Lead Developer - SC or DV Cleared (Azure / .NET / Microservices)

We're supporting a major government programme building out scalable, cloud-native platforms to support critical national services.

This role sits within a growing engineering function focused on modernising legacy systems, delivering microservices architectures, and embedding DevOps-first delivery practices.

We are looking for a hands-on Lead Developer who can set technical direction, lead teams, and deliver complex solutions in highly regulated environments., As a Lead Developer, you will:

• Lead and mentor engineering teams across full-stack development
• Architect and deliver cloud-native, microservices-based solutions
• Drive best practices across DevOps, CI/CD, and Agile delivery
• Work closely with architects and stakeholders to define technical roadmaps
• Oversee integration with government platforms (e.g. payments, notifications, identity services)
• Contribute hands-on to development where required

Core Engineering:

• Strong experience with C# / .NET (Core, 6, 7, 8+)
• Deep knowledge of REST APIs, Web APIs, and distributed systems
• Experience building event-driven microservices architectures
• Strong understanding of design patterns, SOLID principles, and clean architecture

Cloud & DevOps:

• Proven experience with Microsoft Azure (App Services, Functions, Service Bus, AKS, etc.)
• Exposure to AWS environments (desirable)
• Strong DevOps capability:
• CI/CD pipelines (Azure DevOps)
• Infrastructure as Code (Bicep / Terraform)
• Containerisation (Docker, Kubernetes)

Architecture & Integration:

• Experience designing:
• Microservices & event-driven systems (CQRS, Event Sourcing)
• API integrations (REST, GraphQL)
• Experience integrating with third-party and enterprise platforms (e.g. CRM, payment systems)

Front-End / Full Stack (Desirable):

• Experience with Angular or React
• Strong understanding of modern JavaScript/TypeScript frameworks

Quality & Engineering Practices:

• Strong experience with:
• TDD / BDD (SpecFlow, Gherkin)
• Unit & integration testing frameworks
• Commitment to engineering best practice and code quality

Leadership:

• Proven experience leading Agile teams
• Ability to mentor engineers and provide technical guidance
• Experience working alongside Solution Architects and Product teams

Environment & Tech Landscape:

• .NET Core / .NET 8+
• Azure (Functions, Service Bus, AKS, Key Vault, etc.)
• Microservices & event-driven architecture
• Docker / Kubernetes
• Azure DevOps (CI/CD)
• GraphQL / REST APIs, * A strong technical leader who remains hands-on
• Someone comfortable working in complex, fast-moving government environments
• Experience delivering at scale across multiple systems and teams
• A pragmatic approach to engineering and problem-solving