Senior Software Engineer (Design System)
Join The Open University as a Senior Software Engineer (Design System) and play a key role in creating consistent, accessible, and high‑quality digital experiences used across our platforms.
About the Role
Senior Software Engineer (Design System) role (known internally as Senior Engineer) sits within the Design System team, responsible for building and evolving a shared UI component library and related assets used by multiple product teams across the organisation. You will work closely with designers and engineers to translate design intent into high‑quality, accessible, and reusable components, enabling consistent user experiences at scale. The role focuses on front‑end and user‑interface capabilities, developer experience, and supporting consuming teams through documentation, versioning, and ongoing maintenance.
Key Responsibilities
* Lead Software Development Projects: Guide the design, development, and implementation of software solutions, ensuring they are robust, scalable, and aligned with The Open University objectives. Provide technical leadership and mentorship, and may include line management, to junior team members.
* Architect and Design Systems: Develop and refine system architectures and software designs that meet requirements and technical specifications. Ensure that all designs are maintainable, secure, and optimized for performance, and systems are designed to be observable, supportable, and resilient in live operation, with appropriate monitoring, alerting, and operational documentation in place.
* Drive Technical Excellence: Champion best practices in software development, including coding standards, TDD and automated testing approaches (e.g. unit and integration), and version control, to ensure the delivery of high‑quality, scalable and maintainable software products.
* Oversee System Integration: Manage the integration of multiple software components, ensuring seamless interaction and functionality across the system.
* Data Management and Analysis: Lead efforts in data modelling, database design, and business intelligence to support data‑driven decision making and improve system performance.
* Enhance User Experience: Collaborate with UX designers to ensure that user experience is a key consideration in the development process. Translate user needs into functional software features that deliver value.
* Monitor and Assess Emerging Technologies: Stay informed about new and emerging technologies, evaluating their potential to enhance current and future projects.
* Implement Security and Compliance Standards: Ensure that software solutions comply with security standards and industry regulations. Implement best practices to protect data and maintain system integrity.
* Quality Assurance and Testing: Oversee comprehensive testing strategies, including functional, non‑functional, and security testing, to ensure software reliability and performance.
* Support Operational Excellence: Contribute to the stability and performance of software applications by supporting incident and problem management, utilising observability data, as part of a build‑run‑own approach, including out‑of‑hours as required, as well as service level and capacity planning.
* Conduct Services, Products and Requirements Analysis: Work closely with stakeholders to understand their needs, define technical requirements, and assess the feasibility of proposed solutions. Document and manage requirements to ensure alignment with project goals.
* Resource and Supplier Management: Assist in managing resource allocation and collaborate with external vendors to ensure project needs are met effectively and efficiently.
Key Skills and Experience
* Proven Software Engineering Expertise: Extensive experience in software development (coding, test writing and debugging), reviewing other people’s work, with a deep understanding of programming, system design, and testing practices.
* Strong System and Software Design Skills: Ability to design scalable and efficient systems, ensuring architectural integrity and alignment with The Open University objectives, with experience contributing to systems built using modern architectural patterns such as microservices, API‑first design, and cloud‑native platforms.
* Advanced Data Management: Skilled in data modelling, database design, and implementing business intelligence solutions to support analytics and decision‑making.
* User‑Centric Development: Experience in integrating user experience design principles into the software development process to create intuitive and effective user interfaces.
* Emerging Technology Enthusiast: Passion for exploring and integrating new technologies to enhance software solutions and business capabilities.
* Security and Compliance Focus: Knowledgeable in implementing security protocols and ensuring compliance with industry standards to protect systems and data.
* Quality Assurance Leader: Strong focus on quality, with experience in leading comprehensive testing strategies to ensure the reliability and performance of software products.
* Effective Analysis and Requirement Management: Proven ability to translate user needs into technical requirements and assess the feasibility of proposed solutions.
* Operational and Resource Management: Experience in managing resources, supporting application operations, and working with external suppliers to meet project demands.
* Modern Engineering Practices and AI Enablement: Experience working in a modern engineering environment, applying practices such as automated testing, CI/CD pipelines, cloud‑native development, and DevOps ways of working. Demonstrates effective use of AI‑assisted development tools to enhance productivity, improve code quality, support testing and documentation, and enable faster delivery, while being mindful of governance, security, and cost considerations.
Behaviours
* Leadership and Mentorship: You lead by example, providing guidance and support to team members, and fostering a collaborative and inclusive team environment.
* Analytical and Strategic Thinking: You are capable of understanding complex business challenges and developing strategic technical solutions to address them.
* Proactive and Innovative: You actively seek out opportunities for improvement and are eager to integrate new technologies and methodologies into your work.
* Attention to Detail: You ensure accuracy and quality in all aspects of your work, from coding and testing to documentation and analysis.
* Effective Communicator: You are able to convey technical concepts to both technical and non‑technical stakeholders, ensuring clear understanding and alignment.
Our Benefits
* 33 days annual leave, on top of bank holidays and a three‑day Christmas closure period.
* Access to a leading pension scheme for UK higher education with generous employer contributions.
* Staff Fee Waivers for OU study, meaning you could earn a degree for free.
* Hybrid working, with limited requirement to attend the office in‑person, with agile working and family friendly policies.
* Discounts, wellbeing support, and development opportunities.
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