Lead Developer

Liverpool is home to vibrant, energetic, and engaged communities, people who take real ownership of their local area and are passionate about making our city a better place. We've got ambitious targets to meet and we need people who are driven, dynamic and ready to deliver the very best for our communities. Public service is more important than ever, and this role represents a real opportunity to make a difference to our communities by transforming the way we work and placing our residents at the heart of everything we do.

Working at Liverpool City Council provides an opportunity to contribute to your community and make a positive impact on the lives of residents. Our values shape how we work to deliver public services, and how we communicate with the residents we serve. We care about the best outcomes for local people, through our public services.

We are proud of our world-famous thriving city with its rich culture, as well as affordable housing, good schools, beautiful green spaces – there’s really something for everyone!

We’re looking for an experienced Lead Developer who wants to shape digital services that make a real difference to people’s lives.

At Liverpool City Council, you’ll take a leading role in building and improving the high-volume digital services that residents rely on every day. With Umbraco’s content management system at the heart of the role, you’ll help set our technical direction, influence how services are designed and built, and lead the development of secure, accessible and user-focused solutions.

You’ll bring strong Umbraco experience, supported by knowledge of .NET and C#, and the confidence to provide technical leadership across a broad and evolving digital estate. Alongside Umbraco and .NET, you'll gain exposure to a broader technology estate including Microsoft 365, Power Platform, Jadu Case Management and integrations with a range of corporate and third-party systems.

This is an opportunity to combine hands-on technical expertise with genuine influence. You’ll provide technical assurance, support and mentor developers, improve standards and help modernise how the council delivers digital services for Liverpool.

• Lead digital service development - Provide technical leadership for the design, development and delivery of digital services, with Umbraco at the heart of our web technology
• Mentor and develop others - Support and coach developers, helping build skills, confidence and development best practice across the team
• Set technical direction and standards - Shape technical approaches and standards, ensuring solutions are secure, accessible, scalable and maintainable
• Lead delivery end-to-end - Take technical ownership from solution design through to development, testing, release and ongoing support
• Provide technical assurance - Review designs and code, ensuring solutions meet agreed requirements, standards and best practice
• Modernise our digital estate - Improve existing services, reduce technical debt and support the modernisation of legacy applications
• Collaborate across platforms, services and suppliers - Work with stakeholders, project teams and suppliers to deliver joined-up solutions and maximise value
• Drive continuous improvement - Champion new ideas, technologies and ways of working that improve services, development standards and team capability

• Your work will directly improve services used by residents across Liverpool
• You’ll take a leading role in shaping how we use and develop Umbraco
• You’ll combine hands-on development with genuine influence over technical direction and standards
• You’ll help junior developers grow while strengthening capability across the wider team
• You’ll work across a varied technology estate, with complex platforms, services and integrations.
• You’ll help modernise legacy systems and build secure, accessible and sustainable digital services
• You’ll have the opportunity to influence how solutions are designed and built, not simply deliver predefined requirements

• At least 27 days holiday, plus bank holidays rising to 32 after 5 years’ service (pro rata if part time) - option to purchase further days
• Agile working (role dependent) - a “Flexibility First” approach to agile working, where flexibility is the norm rather than the exception
• Part of the Local Government Pension Scheme – option to join the AVC Scheme
• Progression - opportunities and training through a wide range of high quality learning
• Health and Wellbeing - offer including Employee Assistance Programme
• Cycle to Work and Travel Pass Schemes
• Drive Time – a salary sacrifice car lease scheme
• Family friendly policies with enhanced leave
• Discounted Gym Memberships
• Employee Volunteering Scheme
• Medicash

Closing date: midnight on Monday 26th October 2026

Shortlisting date: w/c Monday 2nd November 2026

Interview date:w/c Monday 9th & 16th November 2026

Interview type: Face to face

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early. Once the role has closed, you will not be able to submit an application, and we are unable to reopen the vacancy for you to complete it. We strongly recommend submitting your application well in advance of the closing date to avoid disappointment.

If you would like any further information or an informal discussion, please contact Laura Jones via laura.jones@liverpool.gov.uk

Watch our recruitment video and see what life is like working at Liverpool City Council.

Liverpool City Council is committed to fostering a workforce representative of the communities we serve. As an Equal Opportunities Employer, we believe in appointing candidates based on their skills, experience, qualifications, and abilities. To support this commitment, we guarantee an interview to candidates from under-represented groups who meet the minimum essential criteria for the role.

If you require any reasonable adjustments in line with the Equality Act 2010, such as an application form in a different format or additional time to complete your application, please contact us at recruitment@liverpool.gov.uk.

Although we advertise on Jobs Go Public, and other websites, your application process will be directed to our Tribepad system. Please note that all communication regarding your application for this post will be sent to the email address that you have registered on Tribepad, including your invite to interview if you are shortlisted. Please check your emails regularly, including Spam/Junk, after the closing dates for notifications.  Please ensure you complete your full profile, work and education history in Tribepad.

Eligibility to work in the UK will be verified in the final stages of the selection process. All candidates must either already have a right to work in the UK before commencing employment or meet the Home Office criteria for Visa sponsorship. Candidates who require sponsorship should evaluate the Home Office eligibility criteria for a Skilled Worker visa before applying.

This is not legal advice, and we advise you to seek your own independent legal advice tailored to your own personal circumstances.