Date: 9 Jul 2026
Location: Hull, Central, GB
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Company: ABP
We’re the UK's largest ports operator with a network of 21 ports around Britain. We handle around one quarter of the UK's seaborne trade and contribute £7.5 billion to our economy every year.
It’s a story we’re proud of but it doesn’t end there. We’re transforming our business and embracing the future.
We offer a vast range of roles spanning the UK, all rooted in a culture that welcomes diversity, fosters talent, encourages internal movement and progression, and places safety as our number one priority.
We're currently looking to recruit a Software Engineering Lead to set and own the technical direction of our Enterprise Applications. Based from any of our major port locations, and working in our hybrid model, you'll have strong commitment to building and retaining key systems across the business. You'll report directly into the Head Of Enterprise Applications with a team of 4 direct reports, but with the scope and responsibility to build and develop the team. The role has full ownership of the software engineering capabilities across the business which currently includes activities such as redeveloping our customer side portals and websites.
Why Should You Make ABP Your First Port Of Call?
- Have the chance to make a difference in a business critical to UK trade
- Work within an exciting, innovative, growing business.
- You can thrive in an inclusive environment where every individual can be themselves and feel respected
- Receive competitive salary and benefits package
- Get support for training, personal development and further education
- Benefit from support and engagement through dedicated management and leadership
Accountabilities
- Set the technical vision, engineering standards and architectural direction for the software ABP builds and integrates, in partnership with Enterprise Architecture, and ensure they are consistently applied across the function.
- Own the software engineering roadmap, aligning continuous-improvement and platform investment with ABP’s business priorities so that maximum, sustainable value is realised.
- Be accountable for the quality, security, performance and maintainability of ABP-built applications and integrations, establishing the governance — including design and code-review standards — through which this is assured.
- Provide leadership to the software engineering function, leading through engineering managers, team leads and senior engineers, and bringing multi-disciplinary, multi-location teams together as one delivery capability.
- Build and develop engineering talent: shape the team’s structure and capability plan, lead recruitment, set and measure performance objectives, and create an environment of coaching, growth and high performance — addressing performance issues where needed.
- Own the software engineering budget, contribute to wider IT financial planning, and ensure delivery is achieved within agreed budgets and to agreed milestones.
- Establish and report meaningful engineering and service metrics — quality, delivery, reliability and value — and use them to drive continuous improvement in collaboration with peer Leads
- Lead requirements governance across the delivery lifecycle, ensuring clear traceability from business outcomes through to delivered software, working with Solution Managers and the business.
Skills & Experience
- Significant software engineering experience including substantial experience leading engineering teams and leading through other managers or team leads.
- Proven track record of owning a software engineering capability and delivering complex, business-critical applications and integrations in organisations with a complex, highly integrated application landscape.
- Strong, current technical credibility across modern application development and integration — able to set architecture and engineering standards and to challenge and guide senior engineers.
- Demonstrable experience defining technical strategy, engineering standards and roadmaps, and translating business strategy into deliverable engineering plans.
- Experience leading multi-disciplinary, multi-location and matrixed teams, and bringing them together into a single delivery capability.
- Working knowledge of, and a pragmatic approach to modernising, legacy Microsoft technologies in the existing estate (e.g. VB.NET, ASP.NET, .NET Framework, IIS, MSMQ).
We offer a competitive salary, contributory pension from day one (Starting at 3% employee contribution with 5% company match), private healthcare, access to our Employee Assistance Program, 26 days annual leave (plus bank holidays – plus the option to purchase additional days), wide range of discounts and cash back with high street and online retailers. We offer an inclusive work environment with an in-house training academy which offers ongoing opportunities to develop your skills.
Closing Date for the role is 26th July.
We have an approved suppliers list in place for agency recruitment. Should we require additional assistance we would speak to one of these agencies exclusively, and are not looking to add any additional suppliers to our list.
Want to see what it’s like to work for the UK’s largest port operator? Our virtual work experience programme gives you an inside look at trade, sustainability, safety, and careers in one of the UK’s most vital indutries- https://www.talentxp.co.uk/track/e2e029cd
Additional Information:
When joining ABP you will find an environment that is both welcoming and challenging. We reward our employees well and offer a generous remuneration package, employer pension, private health insurance and a range of other benefits.
Please note that ABP undertake random screening for substance abuse and operate a zero-tolerance policy. A medical will be required before starting this position also.
We are an equal opportunities employer and we welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their background, which helps us to provide a diverse and inclusive working environment.
As part of our recruitment process, all successful candidates will be subject to pre-employment screening to Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS). Please note your consent will be required and further information on this check can be found using the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/united-kingdom-security-vetting-clearance-levels/national-security-vetting-clearance-levels
Job Segment: Software Engineer, Engineer, Engineering
