what is a technical lead?
A technical lead is the professional in charge of leading a development team. Your job is to supervise groups of software developers or engineers. Sometimes, the job includes software engineer management and design. Expect to work in various industries like technology, healthcare, media, insurance and retail.
As a technical lead, you require many years of professional experience in technology and software development. Being personable, capable of leading a team and collaborating with other professionals are also important qualities.
technical lead tasks
While the roles vary from industry to industry, the job entails supervising technical staff, delegating work and hiring and training employees. You create a vision and guide team members to actualise it. Technical leads regularly evaluate their team's progress and make changes to streamline processes. For instance, you develop risk mitigation processes and conduct security audits to identify application weaknesses.
You are also responsible for checking and updating applications within an organisation and supervising system modifications. You create reports and presentations concerning new technology that would benefit the company.
Would working as a technical lead suit your technological skills? Then read on to discover the competencies and qualifications you need to thrive in a technical lead role.
technical lead jobsaverage technical lead salary
According to ONS, the average salary of a technical lead is £60,021 per year. Entry-level roles start at £48,548 annually, while experienced technical leads take home an £80,000 salary a year.
A salary increase is generally tied to your experience level. Technical leads with over five years of experience earn higher salaries and receive additional benefits.
Your location impacts the amount you earn as a technical lead. Working in a city like London typically correlates to a higher compensation package due to the higher cost of living. The demand for technical leads in larger towns also improves salary prospects.
The company size may also influence your earnings. Small and medium-sized businesses offer lower salaries than multinationals due to the difference in resources. Small start-ups have limited resources and cannot afford to pay higher salaries. Large companies require a higher level of expertise due to the complexity of the roles, so they pay more and provide numerous benefits.
types of technical leads
Most technical leads work in the following fields:
- software developers and architects: a software developer creates computer programs and application systems to support business and clients' needs. Lead software developers create and design software applications that support business operations. A software architect designs and executes software solutions or new programs for different technological devices in an organisation.
- software engineers: a lead engineer oversees the progress of various functions and the performance of other engineers to ensure that everything runs smoothly. If you land a job as a lead or principal software engineer, it's similar to that of a project manager. Your job is to conduct technical leadership of a team. Your duties include diagnostics, troubleshooting systems to identify problems, and implementing strategies to boost efficiency in the organisation's projects.
working as a technical lead
If a technical lead career interests you, it's good to understand the duties, working conditions, schedule and job outlook. Read on to learn more.
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technical lead job description
The specific tasks of technical leads vary depending on the industry sector, but some of the typical duties include:
- overseeing technical personnel: a technical lead is responsible for hiring, training and supervising the technical staff within a company. You oversee tasks related to systems modification and the configuration, maintenance and installation of technological systems. As a technical lead, you also provide support and motivation to your teams and ensure they have the necessary tools to do the job.
- determining project requirements: you spend most of your time organising and guiding your team to achieve the project's goals. Your job includes identifying and eliminating any roadblocks that impede progress. You also handle complex project tasks. You develop work schedules for your team based on the project requirements and delegate tasks accordingly to achieve daily, weekly and monthly goals.
- providing architectural and design direction: you are part of the brainstorming team that develops conceptual plans for a software or technology product. Your job is to guide the team through the technical modifications by choosing the tools and framework necessary for product development. You also specify how the products will be deployed.
- liaising with colleagues: a technical lead works closely with system engineers, DevOps engineers, and product managers to complete projects. You collaborate with technical coordinators to analyse users' needs and develop applications that best serve the organisation. You should identify issues or technical risks with your team and develop contingency plans to fix them.
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work environment
Technical leads usually work in well-lit offices or a computer laboratory. Expect to spend most of the time seated behind a computer. The job also requires you to interact with your team members, customers and colleagues as you try to improve the software for users in a fast-paced and results-oriented working environment. You have a chance to work in either the private or public sector. Travelling is minimal in the role since you are unlikely to have offsite projects. However, you attend conferences and other business meetings.
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who are your colleagues?
As a technical lead, your colleagues may include software engineers, developers and systems engineers. You also work alongside DevOps engineers, engineering managers, and other specialists, including project managers, network engineers and team leaders.
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work schedule
In most cases, technical leads work 40 hours a week, from 9 am to 5 pm, five days a week. However, since you always have last-minute projects, expect to work in the evening, on weekends and during holidays. Sometimes, you may work overtime to resolve unexpected technical problems. Most companies prefer to hire a technical lead on a full-time basis. This career also creates various opportunities for remote working and working on short-term contracts.
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job outlook
As technology advances and becomes more complex, companies rely on technical leads to manage technology teams and guide them in resolving problems. The technical lead role prepares you for managerial positions like becoming a project manager, engineering manager or director. Some technical leads specialise in specific aspects of technology like cybersecurity and become experts in the field.
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advantages of finding a technical lead job through randstad
Finding your technical lead job through Randstad provides important advantages such as:
- a wide variety of training and development opportunities
- an experienced contact person to provide help if needed
- a range of opportunities in your area
- get paid weekly or monthly, depending on the job
- temporary and permanent contracts
Want a permanent contract? A temporary job as a technical lead is often a stepping stone to an attractive permanent job. Every year, thousands of people earn a permanent contract with great employers thanks to a temporary job found through Randstad. What's more, many companies recruit their permanent employees through Randstad too!
education and skills
To become a technical lead, you require the following educational qualifications and work experience:
- undergraduate degree: a technical lead requires specialised software development and technical knowledge. Computer engineering, computer science and software development courses equip you with the right expertise for the role. Some complete the degree courses and proceed to master's or gain additional certifications to improve their skills.
- work experience: when you complete your degree, join an internship or graduate trainee programme to become part of the technical team. Most technical leads are software engineers and computer scientists with extensive work experience.
technical lead skills and competencies
If you're interested in becoming a technical lead, the following traits will help you excel:
- excellent communication skills: technical leads communicate project requirements to their teams and the management. It is vital to simplify complex processes into more understandable instructions. The role also requires good writing skills to ensure that your team members clearly understand the expectations and responsibilities.
- strong technical abilities: as a technical lead, you should know how to work with websites, apps, systems and security principles. You should also learn more about software development and how to troubleshoot and fix technical issues.
- excellent management and leadership skills: you require outstanding management skills to accomplish projects within the set deadlines. Remember that your team depends on you to provide direction and keep everything under control, even in the most stressful situations.
- ability to multitask: the company expects you to oversee various projects simultaneously and still meet deadlines and ensure quality. Excellent organisation and time-management abilities help you multitask and effectively manage the workload.
FAQs
FAQs about working as a technical lead
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what is the difference between a team lead and a tech lead?
A team lead is more of a management position that involves providing guidance and direction to a group of individuals to achieve results. Most team leads work in the manufacturing and technology industry as project leaders. A tech lead supervises the technical team and gives directions on designing consumer software or building technical infrastructure in an organisation.
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what is a technical lead salary?
On average, a technical lead in the UK earns £60,021 per year, which translates to £30.78 an hour. While some tech leads make as little as £48,548, others make up to 80,000 per year, based on their education and certification level.
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is a technical lead a developer?
As a technical lead, you lead a group of software developers, which means you need experience in the role. The functions of a tech lead vary depending on the project, but you can expect to be very actively involved in the technical delivery of projects in your company. You need a developer's expertise to lead, guide, remove impediments, and facilitate the team's activities.
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how many years does it take to become a technical lead?
You should finish a four-year degree in computer engineering, computer science or any other applicable field. In addition, you need three to four years of experience in project management to become a technical lead.
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what is the role of the technical lead?
A technical lead manages the delivery of technical projects. Your role includes helping team members with technical aspects like coding and programming to ensure successful delivery within the budget and deadline. The technical lead also explains new projects to the team members, troubleshoots problems, analyses users' needs and finds applications that best serve them.
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how do I apply for a technical lead vacancy?
Applying for a technical lead job is easy: create a Randstad profile and search our technical lead job offers. Then simply send us your CV and cover letter. Need help with your application? Check out all our job search tips here!
