Lead Developer, Software Engineer, Full Stack Developer

Overview

Location: Hybrid / Ilkley LS29, UK

Job type: Permanent / Full-time

Sector and subsector: Technology | Software Development

Salary: Competitive salary

Smart Search’s distinctive Anti-Money Laundering verification software protects our clients by offering the most advanced and comprehensive features available from an AML provider.

Smart Search has grown rapidly by fostering an incredibly collaborative and supportive culture. As we continue our ambitious growth plans, we will strive to remain a truly exciting, rewarding, and unique place to work.

We’re looking for a Lead Developer to join our team and play a key role in building, maintaining, and improving the software that powers our compliance platform. This is a hands-on leadership role, where you’ll work closely with Product, QA, Architects, and other developers/technologists to deliver reliable, scalable, and secure features.

Each member of our team brings their own qualities to Smart Search. Make sure you highlight your strengths and aspirations — they are important to us!

The successful candidate will be a proactive, approachable technical leader and people manager with a strong development background and a passion for high-quality engineering.

You will be responsible for leading technical initiatives, mentoring team members and ensuring high-quality software development through problem solving and strategic thinking, taking technology, time and budgets into consideration.

Location:

available in both our Ilkley and Cardiff offices.

• Technical Leadership
• Lead technical delivery within the team, ensuring solutions are scalable, secure, maintainable, and aligned to business needs.
• Collaborate with software architects and team to develop robust software solutions influencing non-functional requirements such as performance, security, usability and accessibility.
• Drive and uphold engineering standards including clean code, testing practices, and secure development.
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex technical issues/bugs independently and as a team.
• Provide regular engineering metrics, summary reports and trend analysis.
• Identify areas for continuous improvement in existing systems and processes, and work with teams to implement enhancements.
• Work with wider team to create and maintain documentation for software development processes, code, and system architecture.
• Willingness to explore new areas, tools, and technologies to enhance project outcomes and personal growth.
• Effectively communicate with stakeholders, understanding needs and managing expectations.
• Work cross-functionally with Product, QA, and wider business teams to deliver high-quality software outcomes.
• Support planning and estimation by balancing technical quality, timelines, and budget constraints.

Line Management & People Development

• Provide line management for developers within the team, including regular 1:1s, feedback, coaching, and support.
• Support performance management processes, including objective setting, development plans, and review cycles.
• Help team members grow through mentoring, technical guidance, and identifying learning opportunities.
• Foster a positive, collaborative team culture, encouraging ownership, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Support recruitment activities where required (e.g. interviews, onboarding, supporting new starters).

• Strong technical background in multiple development languages and frameworks (ideally PHP Symfony or .NET)
• Competent with MySQL or MSSQL, and experience of large datasets
• Experience with Git, Docker and modern development workflows
• Familiarity with CI/CD tooling, release automation and test frameworks (e.g. PHPUnit)
• Able to write and maintain automated tests as part of your development work
• Able to conduct code reviews and recommend improvements
• Knowledge of cloud technologies, especially Azure
• Understand and use Secure by Design practices
• Experience building and consuming APIs
• Proven ability to mentor, coach, and upskill other developers
• Experience supporting team performance, feedback, and personal development
• Excellent communication, presentation…