Senior Delivery Lead

About Softwire

Softwire is a leading UK technology and strategy consultancy. From enterprise to government, we help visionary organisations turn strategic ambitions into results at scale. Our practices cover AI transformation, data platforms, systems engineering advanced CX and experience design.

Softwire was founded on one simple idea: be the outstanding place to work for smart, passionate technologists who want to make an impact. Attract the best, create a culture where people thrive, and offer our customers access to capabilities that are truly market leading.

And it seems to be working - We were recently voted number 1 company to work for in the UK at the Best Company awards; we employ outstanding people across all capabilities (typical destinations after Softwire include Google, DeepMind, start-up founder, algorithmic trading, and AI research roles); and we have helped our clients deliver some of the hardest, most interesting tech programmes, across private and public sectors.

A big part of this is our culture and values and we are looking for people who share our core beliefs about what makes a great place to work:

• That if a job is worth doing, it’s worth doing properly

• That work should be fulfilling but can also be fun

• That kindness matters and should be extended to employees and clients alike

• That by being trusting and trustworthy as an organisation and as individuals we can dispense with tedious bureaucracy and rules.

The Role

Delivery Leads are responsible for the successful delivery of our clients' projects across the full lifecycle and you own the outcome. That means the project achieves what the client sets out to achieve, and their experience of working with us is as good as the result.

You keep the team motivated, supported and well briefed, deliver on time and within budget, give the client honest value for their money, and protect Softwire's commercial position. Where those pull against each other, you raise it early rather than absorbing it.

You will have opportunities to be involved in projects from their inception to understand what the client is really trying to achieve, then shaping the work around their business outcomes so delivery runs well for them and for the team. A good product mindset, and knowing the right questions to ask and being curious are key to this role.

You will also meet clients as part of the sales process and contribute to proposals, shaping how we would scope, structure and deliver the work.

Experience and qualifications

• Have delivered projects within the public sector or retail, including working with senior stakeholders.

• Have led projects for external clients in a consultancy or professional services setting, holding the client relationship alongside the delivery and working within the commercial and contractual terms of an engagement.

• Proven ability to work in a programme with scaled Agile practices across multiple workstreams, managing dependencies and coordinating cross-team sprints (e.g. SAFe, LeSS, or Scrum at Scale).

• Experience leading projects through the full delivery lifecycle from discovery and initial scoping, through build and release, to live support.

• Experience facilitating Agile ceremonies (stand-ups, planning, reviews, retrospectives) and coaching teams on Agile practices and driving continuous improvement, both in the team and in your own ways of working.

• Strong experience with Agile metrics analysis and process optimisation and implementing improvements.

• Skilled at supporting backlog management, user story refinement, and acceptance criteria definition.

• A track record of improving team velocity and delivery predictability.

• Experience with Agile tools and reporting, such as Jira and Confluence.

• Familiar with how AI tools are changing the way software teams work, and can factor this into planning, estimation, and ways of working.

Your approach

• Comfortable taking the initiative and working with ambiguity and being curious.

• Excellent facilitation and conflict resolution skills, able to adapt to the needs of diverse teams and audiences.

• Strong stakeholder management across diverse audiences, and comfortable presenting to senior and C-level stakeholders.

• Ability to influence without direct authority.

• Clear, concise written and verbal communication, including an ability to explain technical concepts to people with diverse backgrounds in a way that’s meaningful to them.

• Ability to build relationships with across all teams, technical and business to drive delivery outcomes.

• Curious about emerging technologies, particularly AI, and bring a considered, practical view on how they can improve delivery outcomes.

• Understand the commercial dynamics of client engagements and can balance client outcomes with Softwire’s business interests.

The Package

Softwire operates transparent pay scales and a profit share scheme based on role and overall company performance

• Base salary is based on experience in role and ranges from £67,700 to £88,700

• You can expect to receive an average of £9,500 and £13,000 in profit share depending on your experience and company performance.

• Pension: Additional 5% of salary

Additional benefits

• 25 days annual leave (with the option to buy 10 and sell 5)

• 3.5 days additional days off for company-wide morale activities

• AIG income protection

• Travel card loan scheme

• Zero emission car scheme

• Cycle to work scheme

• Enhanced maternity/paternity pay

• Time off for charitable activities

• Sabbatical available on request

• Payroll charity donations

• Headspace plus

• Free annual eye test

• Long service awards

• Flexible working options and patterns

• (Flexible Working: The role is suitable for people who want to work 4dpw)

• (Hybrid Working: Generally able to work at least 2dpw from home)