At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead software engineering teams to create innovative retail technology solutions.
- Company: Join the dynamic team at Very, a leading digital retailer.
- Benefits: Enjoy flexible working, generous holiday, and a £6500 benefits allowance.
- Other info: Inclusive culture with excellent growth opportunities and a focus on continuous learning.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on millions of customers while advancing your tech career.
- Qualifications: Proven experience in software delivery and strong leadership skills required.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 £ per year.
About Us
We are the team behind digital retailer Very. Our purpose, helping families get more out of life, powers everything we do. We want our people to get more out of life too! If you are high-performing, ambitious and make the most of every opportunity, we want to hear from you. In return, you will enjoy heaps of flexibility, great perks and benefits, and the freedom to be yourself, keep learning and take your career wherever you want it to go. If you love making a difference, you will love making it sparkle for millions of Very customers.
About The Teams
Our software engineering teams are responsible for designing, building, integrating, and managing technology across all products and functions. They focus on developing secure, highly available, cloud-based solutions, utilising open-source technologies where appropriate. By employing APIs as a standard for integration, they facilitate robust communication between internal and external systems. Our teams adopt data and event-driven approaches, working iteratively and continuously to deliver high-quality solutions. This role sits within our Retail Technology team; they own the creation and maintenance of our product catalogue and the prices we sell products at. We set pricing strategy, including when to run offers and which types of promotions to use. We manage product set-up end to end, on-site copy, categorisation, and navigation to help customers find products easily. We also manage supplier contracts, stock planning, and forecasting to ensure timely replenishment. The Retail team is looking to leverage AI capability to improve our price decisioning process to improve our margin as an organisation and better value for our customers. Alongside this we want to create more bespoke product copy and attribution so customers can find the products they want more easily. The role will be linked to new squads being set up to deliver these initiatives and maintain, run and enhance them going forward.
Role Purpose
The Lead Engineer is a key role within a Software or Data Engineering sub-community providing technical leadership and guidance to Engineers across all squads working with them to deliver and maintain production-ready, secure, stable, and performant code in line with TVG Engineering standards in a DevSecOps manner. They lead by example and play an active part in software design, coding, reviews, testing, and debugging. They are at the forefront of solving challenging technical problems, and are responsible for software engineering excellence, innovation, and continuous improvement within the sub-community across all squads they work with.
Scope of Role
Leadership: Technical mentor and coach to Software/Data Engineers empowering them to excel in their roles and grow their skills. Champions the adoption of relevant standards such as TVG's SDLC, development of re-usable components, and generation of technical product roadmaps in collaboration with Engineering Managers and Architects. Plays an active role in maintaining a high-performing software engineering team and contributes to a positive and inclusive culture where collaboration, open communication, and knowledge sharing are the norm and highly valued. Play a leading role in the Software technology selection for the squads they work with. The role is one of a technical expert and leader rather than people manager and may involve task management at times.
Nature and Area of impact: The Lead Engineer works with peers in other sub-communities and other Technology leaders to advance TVG's Tech landscape in a manner that is aligned across the Community and aligned to current standards and policies. Responsible for ensuring technology is right-sized and pro-actively identifying cost optimisation opportunities.
About You
Significant experience of delivery of software solutions in squads operating in a lean, agile, DevSecOps based environment, in a senior or leadership role. Proficiency in multiple programming languages, frameworks, and modern software engineering tooling. Demonstrable experience of providing clear technology leadership, direction and decision making for a whole team. Experience of building, integrating, maintaining, and managing complex software architectures (both build and bought), ideally across multi-cloud environments. Experience of building software applications that have security, reliability, scalability, high availability, and concurrency built-in from the outset. A strong collaborator, communicator, and decision maker. Confident and comfortable to share stories internally and externally to build our Very Group brand and credibility to attract and retain talent.
Some Of Our Benefits
Flexible, hybrid working model
Inclusive culture and environment
£6500 flexible benefits allowance to suit your needs
30 days holiday + bank holidays
Udemy learning access
Up to 25% discount on Very.co.uk
Matched pension up to 6%
More benefits can be found on our career site.
How To Apply
Please note that the talent acquisition team are managing this vacancy directly, and if successful in securing this role, you will be required to undertake a credit, CIFAS, Right to Work checks and if a specific requirement of your role a DBS (criminal records) check. Should your application progress we require you to let the team know if there is anything you need to disclose in relation to any of these checks prior to them being undertaken, including any unspent criminal convictions.
What happens next?
Our Talent Acquisition team will be in touch if you are successful so keep an eye on your emails! We will arrange a short call to learn more about you, as well as answer any questions you have. For this role after meeting our Talent Acquisition Team you can expect a 1 stage process. First Stage Behavioural and Technical Interview, this interview focuses on your technical and softer skills, how you like to work as part of a Software Engineering Team (60 minutes onsite).
Diversity, inclusion and equal opportunities
We are building a culture of everyday inclusion, and welcome applications from anyone who believes they can do the job. We do not discriminate based on age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation. We want our recruitment process to be accessible to everyone. If you need reasonable adjustments to apply, interview, or perform a role, let us know via talentacquisition@theverygroup.com. We will be happy to support you. We are proud to be a Disability Confident Committed Employer and have nine brilliant colleague networks - including DAWN (Disability Awareness at Very) and Think (Neurodiversity at Very) - that are helping us make Very an even more inclusive place to work.
Lead Software Engineer - Retail Technology in Liverpool employer: The Very Group
At Very, we prioritise the well-being and growth of our employees, offering a flexible hybrid working model and a vibrant, inclusive culture that fosters collaboration and innovation. As a Lead Software Engineer in Retail Technology, you'll have access to extensive learning opportunities, a generous benefits package including a £6500 flexible allowance, and the chance to make a significant impact on our technology landscape while helping families get more out of life.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Lead Software Engineer - Retail Technology in Liverpool
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to current employees at Very on LinkedIn or other platforms. Ask them about their experiences and any tips they might have for the interview process. It’s all about making connections!
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for those interviews! Brush up on your technical skills and be ready to discuss your past projects. Think about how your experience aligns with the role of Lead Software Engineer and be ready to showcase your problem-solving abilities.
✨Tip Number 3
Show your passion for retail technology! Be prepared to discuss how you can leverage AI and cloud solutions to enhance the customer experience. This will demonstrate that you’re not just looking for a job, but you’re genuinely interested in making a difference.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you’re serious about joining the Very team!
We think you need these skills to ace Lead Software Engineer - Retail Technology in Liverpool
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion:When you're writing your application, let your enthusiasm for the role shine through! We want to see how much you care about making a difference in the retail tech space and how your skills can contribute to our mission at Very.
Tailor Your CV:Make sure to customise your CV to highlight the experiences and skills that align with the Lead Software Engineer role. We love seeing how your background fits into our team and the specific challenges we face in retail technology.
Be Clear and Concise:Keep your application straightforward and to the point. We appreciate clarity, so make sure your achievements and experiences are easy to read and understand. This helps us get a quick grasp of what you bring to the table!
Apply Through Our Website:Don’t forget to submit your application through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your details and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it gives you a chance to explore more about our culture and values.
How to prepare for a job interview at The Very Group
✨Know Your Tech Inside Out
Make sure you’re well-versed in the programming languages and frameworks mentioned in the job description. Brush up on your knowledge of cloud-based solutions and DevSecOps practices, as these will likely come up during the interview.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Prepare examples that highlight your experience in leading software engineering teams. Think about times when you’ve mentored others or made key decisions that positively impacted a project. This role is all about technical leadership, so be ready to discuss your approach.
✨Understand the Retail Technology Landscape
Familiarise yourself with current trends in retail technology, especially around pricing strategies and AI capabilities. Being able to discuss how these elements can enhance customer experience will show your genuine interest in the role and the company.
✨Be Ready for Behavioural Questions
Since the interview includes a focus on softer skills, prepare for questions about teamwork, collaboration, and problem-solving. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your answers and demonstrate your fit within their inclusive culture.
