Software Engineer

Company Overview 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. Opportunity This 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. Role Purpose As a Software Engineer, you will be a key contributor to our cloud-native web applications and data platforms that serve millions of users, working independently on full-stack feature development while collaborating closely with cross-functional teams. You will build scalable, modern web-based solutions using the latest UI frameworks, .NET Core backends, and cloud-native technologies hosted on Azure or AWS with containerised deployments. Key Responsibilities Technical Delivery - Deliver features end-to-end with guidance on complex requirements, from analysis to production deployment - Own small to medium features (small: single component updates, bug fixes, simple API endpoints; medium: multi-component features, data migration tasks, integration with third-party services) throughout their complete lifecycle, ensuring quality and maintainability - Contribute to architectural decisions within assigned feature scope (component design, database schema changes, API contracts) with senior engineer approval for broader system impacts - Maintain clean, scalable codebases following SOLID principles and clean architecture guidelines - Deploy containerised applications to Azure (App Service, AKS) or AWS (ECS, EKS, Lambda) using Docker and Kubernetes - Work with databases including SQL Server and NoSQL solutions (CosmosDB, DynamoDB) for optimal data storage - Extend and modify team CI/CD pipelines implement automated quality gates, and troubleshoot deployment issues independently - Build and maintain microservices architecture with robust API design Collaboration & Communication - Work closely with Product Owners to refine user stories, estimate work, and communicate status and trade-offs - Collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams (QA, Design) and contribute to technical decisions - Provide regular updates on feature progress, risks, and dependencies to stakeholders - Facilitate selected team Agile ceremonies contribute to accurate estimation, and mentor junior team members in Agile practices - Provide peer mentoring to junior engineers through code reviews, pair programming, and knowledge sharing - Utilise AI tools effectively for development and mentor juniors in responsible AI practices Quality & Standards - Drive testing excellence through TDD/BDD practices, comprehensive test coverage, and automated testing strategies - Provide constructive code review feedback for assigned features and mentor junior team members through review processes - Implement security and compliance requirements independently identifying potential issues during development and code reviews - Implement and maintain automated quality checks in CI/CD pipelines with shift-left testing practices - Produce comprehensive feature documentation and contribute to team knowledge sharing initiatives Growth & Development - Develop technical leadership skills through mentoring, knowledge sharing, and contributing to architectural decisions - Stay current with technology trends and drive adoption of best practices within the team Required Experience & Skills Technical Skills - Frontend Development: Proficient with modern UI frameworks (Angular, React, Vue.Js) using TypeScript and state management OR working knowledge with focus on backend specialisation - Backend Development: Proficient with .NET Core, C#, ASP.NET Core Web APIs, REST, async/await patterns, and dependency injection - Database Management: Experience with SQL Server including data modelling and query optimisation - AI-Assisted Software Engineering: Experience using AI tools (Cursor, Copilot, Devin, Claude Code, etc.) to accelerate design, development, testing and debugging. Using them critically and responsibly to improve quality, productivity and decision-making. - Observability: Experience using DataDog, Application Insights or Amazon CloudWatch for performance monitoring and troubleshooting - CI/CD Pipelines: Azure DevOps Pipelines or GitHub Actions, continuous integration and automated testing strategies - Infrastructure as Code: Working knowledge of Infrastructure as Code with either Terraform, Bicep, ARM Templates or AWS CloudFormation/CDK - Cloud Architecture: Proficient using Azure (Functions, Queue, Blob Storage, VMs, etc) or AWS (Lambda, SQS/SNS, EC2, etc.) services for application deployment - Containerisation: Docker containerisation or Kubernetes deployments (AKS/EKS) with container orchestration - Architecture Expertise: Experience with clean architecture principles, SOLID design patterns, and domain-driven design - Quality & Testing: Comfortable with TDD/BDD testing strategies and implementing automated testing. - Scalable Solutions: Experience with scalable solutions and internet-facing traffic levels - Performance & Scalability: Profiling and benchmarking code. - Application Security: vulnerability management, thread modelling and tracking - Production Support: Knowledge of observability and production support practices. Assisting in debugging complex issues, performance optimisation, and production troubleshooting Experience Requirements - 2-4 years of professional software development experience - Track record of successful software delivery using Agile methodologies - Experience with scalable web applications and cloud deployments - Understanding of software delivery lifecycle and DevOps principles - Proven ability to work with guidance on complex features and independently on routine tasks - Experience providing peer mentoring or technical guidance to junior colleagues Soft Skills - Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities - Excellent communication and collaboration skills - Ability to work independently while contributing to team goals - Adaptability and continuous learning mindset - Mentoring and knowledge sharing capabilities Desirable Skills - Experience working with regulated or complex domains (finance, health, govtech) - Experience integrating AI tools into development workflows with understanding of ethical usage - Experience with monitoring and APM strategies using DataDog - Experience with modern UI architecture patterns (micro-frontends, SSR/SSG) - Understanding of security best practices in cloud environments (Azure Key Vault, AWS Secrets Manager) - Experience with event-driven architectures - Familiarity with GraphQL APIs and real-time communication (SignalR, WebSockets) - NoSQL database experience (DynamoDB, CosmosDB) including data modelling and query optimisation - Cloud deployment experience with serverless computing concepts Key Relationships - Internal: Engineering Teams, Product Owners/Managers, QA Teams, DevOps Teams, Data Teams - External: Professional Services, Customer Support (for technical escalations) - Leadership: Engineering Lead, Engineering Manager, Product Leadership