Technical Team Lead / Lead Software Engineer

Salary: Up to £69,524 per annum dependent upon experience

Contract Type: 12 Month Fixed Term Contract

Security Level: SC

Visa Restrictions: This position does not offer visa sponsorship

The UK Civil Aviation Authority is the UK's aviation and aerospace regulator and a recognised world leader in aviation safety and innovation. Our Software Engineering function enables the organisation to deliver modern, resilient services that support our mission and the wider aviation community.

We are looking for a hands-on Technical Team Lead to play a critical role in our Future of Flight initiative developing cutting-edge digital systems that shape the future of UK aerospace regulation. This is an opportunity to lead talented engineers, drive technical innovation, and deliver software that genuinely impacts national aviation safety and standards.

If you are passionate about modern engineering practices, thrive in a DevOps culture, and want to work on meaningful, high-impact projects, we’d love to hear from you.

The Role

As a Technical Team Lead, you will combine leadership and direction with hands-on software engineering. You’ll guide a cross-functional team, deliver high-quality solutions, and help transform our digital landscape as part of a mature DevOps organisation.

You will

• Lead & Develop a High Performing Team
• Mentor a team of engineers and technical specialists.
• Foster innovation, continuous improvement, and high-quality engineering.
• Champion DevOps, automation testing, and agile principles.
• Represent the team within Software Engineering and ISD leadership forums.
• Drive Technical Delivery
• Lead development of systems supporting RPAS (drone) regulation.
• Ensure compliance with architecture, security, and accessibility standards (including WCAG 2.2 AA).
• Oversee scalable CI/CD pipelines and DevOps tooling.
• Represent the department in our Technical Design Forum.
• Collaborate & Influence
• Act as a bridge between regulatory stakeholders, product owners, and engineering teams.
• Advocate for agile and DevOps methodologies.
• Work closely with the Head of Software Engineering to prioritise delivery of drone related systems.
• Innovate & Improve
• Introduce emerging technologies relevant to drone systems and digital aviation safety.
• Enhance automation frameworks, cloud platforms, and CI/CD capabilities.
• Continuously refine workflows for security, scalability, performance, and sustainability.

What You’ll Bring

Essential Skills

• Proven experience leading software engineering and DevOps teams.

Strong proficiency in:

• ASP.NET, C#.NET, .NET Core
• MVC, Web API, Entity Framework
• React, Next.js, TypeScript, JavaScript, HTML/CSS
• SQL, PostgreSQL, Redis, Hangfire
• Familiarity with Azure DevOps and modern DevOps practices
• Understanding of accessibility, UI/UX, and responsive design
• Strong grasp of secure coding and code review best practices
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills
• Desirable Skills
• Experience writing unit tests
• Deployment experience using containers (Docker, AKS)
• Experience with Azure cloud services

Additional Information

For many appointments within the CAA, these roles require access to operationally sensitive infrastructure and/or Nationally Protected information. For these roles the post holders must undergo National Security Vetting and achieve the appropriate level of clearance.

SC - To be vetted we will usually expect a reasonable period of residency in the UK so that meaningful checks can be undertaken. For this role this will need to be 5 years.

If you do not meet these requirements, we may not be able to accept your application.

For more information on SC clearance please visit - Vetting explained - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The CAA values high ethical standards and personal integrity among employees. If invited for interview you will be asked to complete a declaration of interest.

Relocation & Property

The CAA will be relocating from Aviation House (Our Gatwick Office) to new premises in a few years’ time. Our move is driven by strategic, operational and environmental considerations.

We will be moving to a new local home, up to a 15-mile radius of Aviation House, to minimise disruption for our valued colleagues and customers.

We are now working with colleagues and visitors to understand what we need in our new office, before we start our property search. We will sell Aviation House and land, vacate the site and move to new premises, but we do not expect to move before 2028

Inclusive Recruitment

We are passionate about diversity and ensuring all are included at the CAA. We are an equal opportunity employer and actively encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds.

As a member of the Disability Confident scheme, applicants who meet the minimum criteria for a role with us will be guaranteed an interview. We use fair and inclusive selection approaches to hire the best person for the job based on merit alone. If you require an adjustment for any reason, please let us know.

Use of Artificial Intelligence by candidates in the CAA recruitment process

We recognise that many of our candidates find Artificial Intelligence to be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be rejected on that basis.

Working With Us

We are on a journey towards being increasingly adaptable, where our colleagues collaborate as part of cross-functional teams. This approach ensures we never stop learning together. It also means that you may become involved in activities that take you out of your day-to-day role, providing you with opportunities to develop and grow your career with us.

We have embraced hybrid working and offer flexible working patterns, being open to having a conversation about what works for you. We know where and when we work is important in achieving a work-life balance.

We offer a range of excellent benefits such as flexible working arrangements, free onsite gym at Gatwick, discounted gym membership for London, 28 days annual leave, additional 5 days leave purchase scheme, a generous pension scheme and much more!

Our Values

Do The Right Thing, Never Stop Learning, Build Collaborative Relationships, Respect Everyone – For more information please Click Here

Closing Date: Friday 10th April 2026

Interview Date: W/C Monday 20th April 2026

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

No recruitment agencies please.