At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the technical delivery of a new greenfield industry services platform and guide a multi-disciplinary team.
- Company: Join RSSB, a forward-thinking organisation focused on railway standards and safety.
- Benefits: Enjoy 30 days annual leave, private medical cover, and flexible working options.
- Other info: Diverse and inclusive workplace with excellent long-term development opportunities.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a role that combines hands-on coding with leadership.
- Qualifications: Proven experience in technical leadership and strong skills in C#, ASP.NET Core, and React.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 ÂŁ per year.
RSSB are now seeking an experienced Principal Technical Lead to drive the hands‑on technical delivery of a new greenfield industry services platform. This is an exciting delivery‑focused role for a senior engineer who can lead by doing: making confident technical decisions, setting the quality bar, and guiding a multi‑disciplinary sprint team to build and ship a complex system. As Principal Technical Lead, you will deliver a suite of capabilities including workflow automation, document management, scheduling optimisation, real‑time notifications, and integrated reporting. A range of internal and external systems including CRM, ERP, payment, and document signing services will be integrated.
Responsibilities
- Own the technical delivery of the platform, ensuring the team consistently ships high‑quality, production‑ready increments.
- Ensure engineering standards are followed across the team: coding conventions, API design, security practices, and code review processes.
- Lead estimation, sprint planning, and decomposition of technical work; proactively identify and manage technical risk, dependencies, and blockers.
- Collaborate with the Delivery Manager and Product Owner to shape the backlog.
- Contribute directly to the codebase, particularly on complex features, integration points, and technically critical components.
- Ensure alignment with the solution architecture function, clearly articulating technical constraints, risks, or emerging complexity with architectural implications, supported by evidence and proposed alternatives.
- Ensure application of secure‑by‑design principles and validate and refine Figma wireframes.
- Represent the team's technical work clearly and credibly to non‑technical audiences.
- Define and enforce CI/CD pipeline standards using Azure DevOps, including branch strategy, build validation, deployment gates, and environment promotion.
Qualifications
- Proven experience as a technical lead on a complex, multi‑service platform, with direct responsibility for technical delivery quality and team output.
- Extensive C# and ASP.NET Core experience, including RESTful APIs, dependency injection, domain modelling, integration patterns, and performance considerations.
- Experience with Entity Framework Core code‑first migrations and data modelling.
- Strong front‑end engineering skills in React and TypeScript, including component architecture, state management, and integration with REST/SignalR backends.
- Solid understanding of event‑driven architectures.
- Hands‑on experience with PostgreSQL or comparable relational databases.
- Experience with API and application security.
- Practical knowledge of Python, including frameworks such as FastAPI.
- Practical knowledge of the Java stack.
- Proven experience with deploying and managing Azure cloud services.
- Experience deploying and operating containerised workloads in Kubernetes.
- Experience writing and maintaining CI/CD pipelines in Azure DevOps.
- Engagement with novel technology, such as AI, to maximise output.
- Experience collaborating with UX designers — reviewing wireframes and providing technical feedback.
- Agile delivery experience, including sprint planning, backlog refinement, estimation, and working productively with a Product Owner and Delivery Manager.
- Experience integrating with payment platforms such as Stripe and electronic signature services such as DocuSign.
- Experience developing solutions within a regulated industry.
- Communicate effectively and share thoughts and ideas through methods appropriate to the audience.
Application Guidance
CVs should be no longer than three pages, and applicants will be asked to answer a 200‑word application question.
Why Join RSSB
We offer a competitive salary aligned to the public‑interest and not‑for‑profit sector, together with a strong total reward package. While this role is not positioned at top‑end technology salary levels, we believe our overall offer provides meaningful value through flexibility, benefits, and long‑term development.
Our benefits package includes:
- 30 days annual leave (plus bank holidays)
- Private medical and dental cover
- Flexible and hybrid working options
- Season ticket loan and travel subsidy
- Cycle to work scheme
- Volunteer leave
- Performance‑related bonus
- Pension scheme
- Learning and development opportunities
Ready to Apply
If you’re ready to take the next step in your career with RSSB, we’d love to hear from you. Apply now and help us shape the future of railway standards.
Diversity and Equal Opportunities
We value diversity and equal opportunities in employment and are committed to creating a workplace which is inclusive to everyone. As a member of the Disability Confident Scheme, we encourage candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum criteria to apply for our jobs. If you have applied under the Disability Confident Scheme, please let us know in advance by emailing vacancies@RSSB.CO.UK.
If you require any reasonable adjustments with respect to our selection process including information in an alternative format, please contact us at vacancies@rssb.co.uk.
Principal Technical Lead employer: RAIL SAFETY AND STANDARDS BOARD
Contact Detail:
RAIL SAFETY AND STANDARDS BOARD Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Principal Technical Lead
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the industry, attend meetups, and engage in online forums. The more people you know, the better your chances of landing that Principal Technical Lead role.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! Create a portfolio or GitHub repository showcasing your projects, especially those involving C#, ASP.NET Core, and Azure. This gives potential employers a taste of what you can bring to the table.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for interviews by brushing up on your technical knowledge and soft skills. Be ready to discuss your experience with multi-service platforms and how you've led teams in the past. Confidence is key!
✨Tip Number 4
Don't forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are proactive about their job search.
We think you need these skills to ace Principal Technical Lead
Some tips for your application 🫡
Keep it Concise: When crafting your CV, aim for a maximum of three pages. We want to see your experience and skills, but keep it snappy and relevant to the role!
Nail the Application Question: You’ll need to answer a 200-word application question. Make sure you showcase your technical expertise and how it aligns with the Principal Technical Lead role. Be clear and confident!
Show Your Passion: Let us know why you’re excited about this opportunity! We love candidates who are genuinely interested in shaping the future of railway standards and can convey that enthusiasm in their application.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way to ensure your application gets to us quickly and efficiently. Plus, it shows you’re keen on joining our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at RAIL SAFETY AND STANDARDS BOARD
✨Know Your Tech Inside Out
As a Principal Technical Lead, you'll need to demonstrate your expertise in C#, ASP.NET Core, and other technologies mentioned in the job description. Brush up on your knowledge of RESTful APIs, Entity Framework Core, and front-end frameworks like React and TypeScript. Be ready to discuss specific projects where you've applied these skills.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
This role requires you to lead a multi-disciplinary team, so be prepared to share examples of how you've successfully guided teams in the past. Talk about your experience with sprint planning, backlog refinement, and how you've managed technical risks and blockers. Highlight your ability to communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical audiences.
✨Prepare for Technical Challenges
Expect to face technical questions or challenges during the interview. Practice explaining complex concepts clearly and concisely. You might be asked to solve a problem on the spot, so brush up on your coding skills and be ready to demonstrate your thought process as you tackle technical scenarios.
✨Align with Company Values
RSSB values diversity and inclusion, so make sure to express your commitment to these principles during the interview. Share any experiences you have that demonstrate your ability to work in diverse teams and how you foster an inclusive environment. This will show that you not only fit the technical requirements but also align with their company culture.