Lead Software Developer

The main duties and responsibilities of the post are to: Leading and managing a software development team

• Coach, develop and manage a team of software developers using Agile processes and reporting;

• Provide expert technical advice and leadership in all aspects of Agile software development processes;

• Provide technical advice to the Deputy Head of IS Office/Principal Developer to assist them in managing, evaluating and prioritising software development requests received through the IS Request System and delegate appropriately to staff in the Application Development Team; Leading software development project

• Meet with system stakeholders throughout the duration of a project to gather, develop and evaluate business requirements, agree on user and technical specifications, regularly update through review meetings and system demonstrations and seek final project sign-off;

• Manage work to agreed plans and objectives with Assembly Members, Party Support and Assembly Commission staff;

• Work collaboratively with the Business Relationship team to gather customer requirements;

• Translate business requirements into technical specifications, user stories and work tasks for the Application Development Team;

• Plan and lead the analysis of application features and groups of user stories using Agile processes;

• Using Azure DevOps, plan and lead feature delivery in Agile sprints;

• Plan and lead the design of software features, user stories and components using modelling techniques such as conceptual models, Data Flow diagrams and Object-Oriented Design Principles to agreed technical specifications;

• Plan and lead the implementation and development of software features, user stories and components using the latest Microsoft technologies;

• Plan and lead the testing of software components;
• Use Azure DevOps Test to create user acceptance and performance testing plans;

• Plan and lead the review and documentation of software components using Azure DevOps;

• Quality assuring the work of the Application Development Team to ensure they write clean, secure and effective code that adheres to software development policies, standards, and best practice guidelines, including version control management;

• Oversee system integration of software components, including integration testing;

• Using Azure DevOps Pipelines, create and manage build & release definitions to manage software builds and releases;

• Work collaboratively with team members to share knowledge and experience in developing software components;

• Work collaboratively with IT professionals in the Infrastructure and Service Desk teams to ensure the software is securely provisioned;

• Assist the Deputy Head of IS Office/Principal Developer with capacity and resource planning through project assessments and regular project progress reports;

• Using Azure DevOps, provide regular progress updates to the Deputy Head of IS Office/Principal Developer;

• Provide technical advice, training and support on the use of bespoke business critical procedural applications, third-party software solutions and software packages to Assembly Members, Party Support and Assembly Commission staff to ensure the smooth running of Plenary and Committee business;

• Provide first-line technical support of bespoke systems, corporate ICT systems and 3rd party software, prioritising business-critical procedural systems to ensure the smooth running of Plenary and Committee business by diagnosing and resolving bugs and software related issues effectively and efficiently to ensure full resolution of issues;

• Perform project management duties for corporate and directorate software projects by fulfilling the role of technical assurance and project manager; Database design

• Oversee the design of database tables and relationships using EntityRelationship models;

• Oversee the implementation of database designs using the latest Microsoft SQL Server, Management Studio and SQL code; Technical Support

• Manage, develop and provide technical support and advice for cloud services such as Microsoft Azure, Microsoft Teams and SharePoint Online, ensuring the business needs of Assembly Members, Party Support and Assembly Commission staff are met;

• Perform the role of contract manager for software support contracts with 3rd party suppliers in line with procurement guidelines;

• Investigate and analyse new software products, including the production of assessment reports and recommendations;

• Provide consultancy for a wide range of ICT enabled activities within the organisation, including acting as an ICT expert on corporate & interParliamentary working groups;

• Establish, develop and maintain effective relationships with key stakeholders, including Assembly Members, business areas across the Assembly Commission and other ICT staff from the Northern Ireland Civil Service, non-departmental public bodies and other legislatures;

• Assist the Head of IS Office and Deputy Head of IS Office/Principal Developer in the development and implementation of relevant IT policy, standards and procedures;

• Assist the Head of IS Office and Deputy Head of IS Office/Principal Developer in the development, implementation and monitoring of IT security measures

• Liaise with other IS Office staff in maintaining effective ICT services;

• Provide technical support and advice for IS Office Service Desk staff when dealing with software-related problems;

• Comply with all of the Assembly Commission’s staff policies and procedures, including Equal Opportunities and Dignity at Work policies and procedures; and

• Undertake other duties that the Assembly Commission reasonably requires of you.

If you wish to apply or would like more information, please email your CV in Microsoft word format to Caroline Parker by Monday 17 th August 2026 @ 10am. You must also include a bullet pointed synopsis at the top of your CV demonstrating how exactly you meet the Essential Criteria below.

Applicants for the post must, by the closing date for applications, have:

1. A Bachelor’s (or higher) degree, in Computing, Computing Science, Software Engineering or other discipline relevant to Information Systems / Information Technology*. AND At least 1 year’s experience in leading and managing an application development team. AND At least 2 years’ experience in each of the following areas: i. Application Development, including Microsoft Visual Studio 2015 or later and C#.NET (or equivalent technologies) and ASP.NET programming skills. ii. Agile development using Azure DevOps. iii. Database Design based on Microsoft SQL Server 2012 or later. OR

2. An HND or Foundation Degree in Computing or other discipline relevant to Information Systems / Information Technology*. AND At least 1 year’s experience in leading and managing an application development team. AND At least 3 years’ experience in each of the following areas: i. Application Development, including Microsoft Visual Studio 2015 or later and C#.NET (or equivalent technologies) and ASP.NET programming skills. ii. Agile development using Azure DevOps. iii. Database Design based on Microsoft SQL Server 2012 or later

Assembly. This role’s expected duration is 12 months. Hourly rate is based on £44039 (+£10445 salary supplement) £28.32 per hour. Hours: 37 hours per week and limited hybrid working is available., *NB Only those courses with a computing content of 50% or more will be considered and applicants must give full details on the application form of how the content of the course meets this requirement.

Further Details:

• Hourly Rate: £28.32
• Duration: 12 months
• Date of informal discussions: Monday 17 th August via Teams (afternoon)
• This business area offers limited hybrid working
• Closing date for CV submission to Apple: Monday 17 th August @ 10am.

Apple Recruitment Services is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy. Apple Recruitment Services is an Equal Opportunities Employer., Apple Recruitment is an award winning Belfast based agency supplying temporary, contract and permanent staff to the following sectors throughout Northern Ireland, Established in 1952 (formerly Legard Orr), Apple Recruitment is the longest running employment business in Northern Ireland, covering public and private sector placements.

Our client portfolio ranges from independent small businesses to blue chip multi-national organisations, and includes many who have worked exclusively with ourselves for over 25 years.

Apple’s recruitment consultants have extensive personal experience of their divisions, in addition to considerable recruitment industry training, knowledge and experience. We guarantee a personalised service and single point of contact for all your recruitment needs.