Tech Lead and Engineering Manager

About the Role

The University of Cambridge's Information Services is seeking a hands-on Tech Lead and Engineering Manager to spearhead a team focused on building and modernising cloud-native services and revamping existing applications. This role is integral to an Engineering Division comprising 50 engineers, overseeing services that impact approximately 60,000 staff, researchers, and students globally, thus significantly influencing the University's international standing.

This hybrid, Cambridge-based position comes with excellent benefits, including a defined benefit pension and a generous 41 days of annual leave.

Our contemporary services adhere to modern web architecture standards, are API-centric, and benefit from continuous building and testing via GitLab. They operate within Docker containers and are deployed to a serverless container platform on Google Cloud. Our core technology stack includes Python, Django, React, Typescript, GitLab, Terraform, and Google Cloud. We leverage boilerplate solutions and turnkey templates to ensure efficient scalability, maintain a DRY principle, and foster a robust DevOps culture.

You can explore examples of our projects at gitlab.developers.cam.ac.uk/uis/devops, and our technical strategy is detailed in our guidebook at guidebook.devops.uis.cam.ac.uk/.

Key Responsibilities and Skills

As a Tech Lead and Engineering Manager, you will be expected to:

• Possess advanced skills in modern software development, testing, and operations practices, ensuring your knowledge remains current.
• Exhibit expert proficiency in:
• Managing software requirements, priorities, and dependencies.
• Architecting web applications, including API design, with an emphasis on maintainability, stability, and security, utilizing clean code principles.
• Integrating diverse applications through APIs, event buses, and asynchronous tasks.
• Packaging web applications efficiently in Docker containers.
• Implementing testing frameworks and adhering to testing best practices.
• Utilizing GitLab or comparable version control and CI/CD platforms.
• Constructing CI pipelines for building and testing web applications.
• Developing CD pipelines for deploying web applications to the cloud using Terraform and Google Cloud or similar platforms.
• Collaborate across various products and teams to ensure a unified architectural vision.
• Drive continuous improvements in technical architecture, standards, and processes.
• Identify and implement the most appropriate solution for each challenge, whether it involves discontinuing a service, extending an existing one, developing a new service, or adopting a SaaS solution.
• Demonstrate strong experience in managing agile, cross-functional teams with a DevOps methodology.
• Lead, train, and mentor a team of engineers.
• Exhibit excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Maintain a strong focus on delivery while continuously improving existing services.
• Work closely with other University members to effectively gather, clarify, and break down requirements.
• Enjoy engaging with a broad spectrum of services and technologies.

Specific Responsibilities Include:

• Ensuring high team motivation, performance, and adherence to current best practices.
• Managing priorities and supporting scrum tasks, including dependency management, sprint scheduling, and backlog writing and grooming.
• Understanding and supporting product and service needs, gathering requirements, and formulating strategies to meet them.
• Conducting competitive analysis to identify strengths and weaknesses of various solutions.
• Developing compelling business cases for proposed new features, products, or services.

You will join a cohort of Tech Leads and Engineer Managers, reporting directly to the Head of Development and Operations (DevOps). We encourage applications from individuals seeking part-time or other flexible working arrangements and particularly welcome applications from women and candidates from a BME background, who are currently under-represented at this level within our department.

Key skills/competency

• Cloud-Native Development
• Software Architecture
• API Design
• DevOps Culture
• Google Cloud Platform (GCP)
• Python/Django
• React/TypeScript
• CI/CD Pipelines
• Agile Methodologies
• Team Leadership