Senior Software Engineer - Ticketing and Retail

Are you ready to lead the development of innovative, user-centred digital services that transform how people travel across Greater Manchester?

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) is seeking a Senior Software Engineer to join our Ticketing and Retail team. This is a pivotal role where you’ll shape the future of our retail products, guiding our engineering teams and influencing technical strategy.

Your Role

As Senior Software Engineer, you’ll lead the delivery of high-quality, cost-effective software solutions that support public-facing services. You’ll work closely with Product Owners, UX designers, Architects, Testers and Analysts to build user-centred services.

For more info see Job Profile below

Your key responsibilities will be:

• Translate complex business and user driven needs into production-ready designs and code.

• Collaborate within a cross-functional agile delivery team with Product Owners, UX Designers, Architects, Testers and Analysts to build user-centred services.

• Define and implement robust development strategies and reusable design patterns.

• Manage technical debt and ensure long-term viability of codebases.

• Provide 3rd line support and proactively resolve defects and issues.

• Mentor engineers and contribute to a thriving, inclusive engineering community.

Who are we?

This role sits in the Ticketing Team at TfGM in the Customer & Growth Directorate. We are a diverse, multi-disciplined team driving forward significant change. You will work with a range of colleagues at all levels across TfGM and will report into the Ticketing Specialist Technical Architect.

What you’ll bring

What you do and how you do it is important whatever type of role you work in at TfGM and even small behaviours and actions can have a really big impact. At TfGM, our behaviours bring to life our values of Deliver, Care and Adapt.

Essential Experience & Skills

• Proven experience in software engineering, including guiding agile delivery teams and influencing technical architecture.

• Strong application design capabilities and familiarity with secure development practices

• Expertise in SQL and NoSQL databases (e.g. Postgres, DynamoDB), including performance optimisation.

• Experience building and securing RESTful APIs and integrating complex systems within microservices architectures.

• Deep understanding of Agile delivery (SCRUM/Kanban) and CI/CD pipelines.

• Ability to lead technical discussions, coach peers, and represent TfGM at external events.

Desirable Skills

• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS), containerisation (Docker, Kubernetes), and serverless technologies (Lambda, DynamoDB).
• Familiarity with common JavaScript frameworks (NodeJS, React) and modern front-end development techniques.

Attributes

• Delivery-focused, resilient, and proactive.
• Motivates and develops teams.
• Customer and commercially focused.
• Approachable, confident, and solution oriented.

What we can offer you

We are offering the opportunity to work in a forward thinking, fast paced product team and to be part of leading the future of integrated transport ticketing in Greater Manchester.

This is a permanent role and the salary per annum depending on experience, is comprised of base salary plus market supplement. (£57,770 - £65,024 + plus MFS £6,450, the market supplement is paid monthly and reviewed annually)

At TfGM we encourage candidates to discuss flexible working options at any stage of the recruitment process. We are happy to #talkflexibleworking to help colleagues maintain a healthy work life balance.

Our benefits include:

• Generous annual leave starting at 28 days (plus bank holidays), increasing with service, with options to buy more.
• Free travel on buses across Greater Manchester, plus rail or Metrolink travel to and from work.
• Local Government defined pension scheme with life cover of 3x salary and options to boost your contributions.
• Enhanced family-friendly leave policies, including those supporting fertility treatment, alongside flexible and hybrid working and a special leave policy to support a range of unexpected events. Please note that qualification criteria may apply, including a requirement to have been employed with the organisation for a minimum specified period of time.
• Discover more benefits including wellbeing support, Personal and Career Development, Flexible working, financial support and more on our website

What's next?

If you believe you have the skills and experience required, we’d really like to hear from you. When completing your application, please ensure that you provide clear examples against the criteria questions, all appointments will be based on merit.

We embrace AI to enhance our operations and to innovate our services. However, we value human talent and are looking for passionate individuals to join our organisation. Please ensure you personally complete your application and read all the instructions carefully to maximise your chances of success.

Applications that rely too heavily on AI may be rejected during shortlisting, however we understand that AI may be used as a reasonable adjustment, if using AI to support your application, please give a brief explanation why to help ensure fair selection process.

If you have completed the GM Elevate (Leadership Development) Programme, please indicate this within the ‘About You’ or ‘Supporting Statement’ section of your application.

TfGM is proud to be an equal opportunities employer that encourages and celebrates diversity. We want to recruit and retain a workforce that reflects the communities we serve and welcome individuals from all backgrounds by committing to providing a fully inclusive and accessible recruitment process. We will offer support and reasonable adjustments if required and we also have a Guaranteed Assessment Scheme which you can find out more information on here.

For this opportunity, you must be able to prove you have the right to work in the UK - if in doubt please visit the following link Employers' right to work checklist - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). Please note we are not a licensed sponsor.

Please note we may close the advert early if we receive a high volume of applications.

NOTE TO AGENCIES we will be accepting direct applications only for this role. No fee will be paid if a candidate is hired for this position as a result of an unsolicited agency or search firm referral CV.