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

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

The role

Delivery Leads are responsible for the successful delivery of our clients’ projects across the full lifecycle, from inception to launch and beyond. Typical project sizes range from 50 to 1,000 days and our projects span multiple sectors and technologies. You might:

• Mentor a team of eight, to support the rollout of a new VOD service for a major media organisation
• Support a team in understanding citizens’ information gaps in making their homes more energy-efficient, prototype, then build an accessible website to give advice on how to achieve it
• Guide the design and delivery of a system that helps match thousands of bone-marrow donors with suitable recipients for a national charity.

You will take responsibility for ensuring that the project achieves our clients’ aims, including making sure their experience of the project is as positive as the end-result it achieves. You’ll make sure the team are motivated, supported and happy, while working to deliver the project on-time and within budget, ensuring good value for the client, and protecting Softwire’s commercial interests.

You will have the opportunity to get involved in projects at their inception, working alongside service designers, or independently to understand the client’s objectives and help craft the project to meet their business outcomes and ensure that delivery is smooth and enjoyable for the client and the team.

You may also have involvement in meeting clients as part of the sales process, and contributing to proposals to shape how we would design and deliver a project for them.

The key responsibilities of the role are:

Delivering high value services to our clients 

As a Delivery Principal, you are accountable for the success of projects. You’ll lead delivery – either directly, or more often through managing delivery, technical and design leads. You’ll be responsible for ensuring client satisfaction, while also meeting Softwire’s commercial goals, and ensuring a happy team.

To do so, you’ll be empowered to guide clients through the delivery process, shaping the engagement for success from the first meetings, and resourcing the team. You’ll inspire trust with senior stakeholders, acting as the most senior line of project escalation for any issues, and have broad discretion on how to solve them.

You may do this on a programme of work spanning thousands of days of effort, or on a portfolio of smaller projects with independent delivery leads. In each case, the majority of your time will be value-adding, and chargeable to the projects.

Accelerating the careers of others 

Delivery Principals are highly experienced people managers. They bring experience in forming and leading multi-disciplinary teams. They bring out the best in the people they’re responsible for, both through strong line management of Delivery Leads, and by supporting the resourcing and progression of others on their projects.

You are expected to take responsibility for the “performance contract” of multiple employees – setting expectations and challenges, providing support and feedback, and ensuring appropriate reward upon delivery. You will also help your Delivery Leads mentor and manage more junior colleagues of their own. 

You may also choose to be involved in providing career mentoring for more junior colleagues, or providing or commissioning knowledge-sharing or other training initiatives. 

Generating additional business for Softwire 

As Softwire’s most senior delivery staff, Delivery Principals are very capable in front of both existing and prospective clients. You should inspire confidence and impress not only through your expertise, but through seeing the bigger picture. You will look for opportunities to build and expand existing accounts.

For example, this will include: 

• Ensuring clients receive – and, crucially, feel that they have received – an excellent service from Softwire, so they are motivated to bring repeat business and/or recommend our services to others.
• Meeting prospective clients, devising project plans and technical approaches, preparing written proposals and in-person pitches.
• Thinking beyond your immediate remit on a project to understand how Softwire can make it a success and where else we might be able to provide value to a client. 

It may also include:

• Taking the lead on key sales bids, understanding clients’ problems and shaping our response to them
• Attracting business to Softwire through your personal reputation in the industry – e.g. thought leadership, speaking at conferences, and personal networks. 

Your skills & experience 

• Have delivered projects within at least one of the following: Financial Services, Energy, Central Government, Media, or Healthcare; including working with senior stakeholders
• Have led projects that span the full business change lifecycle, not just the technology build, but the people, process, and organisational change needed to make it stick
• Have experience in process analysis and optimisation including techniques such as Value Stream Mapping to identify waste and drive meaningful improvements
• Have worked across programmes involving multiple teams, using scaled agile approaches such as SAFe, LeSS, or Scrum at Scale. Are familiar with lean/agile techniques tools and principles
• Have a history of solving problems, managing risks and overcoming challenges
• Have worked in multidisciplinary teams, including directly with developers and designers
• Are familiar with how AI tools are changing the way software teams work, and can factor this into planning, estimation, and ways of working
• Show evidence of a dedication to continuous improvement – both supporting/coaching a team and in your own ways of working

Your Approach

• Are comfortable taking the initiative and working with ambiguity
• Can communicate clearly including an ability to explain technical concepts to people with diverse backgrounds in a way that is meaningful to them
• Are interested in and familiar with how software is built and delivered, including knowing when things are technically easy or difficult. Have an equal interest in how business change is run to ensure technology projects are successful and vice versa.
• Are 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

You may also

• Have experience in understanding clients needs and prioritising them into user stories
• Have worked in other delivery roles such as product ownership, consultancy or technical roles
• Have contributed to proposals or pre-sales activity, including scoping, estimating, or shaping how a project would be structured and delivered
• Have worked to GDS principles in the past or have delivered Discoveries or Alphas to understand and validate user needs. (if you have worked with UK Central Government)

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 £58,100 – £76,100
• You can expect to receive an average of between £5,750 and £11,250 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 and sell), time off for company-wide morale activities, time off for charitable / CSR activities, free annual eye test, and opt-in health insurance, cycle to work scheme, and payroll charity donations.

We are there for our clients and colleagues when needed. On average our teams do this working in person 3 days a week.