This role is for leading Critical National Infrastructure applications within Migration and Borders Portfolio.

The Lead Engineer will drive the technical delivery of their team, managing their workload and ensuring the right skills are available. You will be responsible for the work undertaken by your Developers and DevOps staff and will be expected to work with Seniors and Principals to ensure that services produced are best practice. You should have a solid technical background and will be able to apply these skills if required to provide guidance to your team. You will also maintain a broad perspective, monitoring technology developments such that you can support strategy formation.

Along with the other Senior, Lead and Principal Engineers in your area you will be responsible for ensuring that all technical approaches being used are appropriate and endorsed, and will take part in planning with senior stakeholders to make sure that product delivery and maintenance is on a firm basis. Your remit may be across the engineering function but working closely with Architects and other professions.

Tools and Technologies we use: 

We would particularly welcome applications from candidates with strong experience in:

• Backend: Java, Node.js, Kafka
• Frontend: React, JavaScript
• Data: PostgreSQL, Microsoft SQL Server, Mongo DB
• DevOps: AWS, Kubernetes, Jenkins, Docker, Terraform, Github Actions
• AI: Github Copilot, OpenAI, Claude Code

Main Responsibilities

Your main day-to-day responsibilities will be:

• Leading the day to day activities of engineers in your team, ensuring everyone is working effectively and efficiently; reporting any impediments.
• Coaching your team as well as Supporting Continuous Professional Development (CPD) and encouraging formal professional qualifications.
• Supporting capability build in your team and in the organisation.
• Taking a hands-on role with engineering delivery when necessary, blending your leadership and technical tasks to achieve team objectives.
• Ensuring appropriate methods are being used, as well as leading efforts to identify improved tools/technologies.
• Leadership of the Java and React software development in teams.

Working Pattern 

This role is available on a full-time basis with the option of compressed hours working.  This role is also suitable for part-time working hours, with a minimum requirement to work 3 days per week due to business requirements.

Essential Skills

As a Lead Java Engineer, you’ll have a demonstrable experience in:

• Managing multiple delivery focused teams with competing priorities and timelines, ensuring adherence to standards within the team. (PEMT)
  Software development using Java. (SWDN)
• Working with senior stakeholders to provide operational support to the portfolio in pursuit of challenging ministerial and legislative deadlines. (DLMG)
• Providing technical expertise and best practice across cloud management, FinOps, and end‑to‑end CI/CD processes, with the capability to interpret complex system designs and communicate them effectively to both technical and non‑technical audiences. (PROG)
• Creating, executing, and delivering detailed roadmaps that include appropriate quality management and business capacity to ensure successful outcomes.  (QUMG)
• Mentoring colleagues in developing skills and capabilities in line with strategy, team, and personal goals. (PDSV)