Software Development Lead

IRIS Software Group, one of the UK’s leading privately held software companies, is transforming how businesses, schools, and organisations operate through our comprehensive suite of cloud-native solutions. With over 100,000 customers across 135 countries, we deliver mission-critical software spanning accountancy and finance, HR and payroll, education management, and business operations.Our impact reaches deep into communities: over 4 million UK families connect with their children’s schools through our education apps, nearly 5 million employees globally are managed through our HR solutions, one in eight UK employees receive their pay through IRIS payroll systems, and we serve over 13,000 schools and academies nationwide.We’re the largest third-party online tax filer with the UK Government and are trusted by 91 of the top 100 UK accountancy firms and 54 of the top 100 US CPA firms.As we accelerate our transformation into an AI-first company, we’re pioneering the next generation of cloud-based solutions that don’t just digitise processes—they intelligently automate them. Our modernisation journey focuses on cloud-native architecture, advanced analytics, and AI-powered insights that enable our customers to work smarter, stay compliant effortlessly, and focus on what matters most to their success.We remain committed to being more than a software provider—we’re partners in our customers’ growth, ensuring they can embrace the future with confidence while we handle the complexity behind the scenes. Our continued recognition as a Great Place to Work and Best Workplace for Women reflects our belief that exceptional people create exceptional solutions that make a real difference in millions of lives every day.The OpportunityThis is an opportunity to join IRIS Software Group as we transform into an AI-first company delivering cloud-native solutions that impact millions of lives globally. IRIS produces an integrated suite of mission-critical software applications spanning accountancy, HR, payroll, education, and business operations. You will be working as part of an Agile team to deliver innovative solutions to user stories and requirements, contributing to our modernisation journey that serves over 100,000 customers across 135 countries.The role is challenging and dynamic, with key deadlines to be met as we accelerate our cloud transformation and implement next-generation technologies. You’ll need to embrace continuous learning and bring a focused attitude to tasks that directly enable businesses, schools, and organisations to work smarter and more efficiently.You will be involved in a variety of cutting-edge technical solutions, ranging from the latest .NET technologies using C# to various Front End Web JS Frameworks, all while contributing to our AI-powered platform evolution. You will be supported in your career growth by a highly experienced team, comprehensive learning opportunities, and a vibrant technical community committed to creating exceptional solutions that make a real difference in how our customers operate and succeed.Main Responsibilities :Delivery Management (40%)Ensure projects are scoped, prioritised, and delivered on time with clear alignment to business goals and quarterly OKRsDrive predictability, velocity, and quality through effective agile practices and continuous improvementCommunicate proactively with stakeholders (product, design, leadership, customers) on delivery progress, risks, and dependenciesFacilitate alignment between technical capabilities and business objectives through clear, strategic communicationOwn team’s Agile maturity establish team delivery standards, and optimise team practices for maximum effectiveness and predictabilityBalance workload, staffing, and hiring needs to maintain sustainable delivery while planning for growthManage up and across the organisation to secure resources, remove impediments, and represent the team strategicallyTechnical Leadership & Contribution (40%)Provide strategic technical leadership through architectural guidance and critical technical decisions, with selective hands-on contributionsDefine technical decisions and maintain system health through architectural oversight and technical debt managementEstablish and drive comprehensive quality culture including TDD/BDD practices, testing standards, automated quality gates, and team code review excellenceDefine team security standards ensure team compliance governance, and drive security-first culture within the engineering teamStay technically current through code reviews, architectural discussions, strategic technical involvement and ensure alignment with broader organisational technical strategyDelegate technical execution to senior team members while maintaining oversight and accountabilityDefine AI strategy and ensure responsible AI culture across teamsEmpower team decision-making within established frameworks and escalation criteriaDefine team documentation strategy establish governance frameworks for the team, and ensure knowledge management within the engineering teamPeople Management (20%)Line manage engineers including coaching, performance reviews, career planning, and regular 1:1sCreate inclusive, collaborative environment that enables team success by removing blockers and providing resourcesDevelop team members through structured career development, skill building, and succession planningHandle performance management including improvement plans, conflict resolution, and team dynamicsTechnical SkillsFrontend Strategy: Strategic understanding of modern UI frameworks (e.G. Angular, React, Vue.Js, Blazor)Backend Leadership: Strong understanding of .NET Core, C#, ASP.NET Core Web APIs, REST, application architectures, and distributed systemsData Architecture: Strategic knowledge of SQL, NoSQL and data architecture decisionsCI/CD Strategy: Define team CI/CD strategy, establish team governance frameworks, and ensure adoption of deployment best practices across the teamInfrastructure as Code: Infrastructure as Code with Terraform, ARM Templates or AWS CloudFormation/CDKObservability Strategy: DataDog, Application Insights or Amazon CloudWatch implementation with comprehensive observability strategy and cloud governanceCloud Strategy: Strategic SAAS using Azure (Functions, Queue, Blob Storage, VMs, etc) or AWS (Lambda, SQS/SNS, EC2, etc.) ecosystemsContainer Orchestration: Advanced Container (e.G. Docker) and Kubernetes (AKS/EKS) with production-scale deploymentsArchitecture Governance: Expertise in clean architecture, domain-driven design, and application architectural patternsScalable Solutions: Experience with highly scalable solutions and internet-facing traffic levelsQuality & Testing Leadership: Define team testing strategy, establish quality governance for the team, and measure team adoption with continuous improvement initiativesApplication Security: Confident vulnerability management, thread modelling and trackingProduction Support: Knowledge of observability and production support practicesEssential Experience Requirements6+ years in software engineering, minimum 1 year of formal people management experience or 2+ years of technical leadership with mentoring responsibilitiesDemonstrable experience delivering complex software projects using Agile methodologiesProven recent technical skills with strategic contributions to production systemsCode review leadership with experience establishing review standards and cultureDemonstrated ability to balance technical excellence with business delivery requirementsLeadership and Soft SkillsExcellent communication, collaboration, and stakeholder management skillsEffective prioritisation and negotiation abilitiesStrong analytical and strategic thinking capabilitiesAbility to balance technical excellence with business delivery requirementsFostering collaboration, promoting team building and culture development skillsDesirable SkillsExperience working with regulated or complex domains (finance, health, govtech) with audit requirementsExperience line managing engineers including 1:1s, performance reviews, and career developmentExperience with platform engineering or shared service teams building reusable UI components and backend servicesExperience with AI tools to enhance productivity and team development practicesExpertise with advanced monitoring and APM strategies using DataDog, including custom dashboards and alertingAdvanced understanding of modern UI architecture patterns (micro-frontends, SSR/SSG)Experience as Engineering Lead, Tech Lead, or similar leadership role with full-stack teamsExposure to DevOps processes and automation ensuring end-to-end responsibility of featuresAdvanced cloud certifications in Azure or AWSWhy Join us ?Compensation & Benefits:Competitive salary with leadership premiumGenerous holiday allowancePrivate medical healthcareLife assurance - Pension (location dependent)Professional Development:Executive leadership development programsConference speaking and industry thought leadership opportunitiesAdvanced technical and management trainingMentorship from senior engineering leadershipOpportunity to shape engineering culture and practicesCulture & Environment:Great Place to Work certified with leadership recognitionBest Workplaces for Women with inclusive leadership focusAutonomous team leadership with strategic impactOpportunity to build and lead high-performing engineering teamsAdditional benefits: Cycle to Work, charity days, discount schemes