Lead Software Engineer

<h1><span class="emphasis-3">Join Kainos and Shape the Future </span></h1><p>At Kainos, we’re problem solvers, innovators, and collaborators - driven by a shared mission to create real impact. Whether we’re transforming digital services for millions, delivering cutting-edge Workday solutions, or pushing the boundaries of technology, we do it together.</p><p><br>We believe in a <b>people-first culture</b>, where your ideas are valued, your growth is supported, and your contributions truly make a difference. Here, you’ll be part of a diverse, ambitious team that celebrates creativity and collaboration.</p><p><br>Ready to make your mark? <b>Join us and be part of something bigger.</b></p><div><div><p><b><span>MAIN PURPOSE OF THE ROLE & RESPONSIBILITIES IN THE BUSINESS:</span></b><span> </span></p></div><div><p><span><span>As a Lead Software Engineer in Kainos,<span> </span></span><span>you'll</span><span><span> </span></span><span>be responsible for</span><span><span> </span></span><span>leading</span><span><span> </span></span><span>teams and developing high quality solutions which delight our customers and<span> </span></span><span>impact</span><span><span> </span>the</span><span><span> </span></span><span>lives of users worldwide.<span> </span></span><span>It’s</span><span><span> </span>a fast-paced environment so it is important for you to make</span><span><span> </span></span><span>sound, reasoned decisions.<span> </span></span><span>You’ll</span><span><span> </span>do this whilst learning about<span> </span></span><span>new technologies</span><span><span> </span>and</span><span><span> </span></span><span>approaches, with talented colleagues that will help you to learn, develop and grow.</span><span><span> </span></span><span>You’ll</span><span><span> </span>manage,<span> </span></span><span>coach</span><span><span> </span>and develop a small number of staff, with a focus on managing</span><span><span> </span></span><span>employee performance and<span> </span></span><span>assisting</span><span><span> </span>in their career development.<span> </span></span><span>You’ll</span><span><span> </span>also provide</span><span><span> </span></span><span>direction and leadership for your team as you solve challenging problems together. As</span></span><span> </span></p></div><div><p><span><span>the technical leader in the team, you will also interact with customers, share knowledge</span></span><span> </span></p></div><div><p><span><span>and mentor those around you.</span></span><span> </span></p></div><div><p><b><span>MINIMUM (ESSENTIAL) REQUIREMENTS:</span></b><span> </span></p></div><div><ul><li><p><span><span>Expertise</span><span><span> </span>in designing, building,<span> </span></span><span>testing</span><span><span> </span>and<span> </span></span><span>maintaining</span><span><span> </span>modern software applications, with strong experience in at least one of Python or C#/.NET</span></span><span> </span></p></li></ul></div><div><ul><li><p><span><span>Technical leadership of teams building and testing modern, scalable, secure, performant applications in line with software development principles,<span> </span></span><span>practices</span><span><span> </span>and patterns e.g. XP, TDD</span></span><span> </span></p></li></ul></div><div><ul><li><p><span><span>Experience building AI or ML-powered products<span> </span></span><span>-</span><span><span> </span>including model integration, evaluation, prompt engineering, or retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) pipelines</span></span><span> </span></p></li></ul></div><div><ul><li><p><span><span>Experience with Microsoft Azure AI services (e.g. Azure OpenAI Service, Microsoft Foundry, Cognitive Services) or equivalent cloud AI platforms</span></span><span> </span></p></li></ul></div><div><ul><li><p><span><span>Experience of technical ownership for a product or software project, including architecture, estimation, product<span> </span></span><span>planning</span><span><span> </span>and user story/requirement creation</span></span><span> </span></p></li></ul></div><div><ul><li><p><span><span>Expertise</span><span><span> </span>in software design and development across all layers of an application, including API design, data pipelines, and front-end integration</span></span><span> </span></p></li></ul></div><div><ul><li><p><span><span>We are passionate about developing people – a demonstrated ability in managing,<span> </span></span><span>coaching</span><span><span> </span>and developing junior members of your team and wider community</span></span><span> </span></p></li></ul></div><div><ul><li><p><span><span>Experience with the latest Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery techniques, including CI/CD for ML/AI workloads (model versioning, experiment tracking, automated evaluation)</span></span><span> </span></p></li></ul></div><div><p><b><span>DESIRABLE:</span></b><span> </span></p></div><div><ul><li><p><span><span>Experience with the Microsoft agent ecosystem<span> </span></span><span>-</span><span><span> </span>such as Microsoft Agent Framework, Copilot Studio, Microsoft 365 Agents SDK, or Semantic Kernel</span></span><span> </span></p></li></ul></div><div><ul><li><p><span><span>Knowledge of responsible AI practices<span> </span></span><span>-</span><span><span> </span>including content filtering, PII handling, bias testing, and governance of autonomous agent actions</span></span><span> </span></p></li></ul></div><div><ul><li><p><span><span>Good communication</span><span><span> </span>skills, with the ability to communicate technical concepts and trade-offs to both technical and non-technical stakeholders</span></span><span> </span></p></li></ul></div><div><ul><li><p><span><span>Active participation in knowledge sharing activities, both within the team and at a wider capability level and externally where appropriate</span></span><span> </span></p></li></ul></div><div><ul><li><p><span><span>Experience of multiple programming languages and data storage technologies, including vector databases or search indices</span></span><span> </span></p></li></ul></div></div><div><div><ul><li><p><span><span>Knowledge of public cloud platforms</span><span><span> </span>such as<span> </span></span><span>Azure</span><span><span> </span>or AWS</span><span>, including SaaS and PaaS offerings</span></span><span> </span></p></li></ul></div></div><h1><span class="emphasis-3"><b>Embracing our differences  </b> </span></h1><p>At Kainos, we believe in the power of diversity, equity and inclusion. We are committed to building a team that is as diverse as the world we live in, where everyone is valued, respected, and given an equal chance to thrive.   We actively seek out talented people from all backgrounds, regardless of age, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, disability, or any other characteristic that makes them who they are.   We also believe every candidate deserves a level playing field.  <br></p><p>Our friendly talent acquisition team is here to support you every step of the way, so if you require any accommodations or adjustments, we encourage you to reach out.  <br></p><p>We understand that everyone's journey is different, and by having a private conversation we can ensure that our recruitment process is tailored to your needs.</p><p></p><p> </p>

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Common Interview Questions And Answers

1. HOW DO YOU PLAN YOUR DAY?

This is what this question poses: When do you focus and start working seriously? What are the hours you work optimally? Are you a night owl? A morning bird? Remote teams can be made up of people working on different shifts and around the world, so you won't necessarily be stuck in the 9-5 schedule if it's not for you...

2. HOW DO YOU USE THE DIFFERENT COMMUNICATION TOOLS IN DIFFERENT SITUATIONS?

When you're working on a remote team, there's no way to chat in the hallway between meetings or catch up on the latest project during an office carpool. Therefore, virtual communication will be absolutely essential to get your work done...

3. WHAT IS "WORKING REMOTE" REALLY FOR YOU?

Many people want to work remotely because of the flexibility it allows. You can work anywhere and at any time of the day...

4. WHAT DO YOU NEED IN YOUR PHYSICAL WORKSPACE TO SUCCEED IN YOUR WORK?

With this question, companies are looking to see what equipment they may need to provide you with and to verify how aware you are of what remote working could mean for you physically and logistically...

5. HOW DO YOU PROCESS INFORMATION?

Several years ago, I was working in a team to plan a big event. My supervisor made us all work as a team before the big day. One of our activities has been to find out how each of us processes information...

6. HOW DO YOU MANAGE THE CALENDAR AND THE PROGRAM? WHICH APPLICATIONS / SYSTEM DO YOU USE?

Or you may receive even more specific questions, such as: What's on your calendar? Do you plan blocks of time to do certain types of work? Do you have an open calendar that everyone can see?...

7. HOW DO YOU ORGANIZE FILES, LINKS, AND TABS ON YOUR COMPUTER?

Just like your schedule, how you track files and other information is very important. After all, everything is digital!...

8. HOW TO PRIORITIZE WORK?

The day I watched Marie Forleo's film separating the important from the urgent, my life changed. Not all remote jobs start fast, but most of them are...

9. HOW DO YOU PREPARE FOR A MEETING AND PREPARE A MEETING? WHAT DO YOU SEE HAPPENING DURING THE MEETING?

Just as communication is essential when working remotely, so is organization. Because you won't have those opportunities in the elevator or a casual conversation in the lunchroom, you should take advantage of the little time you have in a video or phone conference...

10. HOW DO YOU USE TECHNOLOGY ON A DAILY BASIS, IN YOUR WORK AND FOR YOUR PLEASURE?

This is a great question because it shows your comfort level with technology, which is very important for a remote worker because you will be working with technology over time...