Lead Software Developer (SPM) (5593)

The role sits within the Digital, Delivery & Change (DD&C) Engineering team, which builds and maintains technical services for Social Security Scotland. This includes an enterprise case management system and a range of supporting technical services, used by Clients to submit benefit applications and our internal teams to manage benefit payments.

Our technical staff are largely deployed in Agile teams focusing on new benefits development, live service support and continuous improvement. We believe in supporting our team members' growth and development through their work – the successful candidate will have access to formal training courses and team learning projects to enhance their technical and non-technical skills.

We also aim to develop a positive and inclusive culture within Social Security Scotland by embedding a working environment where we all treat each other with dignity, fairness and respect, and recognise each other’s contributions.

A lead software developer (SPM) leads development on one or a small number of related project teams.

At this role level, you will:

• guide the ways in which the team works
• be involved in identifying appropriate technology and approaches, deciding when software should be written
• contribute to the developer community
• provide technical leadership, coaching and mentoring your team
• promote knowledge sharing and adoption of good practice

GDD Pay Supplement

This post is part of the Government Digital and Data (GDD) profession and currently attracts a £6000 annual GDD pay supplement, which is paid monthly - pay supplements are reviewed regularly.

• You manage service components to ensure they meet business needs and performance targets.
• You identify process optimisation opportunities with guidance and contribute to the implementation of proposed solutions.
• You participate in the information security process.
• You design and implement embedded security controls in solutions and services.
• You apply the most appropriate modern standards and practices, and coach and guide others in these standards.
• You advise on the right way to apply standards and methods to ensure compliance.
• You maintain technical responsibility for all the stages and iterations of a software development project.
• You provide technical advice to stakeholders and set the team-based standards for programming tools and techniques.
• You participate in team prototyping.
• You advocate for the use of prototypes and testing with others.
• You use a variety of prototyping methods and choose the most appropriate.
• You provide technical direction to others to identify, locate and fix faults.
• You select appropriate methods and tools, and ensure they are applied effectively.
• You review the systems designs of others to ensure the selection of appropriate technology, efficient use of resources and integration of multiple systems and technology.
• You co-ordinate build activities across systems.
• You prioritise and define approaches to understand the user story, guiding others in doing so.
• You offer recommendations on the best tools and methods to use.

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)

Expected Timeline (subject to change)

Sift - week commencing 23rd November 2026

Interview – week commencing 7th December 2026

Location - In Person in either Dundee or Glasgow

To apply please submit an application form by clicking on the ‘Apply at Advertisers Site’ button.

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