Lead Software Engineer – Departure & Compliance

We are easyJet – a FTSE-250 listed, £multi-billion low-cost airline that serves tens of millions of customers every single year. If you’re reading this, you have probably already been an easyJet customer, and you’ll know that there is no more iconic (or Orange!) travel brand in Europe. We fly more than 1,207 routes, connecting 38 countries across Europe, and employ more than 18,000 colleagues. We’re on a mission to make low-cost travel easy – and whatever your role here, you’ll connect millions of people to what they love using Europe’s best airline network, great value fares, and friendly service. What makes us easyJet? Our Promise Behaviours – we are Safe, Bold, Welcoming and Challenging. Four Behaviours. One Spirit. One easyJet.

Role Summary

Ready to help us build the future of airport experiences? Are you a technical leader who thrives on solving complex, large-scale engineering challenges? Do you want to shape the technology that powers safe, compliant, and efficient operations across a global network of over 150 airports? We are looking for a Lead Software Engineer – Departure & Compliance to own the technical strategy, architectural direction, and engineering excellence for our mission-critical airport platforms.

Role Overview

In this role, you will lead the evolution of the software and data platforms that underpin our Departure & Compliance product area. You will ensure that departure-critical data—including passenger, flight, and regulatory information—is perfectly integrated and highly resilient across a distributed ecosystem of Departure Control Systems (DCS), reservation systems, and government authority platforms. The position combines hands-on software engineering with practical squad leadership, focusing on technical delivery, code quality, and supporting a small team of engineers.

Key Responsibilities

• The Lead Software Engineer is primarily a senior technical contributor with light leadership responsibilities.
• The role involves significant hands-on coding (60%+), technical decision-making, and guiding a squad of 1–4 engineers.
• Collaboration with the Engineering Manager and Product Owner is essential to align technical delivery with business priorities.
• The position requires strong engineering fundamentals, experience with modern practices (CI/CD, automated testing, cloud), and mentoring skills.
• AI-assisted development tools are to be integrated into the squad’s workflow.
• Success is measured by predictable, high-quality software delivery, team support and clarity, sound technical decisions, and continuous improvement.

Requirements of the Role

• Design, build, test, and operate production software in a hands-on capacity.
• Lead the squad’s technical delivery: break down problems, align the team, and maintain momentum.
• Make squad-scoped technical decisions, balancing speed, quality, maintainability, and sustainability.
• Set and uphold engineering standards through design, code review, testing discipline, and operational ownership.
• Strengthen engineering practices, including CI/CD, automated testing, observability, and reliable production operations.
• Encourage a culture of continuous improvement, learning, and technical curiosity.
• Integrate AI-assisted development tools into the squad’s workflow.
• Collaborate with product, design, and other stakeholders to deliver practical solutions to business problems.

Key Skills

• Strong software engineering fundamentals with a proven track record in building, shipping, and operating production systems.
• Experience leading technical work within a small team while remaining hands-on.
• Full-stack experience across backend, frontend, and cloud, in multiple languages/frameworks.
• Familiarity with modern engineering practices: CI/CD, automated testing, cloud infrastructure, and production support.
• Experience mentoring, coaching, or supporting other engineers, with strong interpersonal skills.
• Initiative in using AI-assisted engineering tools (e.g., Cursor, Claude Code, Codex), with a formed perspective on their use.
• Experience with production systems in regulated or operationally complex environments (airport or airline operations is a strong plus).

Success Criteria

• The squad delivers meaningful software predictably and to a high standard of engineering quality.
• Engineers in the squad feel supported, challenged, and clear on expectations.
• Technical decisions at the squad level are sound, pragmatic, and well communicated.
• The codebase and engineering practices improve over time, not degrade under delivery pressure.
• AI-assisted tools and Agentic SDLC are thoughtfully used to improve speed, quality, and effectiveness.

Please note that this role does not meet the criteria for visa sponsorship, and we are therefore unable to consider applicants who require sponsorship to work in the UK.

What you’ll get in return:

• Competitive base salary
• 25 days holiday, pension scheme, life assurance, and a flexible benefits package.
• Discounted staff travel scheme for friends and family
• Annual credit for discount on easyJet holidays
• ‘Work Away’ scheme, allowing you to work abroad for 30 days a year
• Electric vehicle lease salary sacrifice scheme

Location & Hours of Work

We operate a hybrid working policy of 40%-60% of the month spent with colleagues.

We look forward to your application and the possibility of you flying high with our team!

Reasonable Adjustments:

At easyJet, we are dedicated to fostering an inclusive workplace that reflects the diverse customers we serve across Europe. We welcome candidates from all backgrounds. If you require specific adjustments or support during the application or recruitment process, such as extra time for assessments or accessible interview locations, please contact us at ma.recruitment@easyjet.com. We are committed to providing reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process to ensure accessibility and accommodation.