TIS Principal Developer

Job summary

The Trainee Information System (TIS) Principal Developer role presents an exciting opportunity to be part of service that is delivering positive change to our users and stakeholders. We are multi-disciplinary agile team that develops and maintains digital products and services aimed at supporting and improving Postgraduate Medical and Dental Education (PMDE) and other professions.

This role is the key technical leadership role in TIS and sets the direction for software development, both to ensure our technical colleagues are well led and professionally supported, but also to ensure our solutions are robust, secure and scalable, and that they are aligned to user need. Currently, we have an establishment of 24 technical staff, of which we have 11 vacancies.

You will work closely with the product managers and lead developers in TIS and with oinked services, such as our recruitment service that requires strategic technical input and assurance.

TIS is a national team and although we have two "hubs" in London and Manchester, you can base yourself from any NHS England office across the country subject to approval.

Main duties of the job

You will be a technical expert with specialist knowledge and experience in software development, technical standards, and best practice, as well as an experienced manager capable of providing technical and professional leadership and working effectively with others.

Responsibilities include:

• Significant experience in web services and solutions, ideally open source and cloud technologies. We are Java and AWS centred, with DevOps.
• Leading and continuously improving software development strategy which underpins our approach to software development and support within TIS and associated services.
• Responsible for technical staff. Setting up effective line management and professional support and ensuring we have the right mix of capability and capacity to meet priorities.
• Staying up to date with best practice and profession-based standards and techniques, including developing and improving practices within the teams to enable delivery.
• Working with lead developers and others to ensure the product/service teams have the skills, personalities, and seniority to support delivery for users and stakeholders.
• Identify links to enhance collaboration and opportunities within/outside the team.
• Advocating for user-centred design and agile adoption that enhances the delivery of high-quality digital products and services that meet our users' needs.
• Ensuring alignment to the technical aspects of the Service Standard, the Technology Code of Practice and other governance and compliance.

About us

Our work supports the NHS to deliver high quality services for patients and best value for taxpayers.

Our staff bring expertise across hundreds of specialisms -- including clinical, operational, commissioning, technology, data science, cyber security, software engineering, education, and commercial -- enabling us to design and deliver high-quality NHS services.

We lead the NHS in England by:

• Enabling local systems and providers to improve the health of their people and patients and reduce health inequalities
• Making the NHS a great place to work, where our people can make a difference and achieve their potential
• Working collaboratively to ensure our healthcare workforce has the right knowledge, skills, values and behaviours to deliver accessible, compassionate care
• Optimising the use of digital technology, research, and innovation
• Delivering value for money

Earlier this year, the Government announced that NHS England will gradually merge with the Department of Health and Social Care, leading to full integration. The aim is to create a smaller, more strategic centre that reduces duplication and eliminates waste.

If successful at interview, we will initiate an Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) via the Electronic Staff Record (ESR). This retrieves key data from your current or previous NHS employer to support onboarding, including competency status, Continuous Service Dates (CSD), and annual leave entitlement. You may opt out at any stage of the recruitment process.

Details

• Date posted: 13 July 2026
• Pay scheme: Agenda for change
• Band: Band 8c
• Salary: £79,504 to £91,609 a year per annum (exclusive of HCAS)
• Contract: Fixed term
• Duration: 7 months
• Working pattern: Full-time, Part-time, Job share, Flexible working
• Reference number: 990-PPL-EC3102-E
• Job locations: Any NHS England Office, Nationally, E14 5EA, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities

Colleagues with a contractual office base are expected to spend, on average, at least 40% of their time working in-person.

• Review and understand our technology and tools in user and take ownership of the strategy/roadmap that identifies improvements where appropriate. This should be based on our wider evolving product and service delivery, and with an intention to move closer to national standards and the adoption of (for example) the NHS Technology Code of Practice.
• Work with our technical staff to develop an understanding of our capacity and capability, with the aim to ensure we have the right skills and competencies available for our current and future product and services.

Please note that the reason for the fixed term of this contract isdue to a short term vacancy.

You can find further details about the role, including key responsibilities and accountabilities, alongside the organisational structure and person specification in the attached Job Description and other supporting documents.

Applicants from within the NHS will be offered on a secondment basis only, agreement should be obtained from their employer prior to submitting the application.