IT Software Developer Team Leader

Shakespeare Martineau is a Top 50 law firm that combines creativity, commerciality and clarity. We work with blue-chip companies, leading organisations, high street brands and individuals across the country.

As enterprising and original thinkers, we’re driven to create exceptional experiences for our clients and our people. We handle personal and business-critical issues and game-changing deals across many dynamic sectors. It’s stimulating and rewarding.

We’re hardworking and deeply ambitious about creating opportunities for our employees; to move forward and achieve our ambition together. We provide an environment in which you’re supported to reach your potential.

Our people have a blend of excellent technical and business skills with the talent to do things differently.

Here you’ll find top quality work, cutting edge training, high profile clients, and supportive colleagues. We think it could be time you joined us.

To provide truly outstanding client service we work as one team. Our Business Operations Group is made up of business professionals who work with our legal professionals to provide market leading expertise to our clients. The Groups include; Finance, Operations, HR, Marketing, IT, Risk and the Executive Leadership team.

Our IT team is responsible for providing clients and staff with high quality relevant technology, customised systems and superior service and support to ensure our business needs are always met.

Based mainly in the Birmingham office but also with a presence in Nottingham the team is around 30 strong and includes talented architects, project managers, developers, engineers, analysts and service desk support people.

This is an ever changing and exciting area to work in as we constantly look for new and innovative ways to provide the most effective solutions to the business.

The role:

An excellent opportunity has arisen to join our Birmingham-based IT Development Team as an IT Software Development Team Leader; leading a team of highly skilled developers and delivering complex internal system development projects across a variety of products and technologies.

As an experienced Development Team Leader, you will lead development projects across predominantly Microsoft C# .Net MVC, SQL Server technologies and Web API’s. Managing the successful delivery of projects will require you to plan, coordinate and lead activities across the full delivery lifecycle. This will include working closely with the department’s IT Management Team, Team Leaders, Business Analysts and Developers, as well as liaising with key project stakeholders, as required.

Working closely with other Team Leaders, you will ensure the structured and coordinated planning of your team’s development. Your technical background and experience will ensure you can offer the required support and guidance, as well as being able to assist developers at code level.

This role offers challenges across a wide variety of projects and responsibilities, including the opportunity to influence the future direction of the department and systems used across the business.

In addition to having a proven management background, you must also have proven technical capability and a track record in software development, combined with experience in the leadership of software development teams and the delivery of projects within a software development environment.

You will be joining a team of diverse skills and experience that requires a motivated individual who is proficient in taking responsibility and can independently deliver results on both departmental and business projects.

Your key duties will be:

• managing the delivery of multiple complex simultaneous system development projects from design through to release
• working closely with the business to produce accurate delivery estimates and managing the transition from analysis through to design and delivery
• providing regular and effective progress updates to, and work closely with, the IT Management Team to ensure the management of any delivery risks or issues
• ensuring awareness, involvement and support from the key stakeholders and participants by building strong project teams and maintaining robust communication on the project status throughout its life cycle
• participating in reviews and meetings, as well as providing updates on project progress
• taking responsibility for ensuring that risks and issues are identified and managed closely and driving all stakeholders to deliver on time and to the required quality standards
• contributing to post implementation reviews helping to demonstrate success or otherwise of projects
• supporting project resource scheduling and department capacity planning
• contributing to the definition of departmental and systems strategies and progression of any allocated objectives
• taking responsibility for making key decisions to ensure the successful implementation of all initiatives

Skills and experience you will have:

• a minimum of 3 years’ previous experience of people management in a team leader position with the ability to lead and influence others
• proven experience in leading and managing the delivery of system / software development projects in a structured environment
• experience in a variety of software development approaches and methodologies, including Agile and Waterfall
• experience in both architecture and implementation-level software design
• experience in requirements capture, analysis techniques and process improvement approaches
• experience in the development of software using Microsoft C# .Net MVC, SQL Server technologies and Web API’s
• an understanding of and exposure to Team Foundation Server, Tortoise SVN or equivalent
• capable of understanding and contributing to the technical solution from design through to code level

Key competencies you will need:

• strong facilitation and coaching skills
• excellent personal organisation and the ability to prioritise and carry out multiple tasks
• the ability to influence and drive projects to meet key milestones and overcome challenges
• to be comfortable working without routine supervision
• a desire to remain technically capable and an expert in current technologies

Due to the nature of the work undertaken, confirmation of employment will be subject to a variety of checks which will be carried out once an offer of employment is accepted. Details of the checks can be found here.

Shakespeare Martineau is a committed equal opportunities employer. We seek to attract, develop and retain talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds and cultures. We value and respect individuality and encourage a culture within our business where people can be themselves and be valued for their strengths and experiences. Everyone who either applies to or works for the firm is treated equally, regardless of their gender, age, ethnic origin, nationality, marital status, sexual orientation or religious beliefs.