Lead Engineer

Role: Lead EngineerLocation: Milton Keynes (Hybrid approx. 1 day per month on-site)Salary: £60,000 - £67,000Network IT are working with a highly respected organisation to recruit a Lead Engineer . This is a senior engineering leadership opportunity, combining technical ownership, people leadership, and end-to-end software delivery responsibility within a modern product-led environment.You will play a key role in shaping the technical direction of a core business product, working closely with Product, Delivery, and Engineering teams to ensure high-quality software is delivered, maintained, and continuously improved throughout its lifecycle.Role OverviewAs a Lead Engineer , you will take end-to-end ownership of software development for a key product, acting as the technical authority across design, development, testing, deployment, support, and ongoing evolution.You will become the subject matter expert for your product, collaborating closely with Product Managers, Delivery Managers, Architects, and Engineering teams to balance technical priorities with business objectives.Whilst experience with technologies such as .NET, Azure, and React is highly desirable, the organisation is open to strong technical leaders from broader software engineering backgrounds who can quickly gain domain expertise and lead engineering teams effectively.This role requires someone who has successfully led software engineers and testers, developed technical capability within teams, and fostered a culture of engineering excellence, quality, and continuous improvement.Key ResponsibilitiesTake end-to-end ownership of software development , ensuring products are delivered, operated, supported, and continually improved throughout their lifecycleAct as the technical lead and subject matter expert for a product, driving engineering standards and technical decision-makingLead and mentor teams of Software Engineers and Testers , supporting their technical growth and developmentCollaborate with Product, Delivery, and Design teams to align technical priorities with business objectivesOversee the full software development lifecycle, including architecture, development, testing, deployment, support, and optimisationDrive adoption of engineering best practices across coding, testing, automation, DevOps, and quality assuranceWork closely with architects to define scalable, secure, and maintainable technical solutionsChampion a build-run-own mindset , ensuring teams maintain accountability for products in productionLead continuous improvement initiatives across engineering processes, tools, and delivery practicesEnsure solutions meet non-functional requirements including security, scalability, stability, performance, and cost efficiencyManage technical risks, dependencies, and delivery challenges across the product lifecycleEssential Skills & ExperienceProven experience in a Lead Engineer, Engineering Manager, Technical Lead, or similar roleStrong track record of leading end-to-end software development and product deliveryExperience managing and mentoring Software Engineers and QA/Test professionalsExcellent technical leadership skills with the ability to guide engineering teams and influence technical directionStrong understanding of modern software engineering practices, including:DevOpsCI/CDAutomated TestingTDDCloud-native developmentInfrastructure as CodeExperience designing and delivering scalable, secure, and resilient software solutionsStrong stakeholder management skills with the ability to communicate technical concepts to non-technical audiencesExperience working within cross-functional product teams and balancing business and technical prioritiesStrong knowledge of software architecture, distributed systems, APIs, and modern engineering principlesExperience operating within a build-run-own environmentTPBN1_UKTJ