Chroma Recruitment
Technical Lead - Software
Job Description
Salary: £46,000 - 86,000 per year
Requirements:- Strong commercial experience in Java, with at least three years working on high-volume applications
- Minimum three years experience leading or mentoring engineers, with demonstrable examples of team development and growth
- Ownership of architecture and strategic technical decisions from start to finish
- Experience with infrastructure alongside software: cloud servers, containerisation, and a solid understanding of DevSecOps principles
- Familiarity with TypeScript, Node.js, GraphQL, and PostgreSQL within the platform stack
- Proven ability to lead through challenging delivery scenarios, such as failed releases, inherited technical debt, or complex migrations
- Excellent communication skills, able to explain technical decisions to non-technical stakeholders and link them to commercial outcomes
- Relevant cloud certifications
- Experience with Terraform, Docker, and integration tooling
- Awareness of ISO 27001 or exposure to recognised security frameworks
- Experience with headless commerce, Next.js, or modern CMS platforms
- Comfortable with AI-assisted development and able to articulate the code you deliver
- Lead a small, growing team of engineers as we bring development and support in-house
- Work hands-on in the codebase, with approximately 60% development and 40% leadership responsibilities
- Take ownership of the platform transition and bring domain knowledge in-house
- Define architecture and make strategic technical decisions
- Conduct code reviews and establish the standards that guide the teams work
- Lead a team of four, with growth expected to six as the team expands
- Manage a significant infrastructure and DevSecOps element as these capabilities transition in-house
- Report directly to the Head of Development and Architecture
- Support delivery through challenging scenarios, including failed releases, technical debt, and complex migrations
- Communicate technical decisions clearly to non-technical stakeholders and connect them to commercial outcomes
- AI
- Cloud
- CMS
- DevSecOps
- Docker
- GraphQL
- Support
- Java
- PostgreSQL
- Security
- Terraform
- TypeScript
- NodeJS
- JavaScript
- Swift
More:
We are a well-established group expanding our in-house engineering capability and bringing development and support in-house from an external partner. This is a pivotal stage where we are establishing the technical direction rather than inheriting it. We offer an influential leadership role with genuine ownership, the opportunity to build and grow a team, and a leadership group that makes decisions swiftly. The wider leadership team reports to the CFO, and the recruitment process consists of two interview stages and will progress promptly. Salary is competitive and flexible, dependent on experience.
last updated 34 week of 2026
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About Chroma Recruitment
Chroma Recruitment
Preston
IT
Skills & Technologies
Inferred from job description
Salary Insight
£66,000
This role
£85,000
UK median
This salary is 22% below the UK median for Lead roles (£85,000/yr).
Based on 2024–2025 UK technology sector benchmarks