Birketts is a full service, UK Top 50 law firm with a heritage spanning 160 years. We have more than 700 lawyers and legal professionals based in Bristol, Cambridge, Chelmsford, Ipswich, London, Norwich and Sevenoaks. We advise businesses, government and public sector organisations and individuals in the UK and internationally across four principal practice groups: Real Estate, Corporate Services, Dispute Resolution and Private Client. We are defined by our Next Level Law proposition, working with our clients as a proactive partner. Our culture encourages everyone to achieve their next level, and RollOnFriday ranked us 5th best law firm to work at in 2024. We are committed to delivering our ESG objectives and diversity is integral to our culture, with female partners comprising 40% of the partnership.
The department
The role leads and manages the Product Development team within the wider IT Team. The IT teams operating model is based on cross functional teams [Squads] that are autonomous and focused on delivering specific products and solutions through collaboration and self-organisation.
Purpose of job
Working collaboratively with Key Stakeholders, the Product Development Team Leader will provide technical vision and leadership to successfully develop and implement new solutions, products and services to enhance user experience and outcomes, aligning delivery with the firm’s strategic vision.
Responsibilities
* Line manages the Product Development Team.
* Act as the primary development technologies specialist at Birketts.
* Work with the Solutions Architect and senior IT team members to ensure solutions are designed and developed in line with the firm’s strategies, using Microsoft Cloud-based technologies/plattform.
* Collaborate with stakeholders inside and outside IT to understand needs, translate into requirements, and deliver business value.
* Mentor junior members of the Product Development team, fostering growth and an innovation culture.
* Drive the adoption of DevOps and Scrum within IT with a focus on CI/CD and IaC to enable automation within the SDLC.
* Work with the Senior QA Engineer to implement automated test processes where possible.
Accountabilities
* Provide leadership for documentation, technical specifications, program/project management, programming and testing/quality assurance across systems, projects and products.
* Write, review and approve code to ensure accuracy; follow secure-by-design principles and deliver required functionality.
* Promote TDD across software development solutions.
* Ensure solutions align with the firm’s business, technology and data strategies.
* Collaborate with the wider IT Leadership team to build a high-performing Agile team (Scrum) focused on delivering objectives, tracking KPIs and maximizing value.
* Develop a strong agile SCRUM environment and adopt agile development methodologies and tools to meet rapid business changes.
* With IT Leadership, develop long-term software and application development strategy to support Business, Data and Technology strategies.
* Coordinate with the Product Delivery Team Leader to capture business needs prior to new projects.
* Lead the Product Development team in creating and executing project plans, test strategies and processes for development activities.
* Build a team of technology experts who understand the business and work with vendors and other developers to enable continuous deployment.
* Coach and develop team members to drive innovation, productivity and continuity.
* Advise on AI and emerging technologies to maximise value within the development process and stay current with industry trends.
The candidate
* 3+ years of experience managing and leading a software development team.
* Senior development background of at least 6+ years of hands-on software development, including full SDLC delivery.
* Proven experience leading a team in Azure DevOps and DevOps methodologies.
* Certified Agile Scrum practitioner.
* Management and leadership skills.
Skills
* Strong leadership, project and change management skills with the ability to build and lead a technology team.
* Success in defining, building and releasing software-based solutions that drive ROI.
* Ability to create a dynamic, results-oriented, innovative, collaborative and professional culture.
* Experience in development frameworks and API management.
* Understanding of Microservices within an architectural strategy.
* Expertise in agile development methodology and toolkits.
* Excellent written, verbal and presentation skills and ability to build consensus and relationships.
* Strong problem-solving and quick concept grasping abilities; flexibility to adapt to changing needs.
* Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with ability to translate technical requirements for business audiences.
* Experience with Test Driven Development (TDD) and automated testing processes.
* Experience with APIs and integrating solutions in multi-cloud and hybrid environments; developing custom APIs.
* Understanding of M365 development technologies and Power Platform including Power Automate, Logic Apps and Canvas Apps for M365-based solutions.
* Proficiency in programming languages and frameworks such as .NET, C#, React/JavaScript, J2EE, JQuery.
Equal opportunities
Birketts is committed to an inclusive culture and equal opportunity. We do not tolerate discrimination and welcome applications from a diverse range of candidates. Our benefits include:
* 25 days holiday (FTE) plus Bank Holidays
* Long Service holiday award - 1 extra week every 10 years continuous service
* Private Healthcare with BUPA (offered after probation)
* Scottish Widows Pension Scheme (5% employer / 5% employee)
* Staff Profit Share and Individual Performance Bonus Scheme
* Salary sacrifice (Pensions, Staff Profit Share)
* Life Assurance - 4 x salary / Permanent Health Insurance
* Paid CSR Day
* Enhanced Maternity/Paternity Leave
* Subsidised gym membership
* Electric car scheme
* Agile/Hybrid Working Policy
* Dress for your Day Policy
Birketts is a flexible business with a hybrid working model. We welcome applications from people seeking flexible, agile, and part-time roles and will discuss your preferred working patterns during the application process.
Please note that this job profile is not an exhaustive list of duties but outlines key components of the role. You may be required to take on additional responsibilities as requested by your line manager. Birketts is committed to being an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not tolerate discrimination based on age, disability, sex, race, religion or belief, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, or sexual orientation. We value diversity and select on merit.
Seniority level
* Mid-Senior level
Employment type
* Full-time
Job function
* Engineering and Information Technology
* Industries: Law Practice
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