What we're looking for:

We are seeking a skilled and motivated Lead Software Developer to join our dynamic team. In this crucial role, you will lead a group of developers, fostering a collaborative environment and guiding them towards excellence. Your responsibilities include overseeing project execution, providing technical expertise, and ensuring code quality. As a mentor and coach, you will nurture professional growth, encourage innovative thinking, and facilitate skill development. Your leadership will drive the team's success, enabling the delivery of high-quality software solutions for our clients.

Mercator Lead Developers perform a critical role in our technical teams. They build solutions that intrinsically meet end-user requirements and ensure the product being developed is aligned with their needs whilst delivering business value. You yourself may also be situated on a key client project and supporting other developers who aren't your immediate reports.

As Lead Software Developer in Mercator you will:

• Report to the Chief Technology Officer, providing key operational information about projects and collective updates on developers' performance.

• Help nurture our thriving development community, working closely with our Community Manager.

• Evangelise software development and promote best practice across all our technical teams.

• Provide essential support, coaching and mentoring to other developers.

• Continuously monitor and assess the skills and capabilities of our developers and suggesting appropriate interventions to help them grow and mature in their roles.

• Participate in the wider technical communities of service (inside and outside of Mercator), building relationships, sharing agile best practice and knowledge.

• Build resilience and responsiveness in the organisation by being open and honest about risks and challenges and the actions required to address unexpected developments.

• Keep continually abreast of changes to user habits, preferences and behaviours across various digital platforms and their implications for successful delivery of digital services.

• Assist the Senior Leadership Team with bids and tenders.

Knowledge/experience:

• Practical experience of user centred design and user needs analysis.

• Proven ability to challenge and remove any unnecessary barriers to service delivery.

• Demonstrable understanding of the digital landscape and the opportunities for service improvement and innovation offered by digital technology.

• Proven ability to manage stakeholders, prioritising and managing business expectations and requirements.

• Strong negotiation skills and the proven ability to influence external partners, stakeholders and customers to secure mutually beneficial outcomes.

• Demonstrable experience of current agile project management practices

• Ability to apply critical thinking and drive creativity and innovation across our technical teams.

• Experience of open source and cloud platforms.

• Experience of working in fixed time variable scope projects.

• Experience in the design, delivery and operational management of high quality, user-focused digital services in Government Digital Data & Technology is desirable.

Applicants must have the right to work in the UK and the ability to pass BPSS vetting