Software Team Lead – eDV Cleared | National Security | Woking or London
If you're a hands-on technical leader delivering software in classified environments, this is a chance to shape impactful mission systems—without being dragged into middle management. No appraisals. No HR admin. Just real engineering.
You’ll lead from the front, guiding delivery teams building secure, scalable systems that underpin UK national security. Working across modern languages, cloud-native tooling, and containerised platforms, you’ll mentor engineers while remaining technically engaged yourself.
You’ll be joining a long-standing partner with a trusted track record across the UK intelligence space. The organisation combines the scale and resourcing of a larger group with the autonomy, pace, and culture of an SME—giving you room to grow while working on meaningful missions.
The Role – What You’ll Do and What You’ll Bring
This role suits software engineers, team leads, or full-stack technologists with experience delivering in secure environments and guiding teams through technical complexity.
You will:
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Provide day-to-day leadership within a secure agile team
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Break down user requests into epics and stories
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Write clean, secure, testable code across front and back end systems
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Lead design of APIs, microservices, and data flows
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Integrate and maintain RESTful services, data layers, and ingest components
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Help developers adopt best practices, support code review, and mentor less experienced engineers
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Work with product owners and researchers to translate real-world user needs into working software
You’ll bring experience with:
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One or more modern programming languages (e.g. Python, Java, Golang, JavaScript, C++)
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Front-end frameworks such as React, VueJS, or AngularJS
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RESTful APIs and backend tooling (Node.js, Uvicorn, NGINX)
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Relational and NoSQL databases (e.g. PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB)
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Containerisation and orchestration (Docker, Podman, Kubernetes)
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Cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP)
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Agile ceremonies and DevSecOps delivery environments
If you’ve led software teams in high-side environments—solving complex user problems with security, resilience, and delivery speed in mind—you’ll recognise the value of this role.
Location and Working Pattern
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Primary base is in Woking, with customer sites in the London area
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Expect a mix of on-site and hybrid working, depending on project phase
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Office is walking distance from train station, with parking and cycle facilities
Security Clearance Requirements
This role requires active enhanced Developed Vetting (eDV)
To be eligible, you must:
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Be a sole British Citizen
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Have lived in the UK continuously for the last 10 years
Interview Process and Package
We offer a streamlined, single-stage interview process that respects the time of cleared professionals.
You’ll receive:
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Competitive salary
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Generous benefits including enhanced pension, flexible leave, private healthcare
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eDV clearance bonus
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The opportunity to lead on high-impact technical delivery in a trusted engineering team
If you know the environment, you’ll recognise the mission. Apply now or get in touch for a discreet conversation.
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