Engineering Lead - HCM (East Coast, Remote)
About IRIS
IRIS Software Group is one of the UK's largest privately held software companies, trusted by 100,000+ businesses, schools and accountancy firms to keep their operations running. Our software pays 1 in 6 UK employees, supports over 12,000 schools, and is relied on by 91 of the top 100 UK accountancy firms.
We're a Great Place to Work® certified employer, recognised for our commitment to well-being, inclusion and development - and we're growing fast.
About this role
We are looking to hire an Engineering lead for our HCM product. This is a hybrid leadership role that combines technical leadership, agile delivery ownership and people-management. You will lead an autonomous engineering team building modern full stack web applications using the latest UI frameworks, .NET core backends and cloud-native technologies.across multiple jurisdictions.
Responsibilities
Delivery Management
Scope, prioritise, and deliver against quarterly OKRs, weighing statutory/tax-year deadlines against the feature roadmap
Drive predictability and quality through agile practice and continuous improvement
Own stakeholder communication on progress, risk, and dependencies - including any risk to statutory deadlines
Balance workload, staffing, and hiring to sustain delivery while planning for growth
Technical Leadership & Contribution
Own architecture for high-volume, time-critical pay-run processing - correctness, idempotency, and full audit trail on every calculation
Guide integration architecture with tax engines, ACH/e-filing, and third-party HCM/benefits providers
Set data governance and security standards for employee PII, compensation, and banking data (SOC 2, GDPR/CCPA)
Translate payroll and tax legislation changes into engineering requirements with Compliance and Legal
Drive quality culture - TDD/BDD, testing standards, code review - with extra rigour on calculation logic
Set responsible-AI standards for the team and delegate execution while holding technical accountability
People Management
Line manage, coach, and run career development and performance reviews for direct reports
Build an inclusive team environment, removing blockers and resourcing for success
Requirements
Technical Skills
Frontend Strategy: Strategic understanding of modern UI frameworks (e.g. Angular, React, Vue.js, Blazor)
Backend Leadership: Strong understanding of .NET Core, C#, ASP.NET Core Web APIs, REST, application architectures, and distributed systems
Data Architecture: Strategic knowledge of SQL, NoSQL and data architecture decisions
AI-Assisted Software Engineering: Experience with integrating AI tools (Cursor, Copilot, Devin, Claude Code, etc.) in engineering practices to accelerate design, development, testing and debugging. Using them critically and responsibly to improve quality, productivity and decision-making.
Experience
6+ years in software engineering, with 1+ year formal people management or 2+ years technical leadership
Track record delivering complex Agile projects, ideally in a regulated or compliance-driven domain
Experience establishing code review standards and balancing technical excellence against delivery and statutory deadlines
Desirable - Direct experience in payroll, HCM, HRIS, or benefits administration software
Desirable - Multi-jurisdiction payroll/tax familiarity (UK PAYE, US federal/state/local, or equivalent)
Location
Remote (US) - this role requires East Coast location and Eastern Time working hours.
Why You’ll Love Working Here
Impact: Your work will influence millions globally.
Growth: Continuous learning and career development opportunities.
Belonging: A culture that celebrates diversity and empowers every individual.
Ready to Apply?
Click Apply - we’re excited to learn about your unique perspective and experience. If you need adjustments during the process, let us know. We’re committed to making this opportunity accessible to everyone.
What to expect from our hiring process
Our process is designed to be fair, transparent and straightforward. Stages vary depending on the role - more senior positions may involve additional steps, and some areas include role-specific assessments such as a technical test or case study - but typically you can expect:
Application review - we assess your experience and potential
Initial call - a short conversation to learn about you and share more about the role
Skills assessment - tailored to the position, e.g. case study, coding challenge or portfolio review
Final interview - meet the team and explore how you'll make an IMPACT at IRIS
We'll always walk you through the specific stages at the start of the process so you can prepare with confidence.
If you need any adjustments or accommodations during the process, let us know, we’re committed to making this experience accessible for everyone.