Lead Engineering Manager - Python

Job summary

The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST) helps businesses invest, innovate, export and grow across the UK. The Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) directorate helps to deliver this by designing, building and running the services, platforms and technology that businesses and colleagues rely on every day.

Our teams work on a wide range of services and technologies, including:

• digital services that help businesses access government support, guidance and opportunities

• data and AI products that support decision making and enable innovation

• internal tools and services that help colleagues work more effectively

• secure technology and platforms that support critical government services

• cyber security services that protect systems, data and users

By joining DDaT, you'll work on services used by businesses, colleagues and citizens across the UK. You'll be part of multidisciplinary teams focused on improving services, solving complex problems and delivering better outcomes for users.

We are committed to creating an inclusive and supportive workplace. In recognition of this, we were named Best Public Sector Employer at the Women in Tech Employer Awards 2025!

Job description

This role aligns to the Lead Developer (Management) profile in the GDaD Capability Framework combining software development credibility with responsibility for people leadership, capability development, resourcing, standards adoption and community leadership.

Are you passionate about growing individuals, community and leadership? If so, BIST is looking for an individual who can support and manage a group of developers in one of our portfolios. You will work with our Tech Leads, Head of Profession and Delivery Managers to help drive standards, policies and strengthen the profession.

You will initially lead the software development profession, a team of 25 developers, within the Trade and Regulatory Services portfolio helping multidisciplinary teams build and operate reliable digital services that support the UK’s trading system.

Working with portfolio senior management, and alongside Tech Leads you will develop a clear view of software development capability, workforce risks and future needs. You will use this insight to shape recruitment, succession planning and investment in people, while making sure development priorities and concerns are represented in portfolio decisions.

Your credibility will be grounded in software development experience. You will understand modern web development, testing, continuous delivery and operating services in the cloud, enabling you to offer informed constructive advice and make sound judgements about developer capability and team effectiveness.

Main responsibilities

• Drive change in Software Engineering to facilitate and improve delivery, technical capability, staff satisfaction and customer engagement.

• Manage the recruitment of software engineers (Both permanent and contractors)

• Work with the Head of Profession to carry out long term workforce development and planning.

• Creating, setting and supporting engineers on developing objectives covering the software development profession.

• Deputise for the Head of Profession on an as and when basis.

• Act as a joint practice head of software engineering community, facilitating team meetings and other activities.

• Maintain a good understanding of current and future technology and practice (focusing on development and testing) to guide your teams and keep engineering practices current.

• Leading on improvement activities to our Engineering Practices.

• Develop relationships within BIST and Partner organisations to increase collaboration.

• Work with your peers to improve our tools, technologies, guidance and standards. Work with the developer community and Tech Leads to define and document technical standards.

• Support sharing of methods and technologies across teams, government, and the industry by helping to organise events

• Line-manage, mentor and coach developers to deliver great results, learn and grow, and progress their careers

• Build relationships across the portfolio with Delivery Managers, Product Managers, Technical Architects and Lead Developers to develop a portfolio-level view of engineering capability, team health, risks and gaps. Use this to produce concise recommendations that help senior leadership make informed decisions on people, priorities and investment.

Person specification

It is essential that you have:

• Experience leading, managing and developing software engineering teams, including performance management, coaching, mentoring and supporting professional development (LEAD)

• Strong understanding of modern software engineering practices, including web application development, APIs, databases, cloud platforms (AWS and/or Azure), Git and branching strategies, code review, automated testing, continuous integration and deployment, observability, incident management, and secure-by-design software delivery. (LEAD)

• Experience assessing engineering capability across teams and identifying skills gaps, development needs and opportunities to strengthen technical expertise, career progression and workforce planning.

• Experience establishing, promoting and embedding engineering standards, best practice and quality assurance approaches across multiple development teams.

• Experience identifying technical risks, issues and dependencies across services and teams, and working collaboratively to implement effective solutions and continuous improvements.

• Experience communicating complex technical concepts, risks and trade-offs to a range of technical and non-technical stakeholders, influencing decisions and supporting successful delivery outcomes.

• Experience working effectively within agile, multidisciplinary teams and building strong relationships with Business Analysts, Architects, Product Managers and Delivery Managers to deliver reliable, user-centred digital services.

It is desirable that you have:

• Basic appreciation of budget management and forecasting

• Familiarity with AI-assisted coding tools such as GitHub Copilot and an understanding how Engineering Managers can support their reasonable adoption within development teams.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Leadership
• Changing and Improving
• Communicating and Influencing

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Availability and capacity management
• Development process optimisations
• Modern standards approach
• Programming and build (software engineering)

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

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 (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

At the interview stage for this role, you will be asked to demonstrate relevant Technical Skills and Behaviours from the Success Profiles framework, as listed above. These are role specific and in line with the DDaT Capability Framework.

You will also be asked to complete a technical task and will be provided with further information following the sift.

How to apply

As part of the application process you will be asked to upload a two-page CV and complete a 750 personal statement outlining how you meet the essential skills and experience listed above. You can use bullet points and subheadings if you prefer.

Tell us about your employment history, key responsibilities, projects worked on and achievements specifically related to the role. Were keen to know the depth of your skills so include details that demonstrate these. We would like to know what projects teams you have managed before, how you enabled them for success and what was the outcomes.

Sift will be from week commencing 28th September 2026

Interviews will be from week commencing 5th October 2026

Please note these dates are indicative and may be subject to change.

If there is a high volume of applications, we will sift looking at the Lead Criteria Experience leading, managing and developing software engineering teams, including performance management, coaching, mentoring and supporting professional development and Strong understanding of modern software engineering practices, including web application development, APIs, databases, cloud platforms (AWS and/or Azure), Git and branching strategies, code review, automated testing, continuous integration and deployment, observability, incident management, and secure-by-design software delivery only. You may then be progressed to full sift or straight to interview.

How we offer

Offers will be made in merit order based on location preferences. If you pass the bar at interview but are not the highest scoring you will be held on a 12-month reserve list in case a role becomes available. If you are judged a near miss at interview, you may be offered a post at the grade below the one you applied for.

This role requires SC clearance. BIST's requirement for SC clearance is to have been present in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years. Failure to meet this requirement will result in your application being rejected and your offer will be withdrawn.

Checks will also be made against:

• departmental or company records (personnel files, staff reports, sick leave reports and security records)

• UK criminal records covering both spent and unspent criminal records

• your credit and financial history with a credit reference agency

• security services record

• location details

More about us

This role can only be worked from within the UK, not overseas. If you are based in London, you will receive London weighting. BIST employees are contracted to work in a hybrid pattern, spending 2-3 days a week (pro rata) in the office. Travel to your primary office location will not be paid for by BIST, but costs for travel to an office which is not your main location will be covered.

You can find out more about our office locations, how we calculate salaries, our diversity statement and reasonable adjustments, the Recruitment Principles, the Civil Service code and our complaints procedure in the candidate pack attached to this advert.

Find out more about life at BIST, our benefits and meet the team by watching our video or reading our blog!

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) 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 theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : DDaT Recruitment
• Email : Ddat.recruitment@businessandtrade.gov.uk
• Telephone : Ddat.recruitment@businessandtrade.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : Ddat.recruitment@businessandtrade.gov.uk

Further information

Our recruitment process is underpinned by the principle of appointment on the basis of fair and open competition and appointment on merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact DBT by email at Resourcing@trade.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission, which regulates all Civil Service recruitment. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: Civil Service Commission Complaints

Attachments

DDaT Candidate Pack Aug 25 - Final (7) Opens in new window (pdf, 631kB)