At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the development of innovative digital services for government, enhancing user experience.
- Company: Join the Government Digital Service, shaping the future of digital government in the UK.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, flexible working, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Collaborative environment with a focus on modern engineering practices and continuous improvement.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on millions by improving public services through technology.
- Qualifications: Strong leadership in cloud-native systems, TypeScript, Node.js, and mentoring skills.
The predicted salary is between 55000 - 65000 £ per year.
The Government Digital Service (GDS) is the digital centre of government. We are responsible for setting, leading and delivering the vision for a modern digital government. Our priorities are to drive a modern digital government by:
- joining up public sector services
- harnessing the power of AI for the public good
- strengthening and extending our digital and data public infrastructure
- elevating leadership and investing in talent
- funding for outcomes and procuring for growth and innovation
- committing to transparency and driving accountability
We are home to the Incubator for Artificial Intelligence (I.AI), the world-leading GOV.UK and at the forefront of coordinating the UK’s geospatial strategy and activity. We lead the Government Digital and Data function and champion the work of digital teams across government. We’re part of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and employ more than 1,000 people all over the UK, with hubs in Manchester, London and Bristol. The Government Digital Service is where talent translates into impact. From your first day, you’ll be working with some of the world’s most highly-skilled digital professionals, all contributing their knowledge to make change on a national scale. Join us for rewarding work that makes a difference across the UK. You'll solve some of the nation’s highest-priority digital challenges, helping millions of people access services they need.
Data Services for Personalised GOV.UK Channels: This role will be part of a new team at GDS, focusing specifically on developing the services that abstract personalised data logistics for product teams, enabling them to deliver personalised features without worrying about underlying cross-government data complexity. The work is split into four main areas:
- data exchange between departments
- a serverless platform to power the GOV.UK personalised channels
- a platform to store GOV.UK personalised channel data
- providing support for a new government digital mailbox
Reporting into an Engineering Manager, you’ll work within and support the wider engineering teams as well as collaborate with peers including Technical Architects to deliver a user-centric, highly scalable, resilient, and performant platform. It is expected that this role will involve outreach to other government departments, so an ability to communicate to a wide set of stakeholders, along with the ability to manage many work streams concurrently is a must.
As a GDS Lead Developer, you’ll share responsibility for the digital transformation of government. You will provide technical leadership within the teams and services you work on, helping to shape and deliver robust, scalable software solutions that meet user needs while aligning with broader GDS standards and goals. You’ll lead by example through hands-on engineering, promoting modern development practices and supporting teams to build resilient, secure and maintainable services. You’ll help guide technical decisions, ensuring solutions are practical, well-implemented and aligned with the wider architecture and strategy.
Lead Developers often work across teams and services, collaborating closely with architects, product managers and multidisciplinary teams. You’ll support developers in solving complex technical problems, improving engineering practices and maintaining high standards of code quality, reliability and performance. You’ll thrive using agile methods and enjoy working collaboratively across departments to deliver meaningful outcomes. Above all, you’ll want to make government services better for users, continually improving the way teams build, run and evolve digital services.
As a Lead Developer, you’ll:
- guide and improve the ways in which the team works, helping establish effective engineering practices, development workflows and collaborative approaches that enable the team to deliver high-quality software
- act as a strong technical contributor within the team, maintaining proficiency across the systems, platforms and tools used to build and operate services
- support the team in understanding how different parts of the system interact, helping troubleshoot complex technical issues and ensuring the team can work confidently across the broader technical landscape
- work with engineers and architects to identify appropriate technologies, patterns and approaches, helping determine when new software should be written and ensuring solutions are pragmatic, maintainable and aligned with organisational standards
- provide day-to-day technical leadership within the team, helping guide technical decisions and ensuring the team maintains a high standard of engineering quality
- coach and mentor developers, supporting their technical growth and helping them develop strong engineering judgement and confidence in their work
- encourage constructive technical discussions and ensure that ideas can be challenged respectfully, helping the team reach well-reasoned decisions
- promote knowledge sharing across the team through collaboration, documentation, code reviews and technical discussions, ensuring that knowledge is not siloed with individuals
- help drive the adoption of good engineering practices such as testing, code quality, observability, security and maintainability
- contribute to the wider engineering and developer community within the organisation, sharing knowledge, participating in communities of practice and supporting cross-team collaboration
Person specification: We’re interested in people who have:
- leadership experience in designing, building and operating scalable cloud-native distributed systems in production environments
- strong TypeScript and Node.js development skills, using modern tooling, testing frameworks and development practices
- experience building and operating services in at least one major cloud platform (AWS preferred)
- experience designing event-driven and asynchronous architectures, integrating services through APIs, queues and events
- strong understanding of cloud architecture, networking, security, observability and operational best practices
- experience implementing and maintaining infrastructure as code
- ability to build secure, well-tested and maintainable services, following modern engineering practices including automated testing, CI/CD and observability
- experience developing and operating large-scale web services, with a strong focus on reliability, resilience and operational excellence
- ability to provide technical leadership, set technical direction and contribute to long-term technical roadmaps
- experience working effectively across multiple teams and complex programmes of work
- experience mentoring and coaching engineers, helping to improve team capability and engineering standards
- ability to work across a range of product stages, from greenfield development through to live service operation and continuous improvement
- comfortable contributing to senior technical discussions, evaluating technology choices and balancing trade-offs around security, scalability, cost and maintainability
- ability to rapidly learn and evaluate new technologies, tools and approaches
- apply and promote engineering practices such as Test Driven Development (TDD), continuous integration, continuous delivery and DevOps methodologies
Lead Developer in London employer: Government Digital Service
The Government Digital Service (GDS) is an exceptional employer, offering a unique opportunity to work at the forefront of digital transformation within the UK government. With a strong commitment to employee growth, GDS fosters a collaborative and innovative work culture where talented professionals can thrive while making a meaningful impact on public services. Located in vibrant hubs across Manchester, London, and Bristol, employees benefit from a supportive environment that encourages knowledge sharing and the adoption of modern engineering practices, all while contributing to the greater good of society.
Contact Details:
Government Digital Service Recruitment Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Lead Developer in London
✨Join the IT Consultancy Buzz
Get involved in local or virtual IT consultancy meetups and forums. This is where we can rub shoulders with industry professionals, get insights into what Government Digital Service values, and even spot unadvertised opportunities. Don't miss out on these chances to make a name for ourselves in the IT world!
✨Show Off Your Skills
Create a personal project or case study relevant to the challenges Government Digital Service might face. Use platforms like GitHub or Medium to share your findings. This not only demonstrates our consulting skills but shows a proactive attitude, making us stand out from the crowd when applying for that full-time gig.
✨Leverage LinkedIn for Connections
Follow and engage with the relevant thought leaders and influencers in IT consultancy on LinkedIn. Share insightful content and join discussions to gain visibility. A well-placed comment or shared article could catch the attention of someone at Government Digital Service!
✨Direct Apply to Government Digital Service
Let's not forget to apply directly through the Government Digital Service website! Tailor your application to showcase our understanding of their consulting style and how we can contribute to their projects. A personalised approach can make a huge difference in landing that full-time position!
We think you need these skills to ace Lead Developer in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills:In IT consulting, it's all about problem-solving, so make sure your CV highlights your analytical skills and any relevant projects you've tackled. Mention specific technologies or methodologies you've used to resolve issues or improve processes; this shows you can think critically and deliver results, which is vital for us at Government Digital Service.
Highlight Relevant Certifications:Certifications like ITIL, PMP, or even specific tech stack qualifications can really make you stand out. Make sure to include these in your CV, as they not only demonstrate your expertise but also your commitment to staying current in the field. We love seeing candidates who are proactive about their professional development!
Tailor Your Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to connect personally with us at Government Digital Service. Share stories about your experiences in IT consulting, and how they shaped your desire to join our team. Mention why you’re excited about this particular role, and how you see yourself contributing to our projects.
Keep It Clear and Concise:We're all busy, so make sure your application is easy to read. Use bullet points for key achievements, and don’t overload us with jargon. A clean, professional layout goes a long way. Remember, the clearer your application, the more likely we are to invite you in for an interview!
How to prepare for a job interview at Government Digital Service
✨Brush Up on Your Technical Skills
For an IT consulting role, be ready to demonstrate your technical prowess. You might face questions on systems integration, cloud technologies, or even troubleshooting specific software. If you have experience with tools like AWS, Azure, or even specific programming languages, make sure you can talk about them fluently.
✨Showcase Your Problem-Solving Approach
IT consulting is all about solving problems for clients. Think about how you can illustrate your approach to a past challenge using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result). It's a great way to show how you tackle complex issues and come up with effective solutions.
✨Know the Business Impact of IT Solutions
When discussing your experiences, focus not just on the tech solutions you implemented, but also on their business impact. Employers want to see that you can connect IT with organisational goals. Prep examples that highlight how your tech contributions improved efficiency or reduced costs for past clients or projects.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
Since IT consulting often involves teamwork and client interactions, expect behavioural questions that assess your interpersonal skills. Be prepared with examples that demonstrate your adaptability, communication skills, and how you handle client feedback. Before the interview, think of situations where you worked closely with clients to create effective IT strategies or changes.
