Lead Application Developer

Job Introduction

** At Saga we’re radically flexible which means our colleagues have total autonomy over where they work – home, hybrid or hub. This role has a hybrid element which means our team come together when we need to collaborate. **

As a Lead Application developer at Saga, you will play a key role in the team, helping to technically navigate the team through large scale and interesting projects for the business, to help deliver exceptional experiences every day for our customers.

A typical day as a Lead Application Developer would involve being a key member of agile sprint stand ups, followed by facilitating ticket refinement and sprint planning sessions. Offering support and guidance to others in solving problems. Liaising with the business to provide technical guidance and recommendations for upcoming projects, all while keeping a watchful eye on monitoring the health of customer facing systems with the support of a highly experienced team.

Currently with a significant emphasis on collaboration, we are in the process of redefining our web architecture and web processes to build a new best-in-class website. Aligned closely to our business colleagues, our collective objectives are to drive efficiencies in our ways of working, removing duplication of effort to fuel the curiosity of what’s achievable for our colleagues and customers. Some of the benefits we will achieve are:

• Improved Site speed and SEO benefit
• Shared component functionality
• Defining a consistent way of working for web development processes
• UX/UI design consistency

We are looking for a Lead Application Developer to technically lead and line manage the Enterprise web team. We need someone to achieve scalable resilient solutions which meet users' needs and deliver solutions which will improve operational efficiency and the quality of customer user experience. We are looking for advocates of modern best practice for our technologies. Helping to encourage and demonstrate our culture whilst mentoring and developing those around them.

And in return, you can look forward to all the responsibility and involvement of an integral role, providing you with a rewarding and fast-paced career with an excellent benefits package.  

If this is of interest to you then we would be keen to hear from you! 

Role Responsibility

• Leading the design, build and modification of new and existing software solutions to deliver against the business needs and requirements. Ability to adapt and deliver with precision and pace.
• Providing strong technical guidance to the team and working alongside the technical leadership team, product owners and project management to ensure the team delivers against agreed business requirements.
• Working collaboratively with other colleagues across Saga’s Technology community to deliver technology programs, projects and workstreams. Establishing and maintaining a good working relationship with internal and external teams.
• Ensuring our applications and team are aligned with best practice and policy to ensure quality deliverables.
• Remaining current with development best practice and latest technology trends and bringing these learnings to life within the team.

• Provide high level estimates and project planning. Facilitating regular sprint planning and supporting the team to plan and estimate the project tasks and delivery dates

• Troubleshooting and monitoring our systems and work collaboratively with the team to resolve and prevent any defects, risks, or issues, whilst keeping key stakeholders updated with progression.
• Be a key contributor to identifying risks, understanding the impact, and liaising with the business and technology teams to put robust controls in place.

The Ideal Candidate

People Skills:

• A desire to continuously develop your skills
• An advocate for people success
• An eye for detail and identifying problems before they occur
• High levels of drive, enthusiasm, and energy
• Proactive attitude and self-motivated
• Proactively participating in the team and being vocal about issues, improvements, and successes.
• Can negotiate and influence and understand when to give direction

Technical Skills:

• Viewed as a technical expert and a role model in your specialist area
• Experience of managing a diverse team of highly knowledgeable developers
• Strong knowledge of coding languages and frameworks relevant to area these include C#, .NET, SQL, Web languages, design patterns such as MVC
• Strong experience in producing and consuming web services using Web API or other REST frameworks
• Good understanding of Agile development and other methodologies
• Strong organisational and communication skills, e.g. time management, documentation etc.

People Management:

• Manage the team in their day-to-day activities
• Develop, coach and mentor team members to be the best they can be, building their confidence, guiding them in their learning and facilitating their career progression
• Line managing team members and carrying out regular one to ones, giving praise and recognition as well as honest, fair, constructive, and timely feedback

Our Saga Values:

• Precision Pace - Always owning and making things happen. 
• Empathy – Always aware of others. 
• Curiosity – Always asking why.
• Collaboration – Always one team, the Saga team!

At Saga we believe in exceptional experiences everyday whilst being a driver for positive change in our markets and communities. Our values are precision pace, empathy, curiosity, collaboration. If this resonates with you then it’s time to do the best work of your life!

Package Description

The standard benefits when you join Saga include: 

• Remote working available where possible

• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays with the choice to buy a further 5 days annual leave per year 

• Free private medical insurance after 1 years' service 

• Workplace Pension 

• AXA Be Supported 

• A range of reductions and offers from leading retailers, travel groups and entertainment companies

About the Company

Having spent our first 30 years focused on travel, Saga launched Saga Magazine and developed home and motor insurance and financial services in the 1980s. Private medical and pet insurance followed in the 1990s, along with the launch of our own cruise ship operation. The strength of the Saga brand provides the Group with the ability to develop in-house or partner with suppliers to offer our customers and members highly differentiated, competitively priced products which meet their evolving needs.

Saga exists to help our customers and members lead the life they want to lead. To succeed in this, we know that the most important thing to do is to listen to our customers and members. At the heart of our business model is our drive to know more about our customers’ wants and needs so we are best placed to serve them.

Applying this approach over the past 70 years has enabled us to become the UK's specialist provider of products and services to people aged over 50 in the UK. The Saga brand has become one of the most recognised and trusted brands amongst UK consumers in this demographic and is recognised for its high quality products and exceptional standards of service. These include cruises and holidays, insurance, personal finance and the Saga Magazine.

When you join Saga you will see that we are committed to treating all employees fairly and to offering equal opportunities in all aspects of employment and advancement.

We value diversity not just because it is the right thing to do, but because diverse teams perform better. Creating a culture in which everyone feels welcome and offering equal opportunities in all aspects of employment and advancement is incredibly important to us. Fair consideration is given to applications from all applicants, including those with disabilities and those over who are over 50 as we are champions of age inclusivity.

We are an official Disability Confident Committed employer and ensure that our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible and we will make reasonable adjustments as required.

We are a member of the 30% Club and partner with Women Ahead which offers us a fantastic opportunity to take part in a leading, global, cross-company, leadership mentoring scheme to champion female talent.

We are a signatory of the Armed Services Covenant and have received a Silver Award from the Employer Recognition Scheme. 

To all recruitment agencies: Saga does not accept agency CVs unless specifically engaged on the role by the Talent Acquisition Team. Please do not forward CVs to our recruiters, employees or any other company location. Any engagement with employees or provision of CVs to employees within Saga where you have not engaged with the Talent Acquisition Team will be considered speculative and Saga will not be responsible for any fees related to CVs received in this unsolicited manner.

#LI-Hybrid

Saga Group