At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead C++ projects, mentor engineers, and drive technical excellence in a dynamic environment.
- Company: Join Microlise, a proud Midlands-based tech company with over 30 years of innovation.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive salary, private medical insurance, and a salary sacrifice EV Car Scheme.
- Other info: Flexible working, great career progression, and a vibrant team culture await you.
- Why this job: Make a real impact while shaping the future of technology in a supportive culture.
- Qualifications: Expertise in modern C++, strong leadership skills, and a passion for mentoring.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 £ per year.
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Within your role as a C++ Technical Lead, you will play a pivotal part in shaping the technical direction, engineering quality, and delivery excellence of a large‑scale, mission‑critical product ecosystem. No two days will look the same; you will influence a broad portfolio of projects while guiding engineering teams through complex technical challenges. You will join a highly capable department of more than 150 engineers, ranging from Graduates to Solution Architects, where you will provide leadership, mentorship, and technical authority across multiple teams. You will have a clearly defined progression framework, supported by ongoing professional development, architectural guidance, and opportunities to broaden your leadership impact.
As a Technical Lead, you will oversee the design, implementation, and optimisation of advanced C++ solutions, ensuring our systems remain robust, scalable, and aligned with best‑in‑class engineering practices. You will work closely with cross‑functional teams to refine architectures, drive technical decision‑making, and unblock complex engineering challenges. Alongside hands‑on technical oversight, you will champion engineering excellence across code quality, performance, security, and maintainability, while supporting and developing the next generation of engineers through structured coaching and collaboration.
At Microlise, we recognise the importance of balance. Our flexible ways of working and low‑overtime culture reflect our commitment to supporting engineers in doing their best work sustainably demonstrated by our average tenure of over seven years. If you are a technically strong, forward‑thinking leader ready to take on a high‑impact role, we would love to hear from you.
Ways of Working
- Monthly: Drive technical strategy across stakeholder demonstrations and product reviews; shape and validate architectural decisions; support release cycles with senior‑level oversight; produce high‑quality technical reports; contribute to mobile and platform‑level engineering initiatives; and provide thought leadership across ongoing projects.
- Fortnightly: Lead planning sessions, retrospectives, and sprint reviews, ensuring teams are aligned with architectural standards and delivery priorities. Facilitate technical discussions that influence design direction and continuous improvement across multiple teams.
- Weekly: Guide public code reviews, support engineering dojos, and refine system‑level design decisions. Coach teams in adopting modern engineering practices, improving code quality, and enabling a strong shared understanding of architectural principles.
- Daily: Support daily stand‑ups and unblock engineering teams; oversee complex debugging and performance optimisation; review and approve high‑risk pull requests; drive reduction of technical debt; monitor system behaviour in production; and collaborate on design sessions, pair programming, and high‑value engineering activities.
What We’re Looking For
- A degree in Computer Science or a closely related technical discipline.
- Deep understanding of core computer science principles, with the ability to apply them at architectural and system‑design levels.
- Extensive hands‑on experience delivering high‑quality, maintainable software in a commercial environment, ideally in a lead or principal‑level capacity.
- Expert‑level proficiency in modern C++ (C++11 and beyond), including memory management, templates, concurrency models, and performance‑critical programming.
- Experience with C# and the wider .NET ecosystem is highly advantageous, especially where systems require cross‑language integration or sophisticated tooling support.
- Strong experience operating within a mature software development lifecycle, including leading code reviews, facilitating design workshops, and influencing technical direction.
- Deep understanding of object‑oriented design, SOLID principles, and the ability to architect extensible and robust software systems.
- Proficiency in SQL and Microsoft SQL Server, capable of analysing performance, optimising queries, and collaborating effectively with data specialists.
- Strong background in building and maintaining comprehensive unit and integration test suites across complex, multi‑layered systems.
- Working knowledge of software design patterns, performance optimisation strategies, and tooling for high‑throughput or low‑latency environments.
- Demonstrated experience mentoring and developing engineers at all levels, providing strategic technical guidance and supporting growth across multiple teams.
- A collaborative and influential communication style, fostering a culture of engineering excellence, continuous learning, and shared ownership.
- Highly motivated, proactive, and passionate about technology, with a commitment to driving quality, innovation, and organisational improvement.
Why Microlise?
- Proudly Midlands-based, Microlise has been operating for over thirty years, and recently became a Publicly Listed Company with shares trading on the London Stock Exchange. Our growing business is guided by our culture which drives the way we behave, the way we work, the way we connect with our customers, and the way we support and develop our people.
- Full support and training to ensure you are well equipped to succeed in your role.
- Access to our salary sacrifice EV Car Scheme - payments are made before tax and other contributions, so saving you money, whilst doing your bit for the environment!
- Great Place to Work certified – We have been recognised by the global authority on workplace culture, so come be a part of our success!
- Private medical insurance with Vitality Health including rewards for members such as: Free Amazon Prime, Apple Watch, discounted gym membership and many more!
- 25 days holiday, excluding bank holidays, increasing with service.
- Invested in employee health and well-being with over 20 mental health first aiders in the business.
- Employee Assistance Programmes.
- Free Costco membership, 20% off EE mobile and line rental, and other local discounts.
- Great staff extras: Easter eggs, yearly BBQ, Christmas gifts and annual staff awards.
- Free Microlise Cresswell Racing Tickets, support British Superbikes.
- Executive Box at Motorpoint Arena Nottingham.
Recruitment Process
For successful candidates, interviews will take place whilst the advert is still live; so don’t delay getting your application in.
Technical Lead C++ employer: Microlise
Microlise is an exceptional employer that prioritises employee growth and well-being, offering a supportive work culture where continuous learning is encouraged. With flexible working hours, a commitment to work/life balance, and a range of benefits including private medical insurance and an EV Car Scheme, employees can thrive both personally and professionally. Join a talented team in the Midlands, where your contributions will directly impact leading retailers and logistics providers across the UK.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Technical Lead C++
✨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 Microlise 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 Microlise.
✨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 Microlise.
✨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 Microlise 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 C++
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 Microlise.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Microlise 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 Microlise
✨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 Microlise 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.
