At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the development of a live licensing platform and mentor a senior engineering team.
- Company: GovTech scale-up focused on innovative solutions for the Scottish public sector.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, hybrid work model, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Dynamic role with a focus on accessibility, security, and AI-assisted features.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in public service tech while leading cutting-edge projects.
- Qualifications: 5+ years in full stack development with strong leadership and PHP skills.
The predicted salary is between 75000 - 75000 £ per year.
A GovTech scale-up delivering a live licensing platform for the Scottish public sector is hiring a Lead Full Stack Engineer to take technical ownership across their Laravel, InertiaJS and NextJS stack.
This is a hands-on technical leadership role - you'll be writing code, making architecture calls, and setting the standard for a small, senior engineering team, while reporting directly into the CTO.
The Role
You'll take ownership across the full stack: Laravel migrations and Eloquent models, InertiaJS admin interfaces, a NextJS citizen-facing portal, and an embeddable public register. You'll work from spec through to PR, security review, UAT and government release sign-off - and you'll be the technical reference point the rest of the team looks to.
This is not a role hidden behind tickets. You'll be expected to make judgement calls, ask the right questions early, and hold the line on correctness and accessibility as much as delivery speed.
Key Responsibilities
- Own technical delivery of licensing workflows end-to-end, from architecture through to production
- Lead integration work with government services (OAuth2/OIDC, PKCE-based identity verification, notification and payment platforms, Companies House, DVLA, address lookup APIs)
- Set and maintain engineering standards across a strongly-typed Laravel codebase (high type coverage, static analysis, refactoring discipline)
- Guide the team's approach to accessible React UI built against a government design system
- Lead serverless cloud deployment and operational decision-making
- Drive security design reviews, threat modelling and SAST/DAST/SCA remediation
- Own the technical approach to onboarding new verticals on a config-driven platform
- Shape and build AI-assisted features (form validation, document/eligibility checks, triage tooling)
- Mentor engineers, review code and PRs, and act as a technical escalation point
Skills & Experience Required
- 5+ years' commercial full stack development experience, backend and frontend
- Track record of technical leadership - architecture decisions, mentoring, driving engineering standards
- PHP 8.3+
Lead Full Stack Engineer employer: OpenSourced Ltd Careers
As a GovTech company based in Edinburgh, we pride ourselves on being an excellent employer by offering a supportive hybrid work environment that fosters collaboration and innovation. Our commitment to employee growth is evident through our generous training budgets and regular company meet-ups, ensuring that you are not only part of impactful work but also continuously developing your skills. With 30 days of holiday plus your birthday off, enhanced parental leave, and a focus on maintaining a modern codebase, we provide a rewarding workplace where your contributions directly support public services.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Lead Full Stack 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 OpenSourced Ltd Careers 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 OpenSourced Ltd Careers.
✨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 OpenSourced Ltd Careers.
✨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 OpenSourced Ltd Careers 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 Full Stack Engineer
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 OpenSourced Ltd Careers.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at OpenSourced Ltd Careers 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 OpenSourced Ltd Careers
✨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 OpenSourced Ltd Careers 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.
