: Experience leading agile teams and strong skills in C# or similar languages.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 75000 £ per year.
Join us in making sure no one is left without a voice. At Smartbox, our assistive technology empowers people with disabilities who experience speech difficulties to express themselves, connect with others, and live more independent lives. We're proud to be a global leader in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), supporting people across the UK, US, Europe, and beyond, but what truly sets us apart is our people - passionate, collaborative, and driven by the impact our products have every day.
If you're motivated by meaningful work and want to apply your technical expertise to something that genuinely changes lives, we'd love to hear from you.
The Opportunity
We're looking for a Software Team Lead to guide one of our cross-functional product teams, shaping innovative AAC solutions across Windows, iOS, and cloud-based platforms. This is a hands-on leadership role. You'll lead and support a talented team, while also contributing directly to the codebase, setting the standard for engineering excellence and continuous improvement. You'll work closely with Developers, Designers, Product Specialists, and, uniquely, our users, ensuring everything you build delivers meaningful real-world outcomes.
What You'll Be Doing:
- Lead, mentor and grow a talented team of Software Engineers and QA specialists, supporting them to do their best work.
- Collaborate with product and technical leaders to shape roadmaps, priorities and meaningful outcomes.
- Contribute directly to high-quality, scalable solutions across the full software lifecycle, including clean, maintainable C# (.NET 10) code.
- Champion modern engineering practices, including practical use of AI-assisted development tools to improve productivity and code quality.
- Build a strong, user-focused engineering culture, guided by real feedback, data and genuine needs.
- Drive agile delivery through collaborative planning, continuous improvement and shared ownership of outcomes.
- Work on complex, real-world challenges where reliability, usability and performance truly matter, and where your decisions directly impact people's daily lives.
What We're Looking For
We're looking for a combination of deep technical expertise, curiosity, and purpose-driven thinking.
Essential Experience:
- Proven experience leading high-performing agile software teams.
- Strong background in C#, .NET (or similar languages such as Java or C++).
- Demonstrable ability to deliver measurable user or business outcomes.
- Experience using AI-assisted development tools to improve team effectiveness.
- Excellent understanding of software engineering best practices, testing, and architecture.
- Confidence working across the stack, from UI to backend systems.
- Strong communication and leadership skills, with experience developing others.
Some Areas We Often Work with Include:
- Cloud-based products, secure deployment, permissions and thoughtful resource management.
- Modern software tools and frameworks, including WPF / XAML, Avalonia, Entity Framework, SQL Server, Android, JavaScript and React.js.
- Reliable .NET build and deployment pipelines, using tools such as TeamCity, Jenkins or similar.
- AAC, assistive technology and customer-led product development, alongside coaching, people support and continuous improvement.
Why Join Smartbox:
- Purpose-driven work with real-world impact.
- Collaborative and supportive culture.
- Hybrid working and flexibility.
- Opportunities to grow, lead and shape future products.
- Strong benefits package and wellbeing support.
Inclusion and Sustainability
At Smartbox, we're committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued, supported and able to thrive. We're proud to be a Disability Confident Employer and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds. If there's anything we can do to support you during the recruitment process, please feel free to let us know within your application. We also aim to build sustainability into everything we do, from how we design our products to how we operate as a business.
Ready To Make a Difference
If you're excited by the idea of combining cutting-edge electronics engineering with real-world impact, we'd love to hear from you. Apply now and help us ensure no one is left without a voice.
Software Team Lead in Bristol employer: All The Top Bananas
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StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Software Team Lead in Bristol
✨Join Local Tech Meetups
Get out there and mingle with fellow developers by joining local tech meetups. It’s a fantastic way to meet people who might be working at All The Top Bananas or know someone who does. Plus, you can pick up some trendy tech skills and trends while you're at it!
✨Contribute to Open Source Projects
Show off your coding chops by jumping into open-source projects. Not only does this give you practical experience, but it also gets you noticed in the dev community. You'll create a killer portfolio that speaks volumes about your skills to All The Top Bananas.
✨Tap into Online Developer Communities
Don’t underestimate the power of online developer communities like GitHub, Stack Overflow, and even Reddit. Participate in discussions, share your projects, and build your visibility. We can often find opportunities through these channels that can lead to a full-time gig at companies like All The Top Bananas.
✨Explore Job Boards Specifically for Tech Roles
Keep your eyes peeled on job boards that focus on tech roles. Sites like TechCareers or Stack Overflow Jobs can often have listings for companies like All The Top Bananas that might not show up on broader job sites. Make it a habit to check these regularly, and don’t hesitate to apply directly through our website!
We think you need these skills to ace Software Team Lead in Bristol
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show off your coding skills:When applying for a software engineering role, it's super important to showcase your coding skills. Make sure your CV includes your tech stack, any relevant programming languages you’re comfortable with, and examples of projects you've worked on. If you have a GitHub profile, link it up! We love to see code in action.
Tailor your portfolio:For a full-time role, we’d expect to see some solid examples of your work in your portfolio. Make sure to include at least two or three projects that highlight your problem-solving skills and your ability to work with different technologies. Focus on the projects that are most relevant to the position at All The Top Bananas.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at All The Top Bananas and how your skills align with the role. Show us your passion for software development. We dig enthusiastic candidates who understand the value of collaboration and continuous learning!
Be clear and concise:When it comes to writing your CV and cover letter, clarity is key. Avoid jargon that could confuse us and stick to simple, direct language. Highlight your achievements with quantifiable results where possible, and keep everything easy to read. A well-organised application goes a long way!
How to prepare for a job interview at All The Top Bananas
✨Brush Up on Your Coding Skills
For a full-time software engineering role, it's crucial that we stay sharp with our coding abilities. Expect technical questions that might involve solving problems on the spot or discussing algorithms. Practise on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to get comfortable with the types of questions that often come up.
✨Know Your Tools and Frameworks
Make sure we’re well-acquainted with the tools and technologies listed in the job description. Familiarise ourselves with any specific frameworks or programming languages mentioned. If All The Top Bananas uses React or Node.js, for instance, be ready to discuss how we’ve used them in previous projects or coursework.
✨Showcase Your Projects
Bring along a portfolio that highlights our best work. This could be code samples, GitHub repositories, or any side projects we’ve built. Make sure we can talk through our thought process for each project, especially the challenges we faced and how we solved them—this shows our problem-solving skills in action.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
While technical skills are key, full-time positions also require cultural fit. Be ready to discuss our previous experiences and how we handle teamwork, conflict, and deadlines. Brush up on the STAR method—Situation, Task, Action, Result—to clearly articulate our past experiences when discussing how we've contributed to a team.