Senior Software Engineer

Sheffield, Leeds or London, maximum once per month on site

Active SC clearance is essential

Previous experience working within a UK government organisation is essential.

We are looking for an experienced Senior Software Developer to join a major programme within a UK government organisation.

This is a hands‑on backend development role with a strong focus on Kotlin. The successful candidate will work at Senior or Technical Lead level, contributing to the technical direction of the team while remaining actively involved in software development.

You will need strong Kotlin, Java and Spring Boot experience, alongside excellent Test-Driven Development skills. Candidates must be comfortable demonstrating their technical and TDD capabilities through a pairing exercise during the interview process.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop and maintain high-quality backend services using Kotlin.
• Contribute to development using Java and Spring Boot.
• Work as a hands‑on senior engineer or technical lead within a multidisciplinary delivery team.
• Help shape technical approaches, standards and engineering best practices.
• Produce clean, maintainable and well‑tested code.
• Apply Test-Driven Development throughout the software development lifecycle.
• Participate in pair programming, code reviews and collaborative problem‑solving.
• Share knowledge and support the development of other engineers.
• Work closely with technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Contribute positively to the team’s technical direction and engineering culture.
• Significant experience as a Senior Software Developer, Backend Engineer or hands‑on Technical Lead.
• Previous software engineering experience within a UK government organisation.
• Strong commercial experience developing backend services using Kotlin.
• Strong Java and Spring Boot experience.
• Ability to evidence strong TDD practices during a technical pairing exercise.
• Experience working within collaborative, multidisciplinary agile teams.
• Strong understanding of software engineering standards and best practices.
• Experience contributing to technical decisions and direction.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills.
• Availability to interview and start at short notice.

Security Clearance

Candidates must currently hold active SC clearance. Candidates who are only eligible for clearance cannot be considered.

Location and Travel

The role requires on-site attendance a maximum of once per month.

The location may vary each month and could include:

• Sheffield
• Leeds
• London

Candidates must be able to travel to any of these locations when required.