Head of Software Engineering - Central Government

Head of Software Engineering – Central Government

Join to apply for the Head of Software Engineering – Central Government role at Olive Jar Digital

Inside IR35 – 6 month contract (with possibility for an extension)

UK-wide

Remote

About The Role

We’re seeking a skilled Head of Software Development to lead and manage the software delivery across programme of work for our central government client. You will be leading several stable and well‑established development teams working across multiple tools and platforms.

The focus of this role is to provide strong leadership and hands‑on guidance to the development teams, ensuring ways of working are consistently applied and effective. This includes supporting the teams with sprint planning, backlog management, prioritisation and maintaining transparency of work.

The environment requires a pragmatic, delivery‑focused individual, with experience working in the public sector who can actively engage with teams and drive continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

• Strong experience leading and guiding development teams across multiple technologies.
• Proven ability to drive delivery through clear structure, planning and prioritisation.
• Experience ensuring effective ways of working (WoW) are established and consistently followed.
• Skilled at maintaining transparency and visibility of progress across multiple workstreams.
• Ability to foster collaboration and accountability within stable, ongoing delivery teams.
• Confident operating within public sector environments and managing multiple concurrent projects.

Seniority level: Director

Employment type: Full‑time

Job function: Engineering and Information Technology

Industries: IT Services and IT Consulting