Job Description
Lead Full Stack Developer (Web and Digital)
Position Details
* IT Services
* Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK
* Salary: £47,389 to £56,535 (potential progression to £63,606)
* Grade: 8
* Employment type: Full Time, Permanent
* Closing date: 7th June 2026
Benefits
* 40 days paid holiday a year
* One paid day a year for volunteering
* Occupational sick pay
* Pension scheme
* Three subsidised day nurseries
Role Summary
The Lead Full Stack Developer (Web and Digital) leads the design, development and delivery of modern digital services across web, mobile and API platforms. The role combines hands‑on software engineering, UX and UI design ownership, and technical leadership. The post holder designs user‑centred digital services while actively contributing to codebases using modern frameworks, cloud platforms and AI‑assisted development practices. The role drives engineering quality, promotes modern development practices and supports teams in adopting emerging technologies including AI‑assisted software development.
Main Duties
Technical Leadership
* Lead end‑to‑end delivery of web, mobile and digital platforms
* Define technical architecture for full‑stack applications
* Act as senior technical authority across frontend, backend and API development
* Establish coding standards, development workflows and engineering best practice
* Mentor developers and promote continuous technical improvement
* Support adoption of AI‑assisted development tools to improve productivity and quality
Full Stack Development
* Design, build and maintain modern frontend applications using current frameworks
* Develop backend services using Node.js, C#/.NET or equivalent enterprise frameworks
* Design and implement RESTful and service‑based APIs
* Integrate internal and third‑party systems through secure APIs and services
* Contribute hands‑on code across frontend and backend layers
* Ensure performance, scalability, maintainability and security of applications
UX and UI Ownership
* Lead UX and UI design alongside development activities
* Translate user research into usable digital interfaces
* Create wireframes, prototypes and interface designs where required
* Embed accessibility and usability into development lifecycle
* Ensure compliance with WCAG and Public Sector accessibility regulations
* Work directly with stakeholders to improve user journeys and service outcomes
Mobile Development
* Support development of mobile applications and responsive web solutions
* Provide expertise in cross‑platform mobile development approaches
* Ensure consistent user experience across desktop, tablet and mobile devices
* Mobile development expertise is considered a strong advantage
Software Engineering and Delivery
* Lead agile delivery within Scrum or Kanban teams
* Participate in solution design, development, testing and deployment
* Promote DevOps practices including CI/CD pipelines and automated testing
* Collaborate with QA teams to ensure high software qualitySupport release management and deployment processes
API and Service Integration
* Design scalable service architectures
* Build reusable APIs and shared services
* Integrate authentication platforms such as Azure AD and OAuth2
* Ensure secure data exchange between systems
* Support cloud‑native and microservice‑based solutions
Innovation and Emerging Technology
* Monitor modern web, AI and software engineering trends
* Evaluate AI tools for software development, automation and user experience improvement
* Introduce modern frameworks, tooling and development approaches
* Drive continuous improvement across Web and Digital engineering practices
Stakeholder Collaboration
* Work with product owners, designers, analysts and stakeholders to shape solutions
* Translate business requirements into technical solutions
* Provide technical guidance during planning and discovery phases
* Support procurement, supplier evaluation and technical decision making
General
* Actively manages equality, diversity and inclusion through monitoring and evaluation and actively challenging unacceptable behaviour
* Supports the University’s sustainability agenda through resource efficient working
* Any other duties commensurate with the grade
Essential
Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience
* Educated to Degree level (or equivalent) in Computer Science, Software Engineering or related discipline, or relevant technical qualification and considerable relevant experience. Where no equivalent qualification is held, significant practical relevant experience and expertise in a series of more demanding roles will be required demonstrating the conceptual understanding required.
* Strong full stack software development experience across frontend and backend technologies
* Experience with modern frontend frameworks such as React, Angular, Vue or equivalent
* Advanced knowledge of JavaScript, HTML5, CSS and responsive web design principles
* Proven experience developing backend services using Node.js or C#/.NET frameworks
* Experience designing and implementing RESTful APIs and service‑based integrations
* Strong understanding of authentication and authorisation methods including OAuth2 and Azure AD
* Experience integrating enterprise and third‑party systems through APIs
* Experience working with relational or NoSQL databases and data modelling practices
* Experience developing accessible digital services aligned with WCAG and Public Sector Accessibility Regulations
* Ability to lead UX and UI design activities alongside software development
* Experience translating user requirements into usable interface designs and user journeys
* Experience working with cloud platforms such as Microsoft Azure or equivalent
* Knowledge of CI/CD pipelines, automated deployment and DevOps practices
* Strong understanding of secure coding practices and application security principles
* Experience working within Agile delivery environments such as Scrum or Kanban
* Ability to mentor developers and establish engineering standards and best practice
* Awareness and practical use of AI‑assisted development tools within software engineering workflows
* Experience of championing Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in own work area
* Ability to monitor and evaluate the extent to which equality and diversity legislation, policies, procedures are applied
* Ability to identify issues with the potential to impact on protected groups and take appropriate action
Desired
* Experience delivering cross‑platform mobile applications using Flutter, React Native, MAUI or equivalent frameworks
* Experience building cloud native or microservice architectures
* Experience implementing automated testing including unit, integration and end‑to‑end testing
* Experience creating or maintaining design systems or component libraries
* Experience in WordPress blogs and hosting websites
* Experience with containerisation technologies and modern deployment approaches
* Experience integrating AI services or machine learning APIs into digital products
* Experience supporting enterprise‑scale digital platforms within large organisations
* Knowledge of performance optimisation, monitoring and observability tooling
* Experience contributing to technical strategy, architecture governance or technology roadmaps
* Experience working within higher education, public sector or regulated environments
Informal enquiries to Fawad Bhatti, email: f.bhatti@bham.ac.uk
We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone.
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