At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and mentor engineering teams to deliver critical public services at scale.
- Company: Join one of the UK's largest tech organisations with a focus on innovation.
- Benefits: Up to £92,522 salary, generous holidays, flexible hours, and a strong pension scheme.
- Other info: Hybrid working model with excellent career growth opportunities.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on services that support millions of citizens every day.
- Qualifications: Experience in leading teams, cloud systems, and Test-Driven Development.
The predicted salary is between 57704 - 70528 £ per year.
Pay up to £92,522, plus 28.97% employer pension contributions, hybrid working, flexible hours, and great work life balance.
Are you ready to lead at scale - shaping how complex digital services are built, mentoring engineers and influencing senior leaders across one of the UK's largest technology organisations? As a Lead Software Engineer, you'll join our Engineering community, providing technical leadership across multiple agile teams delivering critical public services.
You'll sit at the intersection of deep technical expertise and strategic leadership, helping define engineering direction while remaining close to the realities of delivery. You'll work on high‑profile, business‑critical services that support millions of citizens every day - from core benefit systems like Universal Credit and Working Age Services, to Digital Payments Services, which process around £230bn in payments annually.
This is a rare opportunity to influence how modern software engineering is done at true national scale, within a complex, safety‑critical environment where quality, resilience and trust really matter.
What skills, knowledge and experience will you need?
- Experience leading and influencing multiple engineering teams, setting direction and supporting engineers to do their best work
- Ability to explain complex technical concepts clearly to non‑technical stakeholders, including senior leaders, and influence decisions at that level
- Deep experience building and running systems in cloud environments (AWS or Azure), including APIs, RESTful services and microservice architectures
- Strong practical experience using Test‑Driven Development (TDD) to build reliable, maintainable software
- Experience working with SQL and NoSQL databases, such as Postgres, MySQL or MongoDB
You and your role
As our Lead Software Engineer, you'll provide technical leadership across a portfolio of teams and products, shaping how we design, build, test and run software across DWP Digital. You'll work closely with architects, product managers and delivery leaders to define medium‑ to long‑term strategies for our services, ensuring they are resilient, secure and fit for the future.
You will be working on either:
- Working Age Services Digital – supporting some of the UK government's most high‑profile citizen‑facing services, including Universal Credit and the green‑field Jobs and Careers Service.
- Digital Payments Services – responsible for payment platforms that support 22 million citizens and handle roughly a third of the UK's BACS traffic.
You’ll guide teams through complex technical decisions, promote modern engineering practices, and help embed consistent standards across the wider engineering community. While this is a senior leadership role, it remains grounded in real delivery – you'll understand the systems, the trade‑offs and the day‑to‑day challenges facing engineering teams.
This role will suit someone who enjoys complexity, cares deeply about quality and engineering excellence, and is motivated by purposeful work. Your decisions will shape how critical public services are delivered, ensuring they remain reliable, scalable and trusted by the people who depend on them.
Location
You’ll join us in one of our digital hubs in Birmingham, Blackpool, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle or Sheffield, whichever is most convenient for you.
Hybrid Working
We work a hybrid model – you'll spend some time working at home and some time collaborating face to face in a hub.
Pay
We offer pay up to £92,522: £80,267 salary plus a Digital Allowance of up to £12,255 subject to assessment of your capability at interview.
Pension
You'll get a civil service pension with employer contributions worth 28.97%.
Holidays
A generous leave package starting at 26 days rising to 31 days over time. You can also take up to 3 extra days off a month on flexi‑time. You’ll also get all the usual public holidays.
Benefits
- Flexible working including flexible hours and flex‑friendly policies
- Time off volunteering and charitable giving
- Bring your authentic self to work with 'I Can Be Me in DWP'
- Discounts and savings on shopping, fun days out and more
- Interest‑free loans to buy a bike or a season ticket, so it’s easier to get to work and start making a difference
- Sports and social activities
- Professional development, coaching, mentoring and career progression opportunities
Lead Software Engineer employer: DWP Digital
DWP is an exceptional employer that champions innovation and collaboration within its digital teams. With a strong focus on employee growth, we offer extensive training opportunities and a supportive work culture that values fresh ideas and cutting-edge technology. Working from home allows for a flexible work-life balance, making it an ideal environment for those looking to make a meaningful impact in the realm of data solutions.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Lead Software Engineer
✨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 DWP Digital 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 DWP Digital.
✨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 DWP Digital.
✨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 DWP Digital 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 Lead Software Engineer
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 DWP Digital.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at DWP Digital 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 DWP Digital
✨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 DWP Digital 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.
