Software Engineer - Python

About us

At National Grid, our commitment to a cleaner, greener energy future is powered by the dedication and ingenuity of our people. Join our team as a Software Engineer and be a part of something bigger—where your unique skills and passions can make a real difference. Together, we are superpowered. 

National Grid is hiring a Software Engineer on a permanent basis. The location for this role can be based in Warwick, Bristol, Castle Donnington or possibly other UK Wide locations - We offer a hybrid working model.

Job Purpose

Reporting to the Head of Software Engineering, the Software Engineer is responsible for designing, implementing, and managing software (cloud and on premise), platforms, tooling and systems (SaaS and on-premise) in support of the development team. The role is responsible for ensuring system scalability, reliability, efficiency and security across diverse environments, while driving automation and operational excellence. The software engineer is expected to play a critical role in enhancing resilience and optimising performance, while adhering to industry best practices and compliance standards. 

This role is also expected to be a subject matter expert in their respective discipline, fostering collaboration, continuous improvement, and adaptability within the organisation, as a facilitator, mentor, and enabler of Agile principles. A person who advocates for a culture of agility, encouraging all to embrace Agile values and practices. 

The role also has accountability to deputise for their line manager (whenever necessary) and is expected to support the software engineering community while also driving a positive culture (primarily through role modelling) across the Technology department and wider business 

What you'll do

• Design and deploy scalable, high-performance software aligned with the company’s long-term operational and business goals.
• Monitor, analyse, and enhance the performance and reliability of large-scale distributed software platforms to ensure continuous uptime and efficiency.
• Develop automation solutions for configuration management, system provisioning, and deployment to streamline operations and reduce manual interventions.
• Implement and maintain security protocols, ensuring software compliance with regulatory standards and best practices, including data encryption, access control, and vulnerability management.
• Lead the resolution of platform outages or performance degradation issues, conducting root cause analysis and implementing preventive measures.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including QA engineering, DevOps, and IT operations, to integrate solutions, troubleshoot issues, and enhance system performance.
• Analyse current system capacities and plan for future growth, ensuring platforms are prepared to handle increased loads and scaling needs.
• Maintain detailed documentation of system configurations, procedures, and troubleshooting steps to facilitate knowledge sharing and future reference.
• Drive continuous improvements by staying informed of industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices, integrating relevant advancements into the company’s infrastructure.
• Proactively support third-party application development partners to ensure software delivery within the agreed solution design and quality standards.
• Ensure design goals of performance, modularity, reliability, maintainability, reusability, and accessibility are met.
• Take ownership of personal development and career progression, managing risks in line with the company risk framework.
• Champion agile frameworks (Scrum and Kanban) within the team, ensuring Agile principles are practiced by peers and understood by stakeholders.
• Undertake other duties as required by the Head of Product Management.

About you

• Key technology strength in Python is essential, with recent experience in building API endpoints, preferably in AWS
• Strong knowledge of cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP), containerisation technologies, automation tools, and orchestration tools.
• Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines and DevOps methodologies.
• Proficient in scripting/programming languages such as Python, Bash, or PowerShell, with a strong emphasis on Python for testing and development.
• Experienced in test-driven development (TDD) and behaviour-driven development (BDD) practices, primarily using Python.
• Deep understanding of large-scale distributed systems, network architectures, storage solutions, and compute resource management.
• Proven ability to troubleshoot complex system issues, perform root cause analysis, and apply solutions in a timely manner.
• Expertise in security frameworks and compliance standards (e.g., ISO27001, NIST, GDPR), along with best practices for securing large-scale infrastructure.
• Proficient with monitoring and logging tools (e.g., Splunk, Grafana, ELK stack).
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, capable of working effectively across teams and presenting technical information clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Ability to handle complex projects and thrive in fast-paced environments.
• Strong experience in a software engineering role, focusing on managing and scaling systems in cloud or hybrid environments, with a strong emphasis on Python.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to synthesise data, research, and insights into actionable strategies.
• Creative and effective in addressing challenges and roadblocks.

What you'll get

A competitive salary between £50,000 - £65,000  dependent on capability

As well as your base salary, you will receive a bonus based on personal and company performance and a competitive contributory pension scheme where we will double match your contribution to a maximum company contribution of 12%. You will also have access to a number of flexible benefits such as a share incentive plan, salary sacrifice car and technology schemes, support via employee assistance lines and matched charity giving to name a few.

More Information

The closing date for this vacancy is 24th June. However, we encourage candidates to submit their applications as early as possible and not to wait until the published closing date. National Grid’s recruitment periods can and may vary. We reserve the right to remove this advert or close it to further applications at any point during the recruitment process.

 

DE & I statement 

At National Grid, we work towards the highest standards in everything we do, including how we support, value and develop our people. Our aim is to encourage and support employees to thrive and be the best they can be. We celebrate the difference people can bring into our organisation, and welcome and encourage applicants with diverse experiences and backgrounds, and offer flexible and tailored support, at home and in the office.
Our goal is to drive, develop and operate our business in a way that results in a more inclusive culture. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, the innovation from diverse teams & perspectives and business need. We are committed to building a workforce so we can represent the communities we serve and have a working environment in which each individual feels valued, respected, fairly treated, and able to reach their full potential.

#LI-AZ1

#LI-HYBRID