Verified Skilled Worker sponsor

Lead Software Developer

NHS Dorset

Dorchester, DT1 1XJ £49,387 – £56,515 a year Permanent Posted 19 August 2026 Apply by 13 September 2026

Home Office register entry: NHS Dorset, Dorchester

Visa sponsorship

This role is listed by an employer that holds a live Home Office sponsor licence on the Skilled Worker route.

Closest occupation match: SOC 2134, Programmers and software development professionals. Home Office going rate for this occupation: £54,700 a year.

NHS roles fall under the Health and Care Worker route. Public reference figures for that route: the general salary minimum is £25,000 a year, and salaries set by national pay scales (NHS bands) at or above the relevant band rate typically meet the occupation's requirement. Individual eligibility depends on personal circumstances. These figures are public reference information, not advice or a verdict on this job.

Role description

Job summary

Turning data, analytics & data science into high-quality digital products that make a difference. Design & build intuitive, secure & scalable data products transforming complex data & analytical capabilities into tools that people can easily access & use in their day to day work. Bring together software engineering, data & user-centred design, work closely with data scientists, analysts, BI specialists & operational teams to create the applications & digital experiences to bring data & insight to life. Includes interactive data products, decision-support tools, workflow applications & other digital services. Will lead engineering of products from discovery & prototyping to production, creating modern applications, APIs, services & integrations that connect users with data & analytical capabilities. Will champion modern software engineering & product development practices, helping establish reusable approaches, development standards & platforms that enable new data products to move from concept to production efficiently & safely. Explore & evaluate the responsible use of AI-assisted coding & development tools to improve, code quality & pace of delivery, as well as opportunities to integrate appropriate AI capabilities into digital & data products where they provide clear value to users. Ensure solutions are robust, maintainable & secure by design, meeting governance, cyber security & accessibility standards.

Main duties of the job

Lead design & development of user-centred products, turning data, analytics & data science into intuitive digital tools. Develop applications, building robust backend services, APIs & accessible front end experiences making complex data & analytical easier. Work with data scientists, analysts, engineers & op teams to take ideas & analytical capabilities from concept to production, create user-facing products bring data & insight into everyday. Champion prototyping & iterative development, get ideas in front of users early, test assumptions & learn quickly before committing significant time & resources to full scale develop. Establish & maintain effective CI/CD, automated testing & deployment practices, enabling products to be developed, released & improved frequently, safely & consistently. Design & maintain APIs, application services & integrations that connect data platforms, analytical capabilities & user-facing products. Lead products through the full software development lifecycle, including discovery, technical design, development, testing, deployment, monitoring, maintenance & continuous improvement. Explore& appropriately adopt AI-assisted development tools & other emerging technologies where they can improve developer productivity, quality or speed of delivery, while maintaining appropriate technical oversight & governance.

About us

Under the Model ICB Blueprint and the 10 Year Health Plan, ICBs will adopt a more strategic commissioning role, focusing on population needs, reducing inequalities, and delivering the three shifts as defined in the 10 year health plan, all while operating within strict financial limits.

The new organisation will operate on a larger scale with a revised vision and purpose, managing a commissioning budget of around £8 billion. Our role as a strategic commissioner is to transform our local NHS through exceptional commissioning and build an innovative health system fit for the 21st century that truly meets our communities needs. Informed by high quality data and insights, we will radically re-imagine how we operate, making sure that every pound in our system delivers the best possible value for everyone we serve.

We will encourage and support our people to grow and develop new skills and embrace new agile ways of working. Everyone is encouraged to contribute ideas, seek feedback, and take part in creating a listening and learning culture where insight leads to improvement.

We will work as a team of teams, collaborating across services and professions to deliver the best outcomes for our communities. You will be encouraged, and expected to model inclusive behaviours, valuing diverse perspectives and helping to create a workplace where everyone feels respected, supported, and able to thrive.

Date posted

19 August 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£49,387 to £56,515 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number

D9467-26-0008

Job locations

NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board

NHS Dorset - County Hall

Colliton Park

Dorchester

Dorset

DT1 1XJ

United Kingdom

NHS Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon, and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board

Jenner House, Avon Way

Langley Park

Chippenham

Wiltshire

SN15 1GG

United Kingdom

NHS Somerset Integrated Care Board

Wynford House

Lufton Way

Yeovil

Somerset

BA22 8HR

United Kingdom

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please also refer to attached Job Description

The Software Engineer will design, develop, and maintain software applications, automation solutions, and analytics tools that support the Clusters data, intelligence, and operational priorities.

The post holder will work closely with analysts, data scientists, business intelligence teams, and operational stakeholders to translate business and analytical requirements into robust, reliable, and secure software solutions. This includes contributing to the design and delivery of systems that enable efficient data processing, reporting, and operational insight across the organisation.

The role will support the development of automated workflows, application services, and system integrations, ensuring that all software solutions comply with NHS information governance, cyber security, and quality standards.

The post holder will contribute to the full software development lifecycle, including requirements analysis, solution design, development, testing, deployment, documentation, and ongoing maintenance of applications and automation processes.

The Software Engineer will develop and maintain application programming interfaces (APIs), microservices, and system integrations to support interoperability between internal data platforms and external systems.

The role will utilise a range of programming languages and development technologies, which may include Python, R, .NET, JavaScript, SQL, and cloud-based development frameworks.

The post holder will apply user-centred design principles to ensure that solutions are intuitive, accessible, and aligned with user needs across analytical and operational teams.

The role will also support application lifecycle management, including version control, monitoring, troubleshooting, and the ongoing enhancement of existing systems and automation tools.

In addition, the post holder will ensure that secure coding practices are followed and that all developments adhere to NHS cyber security principles and recognised industry standards.

The Software Engineer will contribute to continuous improvement activities within the software development function, supporting the adoption of modern engineering practices, including testing, documentation, and collaborative development approaches.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

Please also see attached Person Specification.
Educated to degree level in relevant subject or equivalent level qualification or significant experience of working at a similar level in specialist area.
Post-graduate degree in Management Studies or equivalent.
Evidence of continued professional development.
Demonstrated experience of co-ordinating projects in complex and challenging environments.
Understanding of the public sector.
Demonstrated experience in a Healthcare environment.
Comprehensive knowledge of project principles, techniques and tools, such as Prince 2 Foundation and Microsoft Project.

Experience

Essential

Please also see attached Person Specification.
Significant experience of successfully operating in a politically sensitive environment.
Experience of creating and giving presentations to a varied group of internal and external stakeholders.
Experience of setting up and implementing internal processes and procedures.
Experience of managing a team without direct line management.
Experience of managing risks and reporting.
Experience of drafting briefing papers and correspondence at SMT level.
Experience of monitoring budgets and business planning processes.

Skills, abilities and Knowledge

Essential

Please also see attached Person Specification.
Ability to prepare and produce concise yet insightful communications for dissemination to senior stakeholders and a broad range of stakeholders as required.
Ability to analyse very complex issues where material is conflicting and drawn from multiple sources.
Demonstrated capability to act upon incomplete information, using experience to make inferences and decision making.
Numerate and able to understand complex financial issues combined with deep analytical skills.
Knowledge of Financial Systems e.g. monitoring budget management, processing invoices and procurement.
Demonstrated capability to plan over short, medium and long-term timeframes and adjust plans and resource requirements accordingly.
Demonstrated capabilities to manage own workload and make informed decisions in the absence of required information, working to tight and often changing timescales.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants.