Lead Software Developer
Role details
Job location
Tech stack
Job description
Are you a seasoned software engineer ready to lead from the front? We are looking for Lead Developers to join our dynamic team and shape the future of digital services at CPS. This is a hands-on leadership role where you combine deep technical expertise with strategic influence, mentor others, and drive delivery across high-impact projects., We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
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Changing and Improving
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Managing a Quality Service
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Leadership We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
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Leadership
Technical skills We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- The technical assessment (coding test) with questions will last 1 hour. A Teams meeting will be scheduled before the technical interview, and you will be invited to participate. Screen sharing is required during the interview process., The recruitment process consists of an online application, technical assessment and interview. The technical test is expected to take place week commencing 2nd February 2026 with interviews the following week, week commencing 16th February 2026. The technical test will require you to come prepared with some preinstalled software. Full detail on the requirements for the technical assessment can be found in the "Things you need to know/Assessment" section below Your interview takes place online through Microsoft Teams. A member of our recruitment team will be in touch with guidance. If you have any queries about this, please contact Ellie.Dixon@cps.gov.uk You should keep these weeks free or notify us if you're not available. We'll make every effort to accommodate your date preferences but we can't guarantee it. Personal statement We ask you to complete a personal statement of no more than 500 words outlining how you meet the below essential and desirable experience, giving specific examples of projects where you have utilised the technology., You are also asked to complete a statement of no more than 250 words for each behaviour setting out how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience match the specified behaviours and requirements. In addition, you need to demonstrate the Crown Prosecution Service or Civil Service values.
- Leadership - LEAD BEHAVIOUR You also need to demonstrate the Crown Prosecution Service or Civil Service values. The panel has the right to assess the lead behaviour 'Leadership' first. If the standard on this behaviour isn't met, your application won't progress. The panel also has the right to raise the minimum standard pass mark. The panel may also refer to the lead behaviour at the interview stage to determine merit order. Assessment The technical assessment (coding test) with questions will last 1 hour. A Teams meeting will be scheduled and you will be invited to participate. If you pass the technical interview, you will be invited to attend the behaviour interview the following week. To complete the assessment, you will need to have the following software and tools pre-installed on your development machine. Additionally, you will need to have access to a cloud environment. The following software and tools are required:
- Visual Studio 2022 ("Community" edition is ok) Please install the following workloads:
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- Web Development
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- Cloud Development
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- .NET 8
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- Notepad++
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- Visual Studio Code
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- Azure Storage Emulator ("Azurite" is preferred)
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- Postman
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- Azure CLI
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- A Modern Browser (Google Chrome is preferred) For further information regarding the assessment, please email Ellie.Dixon@cps.gov.uk Interview We use behaviours to help us understand your experience, to see if you're a good fit for the role. You are assessed against Grade 7 in the Civil Service success profiles behaviours framework. We are assessing 3 behaviours at interview stage.
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Changing and Improving - Interview
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Managing a Quality Service - Interview
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Leadership - Interview The panel may refer to the lead behaviour 'Changing and Improving' at the interview stage to determine merit order. CV You're not required to upload your CV. However, when submitting your application there is a 'CV section'. You are required to provide information about your employment and/or academic history for the past three years. Please note that your CV will be assessed. It's your responsibility to provide the specified information in the requested format to ensure that you're considered for the post. If you're unable to cover three years through employment or academic history, you must provide a character reference for clearance purposes AI Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use. Online tests Before submitting your application, you're invited to complete an online Civil Service judgment test and Civil Service Work Strengths Test. You must successfully complete the test to progress to the next stage. Please complete the online test as soon as possible - we recommend within 24-48 hours. The closing date for the test is Sunday 18 January 2026, at 12pm. We send you an invitation to take the test and provide full instructions about how to complete it. The test can't be taken on mobile phones or tablets. For more guidance about the online Civil Service tests, please see the GOV.UK website: Civil Service online tests - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) Other This is a full-time post. We do consider requests for flexible, part-time working and job share, always considering the operational needs of the department. Clearance If successful, you are required to secure a Disclosure and Barring Service check and Security Clearance, for which you must have a current valid UK address. Please be aware that your SC clearance can take 6-8 weeks to clear. If successfully appointed, we ask you to complete a character enquiry form, nationality and immigration questionnaire and national security vetting form. If you're a Crown Prosecution Service member of staff, you won't need to do a Disclosure and Barring Service check as you already hold this clearance. The job you're applying for is covered by Article 3(a) of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975, consequently Section 4(2) of that Act doesn't apply. You're required to disclose all previous convictions and cautions including spent convictions. Failing to make a full declaration will result in withdrawing your offer of employment if our checks reveal convictions that haven't been disclosed. To be cleared to Security Clearance level, you have to be able to meet the residency requirement in the Cabinet Office guidance. For the Crown Prosecution Service they are:
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Security Clearance - three years within the last five years Reserve list If you're recommended by the selection panel but not appointed to the current vacancy, you're put on a reserve list for 12 months. You may be offered another Lead Software Developer post in the Digital and Information Division if a vacancy comes up during this period. We may also approach candidates on the waiting list to fill other roles that require similar knowledge and experience. Feedback We only provide feedback if you attend an interview or assessment. Fraud check The Crown Prosecution Service provides a Fair Processing Notice to all new applicants after they've been successful at interview. These candidates are informed that, as one aspect of pre-employment screening, their personal details - name, National Insurance number and date of birth - are checked against the Internal Fraud Database. We won't employ anyone included on the database unless they can demonstrate exceptional circumstances. The Strategic Resourcing team in the Crown Prosecution Service will, on behalf of the vacancy holder, inform applicants when they are refused employment because of their inclusion in the Internal Fraud Database. Civil Service Commission If you're dissatisfied with the recruitment process and wish to make a complaint, please contact Strategic.Resourcing@cps.gov.uk with your concerns. If you remain dissatisfied and wish to make a further complaint, please click on the following link to the Civil Service Commission complaints page https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/recruitment/civilservicerecruitmentcomplaints/ Civil Service Commission Recruitment Principles can be found at https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/recruitment/ Details of the Civil Service Nationality Rules are located at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules Candidates are subject to UK immigration requirements. For the most up-to-date information on the requirements of working in the UK, please go to the UK Visas and Immigration website at https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration/work-visas Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window). See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
Nationality requirements This job is broadly open to the following groups:
- UK nationals
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
- individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
- Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)
Working for the Civil Service The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants. We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.
Diversity and Inclusion The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).
Requirements
You bring extensive experience in C# (ideally C# 12) and .NET 8-10, with a strong track record in designing and building scalable backend services and RESTful APIs using ASP.NET. You're skilled in leveraging Azure services-including Azure Functions-for cloud-native solutions. Your deep understanding of Microsoft Azure architectures, combined with solid computer science fundamentals, clean architecture, and SOLID principles, enables you to deliver robust, maintainable systems. You thrive in agile environments and champion DevOps practices. As a technical authority, you lead developers as part of multidisciplinary teams, shape development standards, and collaborate across departments to deliver secure, accessible, and high-quality digital solutions. You also play a key role in recruitment, skill development, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement. If you are passionate about modern software engineering, eager to mentor others, and ready to make a tangible impact, we want to hear from you. As part of this role, you undertake direct line management responsibilities. The Crown Prosecution Service is based in England and Wales. If you're applying for this role and live in Scotland or Northern Ireland, you must let us know when accepting this offer as you need permission to work from your home address if hybrid working is part of your role. There's no guarantee that we will grant this approval. You must be aged 16 before starting in this role. The start date is expected to be 8-12 weeks after the application deadline., + You have an in-depth technical understanding of C# and .NET, and coach and mentor others in their use. Proficient in a range of development tools and skills relevant to your specialism, you are a committed learner who pivots to new skills as the technology ecosystem evolves
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You advocate a modern standards approach to software development, including test-driven development (TDD), automated testing, continuous integration, pair programming, code review, and version control
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You shape and share digital software development standards that are pragmatic and fit for CPS, recognising and advocating for change where needed
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You inform the overarching strategy and define decision-making processes as part of the wider Technical Leadership group within Software Engineering
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You write code for complex projects, break down barriers for teams, handle escalations, and plan at a high level while also diving into the detail to make things happen A copy of the full job description is available if requested from Ellie.Dixon@cps.gov.uk, + Extensive professional experience in .Net 8-10/ C# (preferably C# 12) development, and with a strong track record of designing, implementing, and maintaining back end services
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Developed and implemented RESTful based Web API's using ASP.Net
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Understanding of Cloud Native Architectures and various Cloud Products in particular use of Azure Functions
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Software Design: Strong Experience in use of Domain Driven Design, Clean Architecture, SOLID and clean code principles
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Database Skills : Hands-on experience with Relational Databases (i.e., PostgreSQL/Oracle), including writing and optimizing SQL queries.
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Testing: Knowledge of Unit Testing, TDD/BDD, Integration Testing
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Agile Methodologies: Proven ability to work in Agile/Scrum environments, with excellent communication and collaboration skills
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CI/CD and Version Control: Experience with CI/CD pipelines, Version Control Systems, and modern software development practices
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Cloud Platforms: Experience with Cloud Platforms, in particular Azure It is desirable that you have the below experience but this is not required to apply:
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DevOps Principles: Understanding of DevOps principles (i.e. YAML) and infrastructure as code tools (i.e., Terraform, ARM or Bicep)
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Observability and Monitoring: Solid experience with Observability and Monitoring tools (e.g. Azure Application Insights, Azure Log Analytics), + Extensive professional experience in .Net 8-10/ C# (preferably C# 12) development, and with a strong track record of designing, implementing, and maintaining back end services
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Developed and implemented RESTful based Web API's using ASP.Net
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Understanding of Cloud Native Architectures and various Cloud Products in particular use of Azure Functions
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Software Design: Strong Experience in use of Domain Driven Design, Clean Architecture, SOLID and clean code principles
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Database Skills : Hands-on experience with Relational Databases (i.e., PostgreSQL/Oracle), including writing and optimizing SQL queries.
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Testing: Knowledge of Unit Testing, TDD/BDD, Integration Testing
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Agile Methodologies: Proven ability to work in Agile/Scrum environments, with excellent communication and collaboration skills
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CI/CD and Version Control: Experience with CI/CD pipelines, Version Control Systems, and modern software development practices
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Cloud Platforms: Experience with Cloud Platforms, in particular Azure It is desirable that you have the below experience but this is not required to apply:
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DevOps Principles: Understanding of DevOps principles (i.e. YAML) and infrastructure as code tools (i.e., Terraform, ARM or Bicep)
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Observability and Monitoring: Solid experience with Observability and Monitoring tools (e.g. Azure Application Insights, Azure Log Analytics) In addition, you need to demonstrate the Crown Prosecution Service or Civil Service values.
Benefits & conditions
Alongside your salary of £58,330, Crown Prosecution Service contributes £16,898 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
