Lead Software Developer

The Government Internal Audit Agency (GIAA) is driven by its unparalleled access across government to build ‘better insights, better outcomes’ for our clients.

This role offers a strong platform for career progression within the Agency and the wider civil service, providing opportunities to develop leadership, stakeholder engagement and strategic relationship management skills across government.

The Agency’s unique access across the public sector exposes you to different risk and control environments, allowing you to gain insights, apply experience, contribute meaningfully, and continue developing professionally.

The Data Analytics team deliver analytical support to audit and investigation teams, providing high-quality advanced analytics to uncover insight. The team also develop and manage self-serve web applications for internal and external customers, as well as leading on data literacy within the organisation.

This technical role involves developing and maintaining full-stack applications in Django, building agentic AI solutions, and managing Azure hosting infrastructure. Responsibilities include designing software architecture, integrating secure enterprise platforms, creating data models, writing technical documentation, and ensuring system reliability. The role requires expertise in Django, Python, Azure, PostgreSQL, and AI-enabled solutions while adhering to Government Digital Service (GDS) standards. Key deliverables include creating secure, user-centric, high-quality software, supporting team problem-solving, improving development processes, and championing best practices in AI and digital advancements.

Role responsibilities:

• Developing database-driven, web-based applications and maintaining the full stack (frontend and backend)
• Managing and optimising the Azure hosting environment
• Leading the end-to-end technical design, development, and implementation of agentic AI solutions
• Understanding and interpreting customer requirements and designing appropriate solutions
• Conducting testing, fixing bugs and improving software reliability
• Creating data models, workflows, system diagrams, technical documentation and user guides
• Managing stakeholder relationships to promote best practices in AI, data, and digital, helping to grow software development and cloud hosting skills across the team
• Promoting knowledge of GDS best practice and system design and ensuring the team’s understanding of the requirements.

A degree in a discipline that has a computing element with demonstrated experience in software development, or equivalent extensive work experience as a software developer.

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)

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

Recruitment Timeline

• Closing date: 06 September 2026
• Shortlisting: w/c 07 September 2026
• Interviews: w/c 28 September & 05 October 2026

This timeline is indicative and may be subject to change. We will inform you if there is a substantial change to the recruitment timeline.

If your contact details change at any time during the selection process, please ensure you update your Civil Service Jobs profile.

Please note that only applications submitted through Civil Service Jobs will be accepted.

Eligibility Statement

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role in the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government. Checks will be performed as part of pre-employment checks in line with this. Please refer to the Candidate FAQ document attached to the advert for more information.

Everyone working with government assets must complete Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) checks. Additionally, individuals appointed to the Treasury group will be subject to National Security Vetting. The level of security vetting required for this role is Security Check (SC)

To allow for meaningful checks to be carried out, applicants will need to have lived in the UK for at least 3 out of the past 5 years. In exceptional circumstances, for example if you have been working abroad on a government posting, a lack of residency would not be a bar to security clearance however the Department will need to consider eligibility on a case-by-case basis once the advert closing date has passed.

Please read the Vetting Charter for information on what to expect during the vetting process and what will be expected from you. Many areas of your life may be explored during your vetting journey, and it is important that every individual, regardless of their background and experiences, should feel comfortable going through this personal process, whilst having confidence that it is fair, proportionate, and inclusive.

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