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Agent guide: [/agents.md](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/agents.md). --- # Lead Software Engineer - **Company:** Ocho People - **Location:** Belfast, UK - **Experience:** Expert - **Salary:** £71,868.0 - **Contract:** Permanent contract - **Skills:** .NET Framework, Microsoft Windows, Artificial Intelligence, Software Applications, Microsoft Azure, C Sharp (Programming Language), Continuous Integration, Python (Programming Language), Machine Learning, Systems Integration, Software Organization, Test-Driven Development (TDD), Prompt Engineering, Model Validation, Web Filtering, AI Platforms, Storage Technologies, Extreme Programming, Front End Software Development, Api Design, Software Version Control, Data Pipelines, Programming Languages - **Published:** August 29, 2026 - **Apply:** https://www.adzuna.co.uk/jobs/details/5860048684 ## About the Role * Proven experience leading engineering teams and taking technical ownership of software products end to end * Hands-on experience with AI/ML-powered product development - model integration, prompt engineering, RAG, or evaluation pipelines * Experience with Microsoft Azure AI services or equivalent cloud AI platforms * Expertise across the full application stack - API design, data pipelines, and front-end integration * Experience with CI/CD practices, including for ML/AI workloads (model versioning, experiment tracking, automated evaluation) * A genuine commitment to developing people - coaching and mentoring junior engineers Desirable * Experience with the Microsoft agent ecosystem - Copilot Studio, Semantic Kernel, Microsoft 365 Agents SDK, or Agent Framework * Knowledge of responsible AI practices - content filtering, PII handling, bias testing, and governance of autonomous agent actions * Familiarity with vector databases, search indices, or multiple programming languages and storage technologies ## Description As Lead Software Engineer, you'll take technical ownership of teams building modern, AI-powered applications. You'll be the engineering lead - setting direction on architecture and standards, guiding the team through complex challenges, and acting as the senior technical voice with clients. This isn't a management-only role. You'll remain hands-on, contributing to design and development alongside your team, whilst also coaching and developing the engineers around you., * Lead teams designing, building, testing, and maintaining high-quality software applications * Take technical ownership of products - including architecture, estimation, planning, and requirements * Drive integration of AI and ML capabilities, including prompt engineering, model evaluation, and RAG pipelines * Work with Microsoft Azure AI services (Azure OpenAI, Microsoft Foundry, Cognitive Services) or equivalent platforms * Champion software development best practices - XP, TDD, CI/CD - including for ML/AI workloads * Engage directly with clients, communicating technical concepts and trade-offs clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders * Manage, coach, and develop junior team members, supporting their performance and career growth * Contribute to knowledge sharing within the team and broader engineering community, * Strong expertise in Python or C#/.NET, with a track record of building scalable, secure, modern applications ## Related Videos - [Azure AI Foundry for Developers: Open Tools, Scalable Agents, Real Impact](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1541-azure-ai-foundry-for-developers-open-tools-scalable-agents-real-impact) - [Lies, Damned Lies and Large Language Models](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1231-lies-damned-lies-and-large-language-models) - [This App Reached 10,000 Users in One Week. Here's How.](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100329-this-app-reached-10-000-users-in-one-week-here-s-how) - [API Design - Getting Started](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/33-api-design-getting-started) - [Agentic AI - From Theory to Practice: Developing Multi-Agent AI Systems on Azure](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1532-agentic-ai-from-theory-to-practice-developing-multi-agent-ai-systems-on-azure) - [Using Agents to Curate the Content You See Online - Dan Gish](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/2159-using-agents-to-curate-the-content-you-see-online-dan-gish) ## Related Articles - [Navigating the AI Shift](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/629-navigating-the-ai-shift) - [MLOps And AI Driven Development](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/82-mlops-and-ai-driven-development) - [What is Agentic Programming and Why Should Developers Care?](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/625-what-is-agentic-programming-and-why-should-developers-care) - [How to Become an AI Engineer](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/331-how-to-become-an-ai-engineer) - [What is Software Engineering in the Age of AI?](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/640-what-is-software-engineering-in-the-age-of-ai) - [Dev Digest 137 - AI'm not sure about this](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/485-dev-digest-137-ai-m-not-sure-about-this)