Are you passionate about building scalable design systems and shaping the future of frontend engineering at scale?
Join The Open University as a Lead Software Engineer (Design System) and play a pivotal role in defining the technical direction of a shared UI platform used across multiple products and teams.
About the Role
The Lead Software Engineer (Design System) role (known internally as Lead Engineer) sits within the Design System team, owning the technical direction and evolution of a shared UI platform used by multiple product teams across the organisation. You will provide technical leadership across the Design System ecosystem, shaping architecture and standards for reusable components, and developer experience, while working closely with Design and Product leadership. The role focuses on enabling teams at scale through clear interfaces, strong governance, versioning strategies, accessibility standards, documentation, and operational excellence, rather than delivering product‑specific features.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead & manage engineering teams: Lead on team performance, motivation, and setting clear objectives to ensure successful delivery of high-quality products.
- Develop & mentor your team: Support the professional development of your team members, such as mentoring junior engineers, helping them grow their skills and achieve their career goals.
- Contribute to the wider engineering community: Lead process improvements (aligned to agile & DevOps), drive technology management, and champion best practices in methods and tools. By actively engaging with the wider engineering profession and community, you will inspire and help shape the future of technology and elevate engineering standards within and beyond our organization.
- Resource & supplier management: Assist in allocating resources to projects and managing relationships with external suppliers to ensure smooth project execution.
- Architect technical solutions: Lead the design and development of complex systems and software architectures that meet The Open University objectives and technical requirements. Conduct in-depth analysis of potential solution options, considering factors such as cost, performance, scalability, and maintainability.
- Oversee the full development lifecycle: Ensure seamless systems integration, configuration management, and rigorous testing practices throughout the entire software lifecycle.
- Data & database design: Oversee the data modelling and database design processes in conjunction with our Data Architects to ensure optimal system performance and scalability.
- Ensure security & compliance: Lead the implementation of robust security measures and ensure compliance with information assurance standards across all systems.
- Drive innovation: Stay ahead of emerging technologies and evaluate new tools and trends that can improve our technology stack.
- Manage analysis & feasibility assessments: Collaborate with stakeholders to analyse The Open University needs, define requirements, and assess the feasibility of technical solutions.
- Ensure service & application support: Oversee service level management and ensure that our applications and infrastructure are supported effectively, including out-of-hours as required, to minimize downtime.
- Capacity & problem management: Lead capacity management efforts and problem resolution to ensure the scalability and efficiency of our systems.
- Collaborate with the Product Lead & Design Lead: collaborate closely with the Product and Design Leads to balance the product roadmap and features request with essential technical priorities, ensuring the technology agenda is clearly communicated and aligned with product goals.
You will help lead the transformation towards a DevOps culture by promoting automation, integrating practical AI, and fostering a continuous improvement mindset to enhance workflow efficiency, accelerate feedback loops, and support ongoing learning.
You will support this work by developing and advocating for the Open University’s Engineering manifesto and promoting best practices.
About You
Key Skills & Experience
- Strong technical leadership in software and systems development, with a proven track record of delivering high-quality solutions on time.
- Excellent people management & mentoring skills, with the ability to inspire and grow engineering teams.
- 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.
- Expert in systems architecture and designing scalable, reliable software solutions with deep expertise in cloud services, microservices, and distributed systems, ensuring seamless integration across complex environments.
- Advanced programming & software development experience, with proficiency in modern development practices and tools.
- In-depth knowledge of testing & configuration management particularly with experience in Test-Driven Development (TDD) and Automated Testing processes to ensure system reliability and performance, enhancing software maintainability, and continuous integration.
- Data & database design expertise, ensuring efficient data structures and performance.
- Information security & compliance awareness, with the ability to implement and monitor security protocols.
- Experience in non-functional testing to ensure systems meet performance, security, and scalability requirements.
- Stakeholder relationship management, with a strong ability to communicate technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders and manage expectations.
We are seeking an experienced engineer with proven expertise in modern digital development, including cloud, DevOps, automation, TDD, infrastructure as code, and MACH architecture (Microservices, API-first, Cloud-native, and Headless). Must be skilled in using observability tools and effective in leading hybrid teams across permanent and offshore/nearshore settings.
Behaviours
- Leadership & Ownership: You take full ownership of your work and lead by example. You are not only focused on the “what” but also the “how” and inspire those around you to strive for excellence.
- Collaboration: You are a team player, a proactive communicator who works effectively across functions and departments, actively sharing your team’s progress and seeking wider feedback to those outside of the team. You foster a collaborative environment that encourages knowledge-sharing and ensures alignment with the broader organizational goals.
- Problem-Solving: You have a knack for diagnosing complex problems and offering practical, innovative solutions, while always keeping the bigger picture in mind.
- Adaptability: In a rapidly changing environment, you embrace change and thrive on the challenge of learning new technologies and methodologies.
- Strategic Thinking: You have a forward-thinking mindset, always looking for ways to improve processes, systems, and technology to achieve long‑term success.
Benefits
At The Open University, we’re leaders in digital education and innovation. This is your opportunity to shape the foundations of how digital products are built across the organisation – impacting thousands of learners and staff.
- 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.
Ready to make an impact?
Apply now and help us build a world‑class Design System that powers the next generation of digital experiences at one of the UK’s most respected institutions.
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