As a Lead Software Developer, you will build modern software applications that enable excellent use of data and information at the heart of some of HM Treasury's most important business processes - directly supporting work that shapes public spending decisions and economic and fiscal policy making.

Location

This post can be based in London (1 Horse Guards Road) or Darlington (Feethams House).

About the job

Job summary 

If you’re interested in making a difference to people’s lives, the Treasury can offer you an exciting opportunity to influence decision making that affects the whole of the UK. Working at the heart of government, we collaborate across government to promote responsible public spending and drive strong and sustainable economic growth.   

Our work ranges from protecting customers through the regulation of the financial sector, helping to reduce carbon emissions and creating a greener economy, to promoting British trade around the world and supporting people across the country on jobs, growth and more.   

We are part of the Darlington Economic Campus, a cross-government hub bringing people together to tackle key national issues while working closer to the communities we serve. 

Job description 

As a Lead Software Developer, you will build modern software applications that enable excellent use of data and information at the heart of some of HM Treasury's most important business processes - directly supporting work that shapes public spending decisions and economic and fiscal policy making. 

You will lead the design, development and continuous improvement of digital products used across HM Treasury and wider government. Working with both front-end and back-end technologies, you will create secure, scalable and user-centred applications that solve real user problems and deliver tangible business value. 

You will also play a key role in promoting excellent software development practices across the Data Hub and wider HM Treasury Coding Community. You will work closely with Data Scientists and Data Engineers in the Data Hub and provide technical leadership, support capability development and help foster a culture of software engineering excellence across the department. 
 
Key Accountabilities 

1. Back-End Application Development and Service Ownership: You will design, develop and maintain secure, scalable and resilient back-end services using Python frameworks (e.g. Flask), Azure cloud services and related technologies. You will ensure applications and services operate reliably in production, proactively monitoring performance, responding to issues and continuously improving service quality and availability. 
2. Front-End Application Development: You will lead the design and development of accessible, intuitive and user-centred front-end applications that meet the needs of users, using Python-based front-end frameworks (e.g. Plotly Dash) and JavaScript frameworks (e.g. React) as appropriate. 
3. Solution Architecture and Systems Integration: You will design and assure scalable software architectures that meet business and user needs. You will evaluate and select appropriate technologies, design patterns and development approaches, ensuring effective integration between applications, data platforms, APIs and enterprise services across HM Treasury and, where required, wider government. 
4. User Engagement and Agile Product Development: You will engage extensively with users throughout the software development lifecycle, conducting discovery activities, gathering requirements, validating assumptions and facilitating testing. You will apply user-centred design principles to ensure products are driven by user needs and deliver measurable value to the organisation. 
5. Technical Leadership and Delivery: You will provide technical leadership across software development projects, maintaining responsibility for technical quality throughout the software lifecycle. You will guide development teams in adopting modern engineering practices, manage technical risks and dependencies, and support successful delivery using agile and iterative approaches. 
6. Security, Standards and Engineering Excellence: You will ensure that software, services and platforms are designed with appropriate security controls, operational monitoring and governance from the outset. 
7. Innovation and Emerging Technologies: You will identify opportunities to use innovative technologies, including generative AI and other emerging capabilities, to improve business processes, enhance user experiences and increase organisational effectiveness. You will support the safe, responsible and effective adoption of new technologies across HM Treasury. 
8. Software Development Champion: You will help develop engineering capability across the team and organisation, and advocate for the adoption of good software engineering practice. 

Candidate Drop-In Session 

The hiring manager will be running a candidate drop-in session to give you greater insight into the role and HM Treasury, and to answer any questions you may have. 

If you would like to join, please use the Microsoft Teams link below at the scheduled time: 

Date & Time: Wednesday 29th July 2026, 17:00–17:45 

Join the meeting: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/323951144201999?p=AciR6lipMUjiOXRb4p 

Meeting ID: 323 951 144 201 999 
Passcode: rP9CD7rH 

 

If you would like to speak to the hiring manager informally prior to the closing date, please contact Laurie McClymont at laurie.mcclymont@hmtreasury.gov.uk 

You may also be interested in a similar role within our department - Lead Data Engineer. For further details, please see the advert at Lead Data Engineer - Civil Service Jobs - GOV.UK 

 

Visa sponsorship is not available for these roles. 

 

Person specification 

Application Stage 

Applications should consist of a 1,000-word personal statement setting out how you meet the shortlisting criteria below and a CV including your employment history. Your CV and employment history won’t be scored. It’s used to give context to your application and support discussions at interview. 

The panel will review applications and invite those that best demonstrate evidence of the shortlisting criteria for interview. Please keep this in mind when writing your application.  

If you are interested but feel you don't yet meet every requirement, please apply. We value enthusiasm, aptitude for growth, and diversity of thought and experience, alongside the criteria outlined. 

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

Criteria (application stage) 

1. Programming and Build in Software Engineering: Demonstrate strong hands-on experience building and supporting software applications across both front-end and back-end technologies, including Python frameworks, using modern software engineering practices. 
2. Systems Design: Demonstrate experience designing secure, scalable and maintainable solutions using cloud technologies. We have a preference for Azure, but experience across Google or Amazon cloud services are welcome. 
3. User Focus & Agile Product Delivery: Demonstrate experience delivering digital products using Agile methodologies that genuinely meet user needs, including direct stakeholder engagement, iterating on feedback and working within multidisciplinary teams to drive continuous improvement. 
4. Technical Leadership & Engineering Culture: Demonstrate experience providing technical leadership, mentoring team members and actively promoting good software engineering practices across a team or organisation. 

Interview Stage 

If you are successful at the application stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed against the following criteria: 
 
Technical Skills: 

• Programming and Build (software engineer) 
• Systems design 

Experience 

Behaviours: 

• Changing and Improving 
• Managing a Quality Service 

Interview Task / Presentation 

Prior to your interview, we will contact you about a task / presentation that the panel would like you to deliver as part of the assessment. Further details will be communicated to you nearer the time. 

Behaviours 

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process: 

• Changing and Improving 
• Managing a Quality Service 

Technical skills 

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process: 

• Programming and Build (software engineer) 
• Systems Design 

 

Benefits 

Alongside your salary of £57,670, HM Treasury contributes £16,706 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window). 

• Generous Annual Leave - 25 days (rising to 30 after 5 years), plus public holidays and the King’s birthday. 
• Outstanding Pension Scheme - Defined Benefit pension with employer contributions of 28.97% 
• Parental Leave Packages - Including 6 months’ occupational pay for maternity/adoption, shared parental leave options. 
• Flexible & Hybrid Working - Options include part-time, job-share, compressed hours, flexitime, and hybrid working (where business needs allow). 
• Advance Schemes & Discounts - Rental deposit, cycle-to-work, SmartTech, season ticket loans, and access to HM Treasury’s benefits portal for a wide range of discount codes. 

You can review HM Treasury’s full offer here. 
 
 

Things you need to know 

Artificial intelligence 

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use. 

Selection process details 

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

Candidate Guidance 
 
Please review the candidate guidance for an overview of the Success Profiles and STAR approach, along with top tips for applications and interviews. 

Recruitment Timeline  

• Closing date: 9th August 2026 23:55 
• Shortlisting: w/c 10th August 2026 
• Interviews:  w/c 17th August 2026 or 24th August 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.  

Reserve Lists 
  
You will be placed on a reserve list if your application is successful, but we cannot offer you a role immediately. Where more than one location has been advertised, candidates will be posted in merit order by location. You will be asked to provide your location preference on your application form. Please note that a place on the reserve list does not guarantee an offer.  

If you are offered a role in your first preferred location and you decline the offer or are unable to take up the post within a reasonable timeframe, you will be removed from the reserve list, other than in exceptional circumstances.  

Those on the reserve list may also be approached for similar roles at a lower grade. If you are offered a role at a lower grade and choose to decline, you can remain on the reserve list.  

Internal Fraud Database Check 

Candidates cannot apply to roles in the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government. 

Successful candidates will be subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database. This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This also applies to those who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the database will be refused employment.  
 
National Security Vetting 

Everyone working with government assets must complete Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) checks. Additionally, successful candidates 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. You will be asked to provide residency information within your application form, and eligibility for national security vetting will be checked once the advert closing date has passed. In certain 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.  

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

Security 

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. 

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window). 
 
See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). 

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks. 

Nationality requirements 

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) 

Working for the Civil Service 

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants. 
 
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). 

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. 

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy. 

Diversity and Inclusion 

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window). 

Apply and further information 

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative. 

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window). 

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records. 

Contact point for applicants 

Job contact

Name: Laurie McClymont 

Email: laurie.mcclymont@hmtreasury.gov.uk 

Recruitment team 

Email :hrrecruitment@hmtreasury.gov.uk 

Further information 

Complaints Process: Our recruitment process is underpinned by the principle of appointment based on fair and open competition and appointment on merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact HMT by email at: hrrecruitment@hmtreasury.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission, which regulates all Civil Service recruitment. 

Attachments 

470010 - Lead Software Developer - role profile (pdf, 221kB) 

 

Apply now