Inzpire - Lead Software Developer in Lincolnshire

We are a highly innovative and rapidly growing defence and technology company that design, develop, and deliver some of the world’s most advanced defence related training, products, and services. We were recently crowned Employer of the Year at the British Ex-Forces in Business Awards 2023. We have been listed as one of the ‘100 Best Large Companies to Work For’ in the UK and Midlands by Best Companies several times as well as achieving ‘Best Companies 3 Star Accreditation’ and a rating of ‘world‑class’ for our employee engagement on a number of occasions. We are also proud to have been honoured with two Queen’s Awards for Enterprise in Innovation, for our next‑generation GECO military mission planning system.

Our award‑winning Mission Systems team design, develop and deliver some of the world’s most advanced aviation IT systems from our office in Lincoln. As a result of our continued success and business expansion, we are delighted to offer a Lead Software Engineer opportunity to take on a business‑critical role in supporting the development and delivery of our flagship product, the GECO Mission Support System. The role offers exposure to a diverse range of technical authoring, leadership and guidance opportunities. Once you are up to speed with the product knowledge, technology, team dynamics, and the (adapted AGILE) delivery process you will primarily lead the development effort for the GECO Mission Support System, supporting and mentoring a team of 4 other experienced Software Engineers (line‑management responsibility is NOT a part of this role).

Responsibilities:

• Development and delivery of new GECO features within a SCRUM-based Agile framework.
• Writing unit tests for all new code, ensuring adequate coverage to ensure code confidence.
• Assisting team members in resolving difficult code problems.
• Fixing bugs identified during testing or reported from other channels.
• Ensuring all code adheres to our documented coding standards.
• Conducting regular code reviews with other Software Engineers, to identify potential defects and deviations from standard patterns and practices.
• Mentoring colleagues about best practices in software development.
• Communicating effectively with Product Owners, the Software Engineering Manager and other vital colleagues during the development process.

This is very much a ‘hands‑on’ development role that sits across two SCRUM teams. You should expect to be coding or talking about code for the majority of your time during the day. Product development is primarily in C# .NET 10. The team covers all aspects of product development such as user interface design, 3D rendering, math‑intensive geographic algorithms, hardware communication, and microservice APIs. The team is also responsible for development of associated tooling (e.g. test tools, automation tools, etc).

We are looking for a proactive, flexible, and confident individual with excellent attention to detail and the discipline and commitment to lead the development effort as part of a highly skilled software team. The ideal candidate will:

• Have a coaching mindset to help build the skills and confidence of the team.
• Be a strong communicator, with confidence and credibility to contribute to high level technical and architectural discussion.
• Have a proactive and ‘can do’ attitude, taking a flexible, constructive and timely approach to meeting the diverse needs of the business.
• Have an inquisitive and analytical mind, able to research issues independently and suggest pragmatic, business‑focused solutions.
• Be capable of contributing to the design of elegant solutions to complex technical problems.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

• A degree in a STEM subject (Ideally software engineering, systems engineering, or numerate discipline), or other qualifications backed up with evidence of the relevant experience listed below.
• Technical Leadership: Guidance and mentoring of a small (up to 10 persons) software engineering team, setting technical direction, and ensuring the implementation of best practices.
• Owned projects to a level of sign‑off.
• Project Management: Familiarity with agile methodologies (Scrum, Kanban), backlog prioritization, sprint planning, and cross‑functional team collaboration.
• Strategic Planning: Collaboration with product managers and other stakeholders to align technical strategy with business goals.
• Software Development: Past experience of taking ownership of and solving complex problems through proactive software engineering.
• Detailed knowledge of an Object Orientated language (for example C++, C#, Java, VB.NET).

Due to the nature of elements of the role, the successful applicant must be a UK National and may be required to successfully complete National Security Vetting which may require criminal record, security service and credit reference checks; qualification will also normally require a minimum UK residency of at least 5 years.

If you have the required background and are interested in joining a high‑performing team, supporting the delivery of exceptional award‑winning products and services to our customers, we would be delighted to hear from you. Please click apply and follow the instructions to upload your CV.

Benefits:

• 30 days paid holiday plus 8 days bank holidays per year.
• Uncapped paid leave scheme (upon successful completion of probation period).
• Company provided private medical and dental insurance.
• QinetiQ Share Incentive Scheme.
• Enhanced maternity and paternity pay.
• Annual profit and performance related pay scheme.
• Death in service (x4 salary).
• Company contributions into a group personal pension scheme.
• Business travel insurance.
• Tax efficient cycle to work and charitable giving schemes.
• Tax efficient electric vehicle company car scheme.

Inzpire are committed to creating an inclusive and respectful environment for current and prospective employees. We recognise that a diverse, talented and highly motivated workforce is pivotal to our continuing success, therefore our selection decisions are based on the merit of the individual, irrespective of their race, colour, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, marital status, disability or any other characteristic. We genuinely recognise the benefits of a diverse and inclusive working environment. We are proud to be a Disability Confident Committed Employer, a supportive signatory of the Armed Forces Covenant and a Gold award winner within the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme. We are therefore delighted to offer a guaranteed interview scheme to service leavers, reservists and military spouses or partners (including those of service leavers) who meet all our advertised requirements.