At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead tech teams, mentor engineers, and ensure project success through strong stakeholder relationships.
- Company: Join a dynamic tech consultancy making waves in the industry.
- Benefits: Enjoy hybrid work, a 4.5-day week, generous holiday, and wellness support.
- Other info: Be part of a culture that values continuous learning and personal growth.
- Why this job: Make a real impact while developing your leadership skills in a supportive environment.
- Qualifications: Proven experience in technical leadership and a passion for mentoring others.
The predicted salary is between 55000 - 70000 £ per year.
Location: North, hybrid (Manchester or Leeds)
Salary: £55-70K
Contract: Start ASAP
Background to the role: In 2024, Northcoders Group launched Counter, a standalone tech consultancy delivering high-quality, affordable onshore technology teams to UK organisations. Counter builds client teams from the Northcoders and Tech Returners talent pools, with dedicated Tech Leads providing technical leadership, mentoring, and ensuring alignment with clients' technology, ways of working, and delivery goals. At the end of each engagement, clients have the option to hire the consultants permanently, while Tech Leads move on to support new client projects. Following a successful first year working with clients including HMRC, Skipton Building Society, and Manchester Airport Group, we're expanding our team and looking for experienced Tech Leads to join us.
Reports to: Technical Director
Base Location: Manchester or Leeds - Clients will often require travel and you can expect the potential for travelling to the client's office regularly.
Responsibilities:
- Working with our Technical Director, you will identify what the project is trying to achieve, why things need to change, how they need to change and what critical features need to be delivered for the project to be a success.
- Identifying external dependencies and building up relationships where required.
- Providing structure for estimates and ordering of work.
- Supporting team in operating in an agile way.
- A good tech lead will seek input from their team and external client teams whilst maintaining accountability for the technical architecture.
- Stay on top of the latest approaches, practices and frameworks.
- Ensuring that the project meets the correct, required level of quality.
- You’ll establish and maintain the culture of your team.
- Support answering the questions of the team whilst also working with the client to enable an effective onboarding from consultancy role to full time client role.
About You: We're looking for someone who enjoys both technical delivery and people development, with the confidence to work with diverse stakeholders and deliver great outcomes for clients. You'll have proven experience leading technical teams, ideally in a consultancy, though other technical leadership experience is also valued. Just as importantly, you'll mentor others, helping them grow their technical skills, confidence, and careers. You're passionate about continuous learning, stay current with emerging technologies, and enjoy sharing your knowledge. Above all, you take pride in delivering high-quality results and thrive in a role that combines technical leadership with developing people.
Adding Value: The “Three C’s” Tech Leads contribute to Counter’s ecosystem in three key areas, known as the “Three C’s”: Counter, Client, Consultant.
- Counter: This focuses on the Tech Lead’s impact on Counter as a whole. Examples of value here include: Contributing to marketing efforts, such as writing blogs or establishing a voice on social media; Delivering talks or meetups; Improving or developing Counter’s internal processes and approaches; Supporting other Tech Leads or cross-functional projects; Collaborating with other teams.
- Client: When on a project, the Tech Lead has a unique opportunity to create value for the client. Evidence of impact includes: Receiving positive, unsolicited client feedback on the project; Regular client feedback surveys every two months.
- Consultant: This area highlights the Tech Lead’s influence on the consultants within their team. Evidence of impact here includes: Positive feedback in consultant surveys; Client feedback that mentions consultants by name.
Benefits:
- Hybrid working model
- 4.5 day working week
- 5 weeks holiday plus Bank Holidays
- Enhanced family friendly policies
- Digital pension with a good employer contribution
- Life Assurance 3x annual salary
- Employee Assistance Programme with access to digital GP appointments and Mental Health Support
- Focus on Employee Wellbeing
- Modern city centre offices (Manchester/Leeds)
- Free refreshments and fruit in all offices
- Optional Private Health Insurance
- Option to purchase extra holidays
- Optional Medical Cash Back Plan
- Optional membership to a Credit Union
Technical Lead in Manchester employer: Counter
At Counter, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer that fosters a collaborative and innovative work culture. With a hybrid working model and a focus on employee wellbeing, our team enjoys a 4.5-day working week, generous holiday allowances, and opportunities for professional growth through mentoring and continuous learning. Located in the vibrant cities of Manchester and Leeds, we offer a dynamic environment where you can make a meaningful impact while developing your career alongside talented professionals.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Technical Lead in Manchester
✨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 Counter 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 Counter.
✨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 Counter.
✨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 Counter 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 Technical Lead in Manchester
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 Counter.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Counter 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 Counter
✨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 Counter 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.
