Software Team Lead, Critical Communications. London

My client is a global leader in critical communications, combining a start-up culture with deep engineering expertise. They deliver secure, mission-critical wireless systems for government and public safety clients and are seeking Development Manager to lead their Development, DevOps, and Software Testing teams.

The position is hybrid with 3 days a week in the London office and 2 working from home.

Role Overview

This leadership role blends technical depth with people management. You’ll manage the software development and testing teams with 6-8 direct reports and be able to check C++ programming undertaken by the software team.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and develop high-performing DevOps and Test teams.

• Define and implement DevOps strategies, CI/CD pipelines, and infrastructure automation.

• Oversee test strategy, planning, and execution across the software lifecycle.

• Ensure quality, security, and compliance for public sector deployments.

• Collaborate cross-functionally to align delivery with program goals.

• Drive best practices in testing, release management, and monitoring.

• Manage performance, resources, and career development within the team.

• Contribute to technical decision-making and continuous improvement.

Experience & Skills

• 5+ years in software engineering, DevOps, or QA; 2+ in leadership.

• Proven experience leading DevOps or QA teams.

• Strong knowledge of CI/CD tools (Jenkins, GitLab CI, Azure DevOps).

• Experience with Docker, Kubernetes, and networking protocols (IP, TCP, UDP, VoIP).

• Proficiency in C++,Bash, Python, or SQL scripting.

• Strong understanding of software testing and QA methodologies.

• Excellent communication and stakeholder management.

Desirable

• Degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or similar.

• Experience with secure or mission-critical systems (public safety, defence).

• Familiarity with Linux, virtualisation, and embedded systems.

• Knowledge of public safety standards (MC-PTT, P25, TETRA, 3GPP).

• Experience with UK Government departments (Home Office, MOD).

Attributes

• Strategic yet hands-on leader.

• Detail-oriented, quality-driven, and adaptable.

• Passionate about automation, reliability, and continuous improvement.

Benefits

• Private healthcare

• Pension up to 10%

• Share options

• Flexible working

• Opportunities for growth and innovation

Interested? Please apply sending your updated CV so we can schedule a time to talk.