Lead Software Engineer - Full Stack

About the role

The Pod Lead Engineer( AI Full Stack Lead) is a hands-on technical leader managing a small pod of 4–5 engineers, driving high-quality, outcome-focused delivery. Operating in an AI-native environment, this role leverages AI tools across the SDLC to accelerate development, testing, and release.

Responsible for technical direction, delivery ownership, and engineering excellence, while ensuring strong standards in security, compliance, and quality.

What you'll be doing

• Hands-on Delivery Leadership: Lead a pod of 4–5 engineers, contributing to design, coding, and reviews while driving CI/CD, automated testing, and high-quality releases.
• AI-Enabled SDLC: Leverage AI tools across the SDLC to accelerate development, testing, documentation, and delivery outcomes.
• Technical Ownership: Define architecture, design patterns, and ensure code quality, performance, security, and reliability.
• Pod Leadership: Manage day-to-day pod activities, task prioritization, unblock teams, and coach engineers in AI-native ways of working.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Collaborate with product and business teams to align on requirements, track progress, and deliver outcomes.
• Governance & Risk: Ensure compliance, security standards, and responsible AI usage with proper documentation and controls.

Essential Skills / Experience

• Strong experience as a Senior Software Engineer / Tech Lead, delivering scalable production systems
• Solid fundamentals in API design, data modelling, testing, CI/CD, secure coding, and reliability
• Hands-on expertise in Java or Python with frontend and backend technologies (React, Flutter, PostgreSQL, Neptune DB)
• Experience working in cloud environments (AWS preferred)
• Proven ability to lead small pods/teams and deliver in an iterative, agile setup
• Hands-on experience with AI development tools (e.g., Copilot, Claude, Amazon Kiro, agent workflows, AI-assisted testing & documentation).

Desirable Skills / Experience

• Experience working in AI‑assisted / agentic delivery models or rapid delivery pods / cohort models.
• Familiarity with governance practices that support quality and assurance in delivery environments (e.g., gate reviews, readiness checks).

About us

BT is the UK's leading communications group and the holding company behind some of the country's most recognised brands – including BT, EE, Openreach and Plusnet. Our purpose is as simple as it is ambitious: we connect for good. Our customers include consumers, small, medium and large businesses, public sector organisations and other communications providers.

Having come through the most capital-intensive phase of our fibre investment, our focus now is on what comes next – simplifying how we operate, using technology and AI to work smarter, and organising ourselves to serve customers better and grow sustainably.

We have a singular culture that unites all our people: we are customer-first challengers, who are committed, clear and connected. These behaviours unite us as one team to deliver for our colleagues, our customers, our stakeholders and the country. Joining BT means working at the heart of a business that matters to the UK, with the opportunity to shape decisions, influence outcomes and help set the future course of one of the country's most important companies.