Lead Python Developer

Hippo Digital Ltd; Leeds; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading software company in the UK is searching for a Lead Python Developer to guide the development team and ensure high-quality software delivery. This role involves acting as a technical SME, fostering team collaboration, and managing software deployment. Ideal candidates should have extensive Python expertise along with experience in cloud technologies and agile methodologies. The company offers competitive salaries and generous benefits, including a contributory pension scheme and flexible working options.

Benefits

Contributory pension scheme

25 days holiday plus UK public holidays

Perkbox access for discounts

Cycle‑to‑work scheme

Salary sacrifice electric vehicles scheme

Flexible benefits scheme

Qualifications

• Lead delivery teams to build robust solutions.
• Coach team members for optimal outcomes.
• Communicate technical concepts effectively.

Responsibilities

• Act as a technical SME within the squad.
• Design and manage software development pipelines.
• Build relationships with stakeholders and the team.

Skills

Leading a delivery team to deliver high quality, robust solutions

Coaching and guiding others on the best way to achieve an optimal solution

Excellent verbal/written communication skills

A full stack developer using Python, HTML, CSS & JavaScript

JavaScript library experience (Node, React, Angular)

Containerisation experience (Docker, Kubernetes)

Experience of Microservices design and architecture

Working within agile methods (Scrum, Kanban, TDD)

Expertise in public cloud (AWS or Azure)

Tools

CI/CD tools (Jenkins, AWS CodeBuild, Azure DevOps)

Infrastructure As Code (CloudFormation, Terraform)

Job description

About The Role

Hippo is recruiting Lead Python Developers to join our Hippo Herd. As a Lead Python Developer you will act as a technical SME within the squad, providing expertise in software engineering practices, leading people and teams, managing projects, driving the team's technical deliverables, maintaining client relationships, and upskilling others.

Your role in nutshell

• Act as a technical SME within the squad to produce and ensure user‑centred software is developed based on business requirements and following best practice
• Work collaboratively with colleagues to explore, design and deliver solutions to client problems
• Design and manage software development and deployment pipelines resolving issues and potential bottlenecks before they occur
• Continuously review and prioritise the delivery teams workload and anticipate the need for realignment with evolving operational priorities and complex work‑streams and assignments
• Be a strong communicator and presenter, presenting prototypes, solutions and progress to internal/external stakeholders in a clear concise manner
• Build great relationships with your team and stakeholders, identifying and ensuring that challenges are overcome
• Involved in the recruitment, on‑boarding and line management of other engineers, and support other consultants in their professional development
• Promote Hippo’s Engineering Herd externally (for example through writing blogs, workshops, seminars or conferences)

Skills and experience that you need

• Leading a delivery team to deliver high quality, robust solutions
• Coaching and guiding others on the best way to achieve an optimal solution
• Excellent verbal/written communication skills, able to articulate in both technical/non‑technical terms depending on audience
• The full development lifecycle delivering user‑centred digital solutions
• A full stack developer using Python, HTML, CSS & JavaScript
• JavaScript library and framework experience is preferable – Node, React, Angular
• Containerisation experience – Docker or Kubernetes or similar
• Experience of Microservices design and architecture
• Restful API Services experience
• Working within agile methods and using techniques such as Scrum, Kanban and TDD
• Skilled in designing and building native and web applications, across a variety of scales and platform environments
• Infrastructure As Code – CloudFormation, Terraform or ARM or similar
• Expertise in public cloud (AWS or Azure) and DevOps
• CI/CD tools such as Jenkins, AWS CodeBuild, Azure DevOps and Atlassian
• Previous experience of working on GOV/NHS projects would be highly desirable

What makes us great

We offer a competitive salary and a range of benefits including:

• Contributory pension scheme (Hippo 6% with employee contributions of 2%)
• 25 days holiday plus UK public holidays
• Perkbox access for a wide range of discounts
• Critical illness cover
• Life assurance and death-in-service cover
• Volunteer days
• Cycle‑to‑work scheme for the avid cyclists
• Salary sacrifice electric vehicles scheme
• Season ticket loans
• Financial and general wellbeing sessions
• Flexible benefits scheme with options of:
  • private health cover
  • private dental cover
  • additional company pension contributions
  • additional holidays (up to an extra 2 days)
  • wellbeing contribution
  • charity contributions
  • tree planting

Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging at Hippo

At Hippo, we’re dedicated to creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace that works for everyone. We actively encourage applications from underrepresented groups including women, ethnic minorities, LGBTQ+, neurodivergent and people with disabilities. We are a registered Disability Confident Employer, Mindful Employer, Endometriosis Friendly Employer and a member of the Armed Forces Covenant. Hippo continually strives to remove barriers, provide accommodations and offer reasonable adjustments to ensure equity throughout our practices.

Hippo locations

We are headquartered in Leeds and have offices across the UK in Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham, London and Bristol. Candidates should be located within reasonable travelling distance from one of our offices, or be willing to travel. We offer a generous relocation support package of up to £8k (please ask for terms and conditions).