Lead Software Engineer

Lead Software Engineer

Full-Time 70000 - 90000 £ / year (est.) No working from home possible
Morgan McKinley

At a Glance

  • Tasks: Lead the development of innovative medical logistics software and mentor a growing team.
  • Company: UK's largest independent clinical diagnostics provider with a startup-like culture.
  • Benefits: Competitive salary, career growth, and the chance to work on impactful projects.
  • Other info: Dynamic team environment with opportunities to scale and innovate.
  • Why this job: Join a tech revolution in healthcare and make a real difference in patient logistics.
  • Qualifications: Proven experience in full-stack development and leadership in agile environments.

The predicted salary is between 70000 - 90000 £ per year.

Employment Type: Permanent, Full-Time

Team Size: Inherit a pod of 4, scaling to 10 over the next 12 months

About Us: We are the UK’s largest independent provider of clinical diagnostic and pathology services, backed by a massive, globally listed parent enterprise. While our market stability is absolute, we operate our internal digital transformation pod like a lean, flat-hierarchy tech startup. We are currently undergoing a massive technical revolution to completely automate our national, high-stakes medical logistics and transit data workflows—moving away from legacy manual systems into a real-time, event-driven software ecosystem.

The Role: Hands-On Player-Coach

We are looking for a true 70/30 Team Lead. You won't be sitting in boardroom meetings all day; you will be the technical anchor of the pod - spending roughly 70% of your time actively coding and running peer PR reviews, and 30% mentoring developers, running agile delivery ceremonies, and scaling out the local team.

Key Responsibilities

  • Build Phase 1: Lead the greenfield development of our enterprise web and mobile asset-tracking system—effectively creating the 'Uber-isation' of medical logistics to track high-stakes data routing right down to the physical parcel in transit.
  • Automate Legacy Pipelines: Architect the microservices and event-driven data workflows necessary to ingest and structure data currently managed across our manual processes and legacy spreadsheets.
  • Scale the Pod: Mentor our tight team of 4 full-stack developers and actively lead hiring initiatives to scale the engineering pod up to 10 over the next year.
  • Own the Architecture: Once the foundational automation layer is delivered, you will have 100% architectural ownership of a completely greenfield product roadmap that we will use to win massive enterprise public sector contracts.

Technical & Experience Profile Required

Technical Stack

  • Frontend: Commercial full-stack experience building responsive user interfaces natively using React and TypeScript.
  • Cloud & DevOps: Azure cloud ecosystems, serverless Azure Functions, and containerisation (Docker / Kubernetes).
  • Data & Messaging: Enterprise SQL Server, microservice architectures, and asynchronous message brokers (e.g., RabbitMQ, Kafka, or Service Bus).

Your Background

  • On the Tools: You have a proven track record as a Senior Developer or Tech Lead where you have remained heavily hands-on with feature code over the past 2 years.
  • Domain DNA: You are highly comfortable in high-transaction, data-heavy, or heavily regulated environments (e.g., FinTech, E-Commerce, Logistics/Supply Chain, or HealthTech) where data auditing and state management are second nature.
  • Pragmatic Leadership: Experience running sprint refinements, leading Git pull request code reviews, and coaching mid-level developers within an agile environment.

Lead Software Engineer employer: Morgan McKinley

As the UK’s largest independent provider of clinical diagnostic and pathology services, we offer a dynamic work environment that combines the stability of a large enterprise with the innovative spirit of a tech startup. Our culture fosters collaboration and growth, providing ample opportunities for professional development as you lead a talented team in revolutionising medical logistics through cutting-edge technology. Join us to make a meaningful impact in healthcare while enjoying a supportive atmosphere that values your contributions and encourages continuous learning.

Morgan McKinley

Contact Details:

Morgan McKinley Recruitment Team

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 Morgan McKinley 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 Morgan McKinley.

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 Morgan McKinley.

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 Morgan McKinley 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

React
TypeScript
Azure Cloud Ecosystems
Serverless Azure Functions
Docker
Kubernetes
Enterprise SQL Server

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 Morgan McKinley.

Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Morgan McKinley 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 Morgan McKinley

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 Morgan McKinley 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.