Lead Software Engineer

Lead Software Engineer
Salary: £70,000 - £80,000
Location: Leicester (Hybrid - 2 days per week in office: Tuesday & Thursday)
Industry: Open-Source / Enterprise Web Applications

The Opportunity

I'm recruiting for an ambitious Leicester-based tech company that's expanding its engineering leadership team. This role is perfect for a Lead Software Engineer with a passion for PHP and modern web development, looking to shape technical strategy, mentor a team, and deliver enterprise-grade solutions.

You'll lead a team of around 15 developers, working in a collaborative environment that values open-source contributions, code quality, and professional growth.

What You'll Be Working On

• Leading the design, development, and maintenance of scalable web applications

• Driving architectural decisions and best practices across the team

• Mentoring and coaching engineers, fostering a culture of collaboration and growth

• Collaborating with Product and Design teams to deliver high-quality features

• Conducting code reviews and strategic technical planning

• Improving system performance, reliability, and developer experience

Projects include enterprise web platforms, customer-facing applications, and internal tools built on open-source technologies.

Tech Stack (Open-Source)

• Backend: PHP, Laravel

• Frontend: Vue.js

• Databases: MySQL

• Infrastructure: Linux, Docker, CI/CD pipelines

• Cloud: AWS

• Testing: PHPUnit, Jest

Strong leadership, full-stack development experience, and open-source mindset are more important than knowing every tool.

What They're Looking For

• 5+ years commercial experience with software engineering, including team or project leadership

• Strong PHP and Laravel experience, with full-stack development knowledge

• Experience with open-source technologies in production

• Comfortable making architectural decisions and guiding technical strategy

• Excellent mentoring, leadership, and communication skills

• Agile team experience and collaborative mindset

Salary & Benefits

• £70,000 - £80,000 depending on experience

• Hybrid working: 2 days per week in Leicester office (Tuesday & Thursday)

• 25 days holiday plus UK bank holidays

• Flexible hours and work-life balance

• Company pension scheme

• Private healthcare and wellbeing support

• Annual learning and development budget

• Modern equipment provided

• Clear progression and leadership development opportunities

Why Apply?

This is an exciting opportunity for a Lead Software Engineer to drive technical strategy, mentor a talented team, and work with a modern PHP/Laravel/Vue stack in a collaborative Leicester-based company.

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