Lead Software Engineer (m/w/d)

About Hogrefe

Hogrefe is an internationally active media company specializing in psychological diagnostics. With over 660 employees worldwide, we are the market leader in this field.

Our company, Hogrefe Digital Solutions GmbH, develops the Hogrefe Test System (HTS), a web platform for comprehensive psychological online assessments, and employs more than 60 people. Our testing methods help, for example, to diagnose learning difficulties in children at an early stage, they are used in HR for aptitude diagnostics, or by psychological professionals to support people with mental illnesses on their path to recovery.

We are looking for a Lead Software Engineer (m/f/d) full-time to lead our software engineering teams. The position can also be filled part-time. You will play a crucial role, driving both technical excellence and product delivery. Use your skills and experience to take our platform to the next level.

Responsibilities

• You define and steer the technical direction of the team and are responsible for the engineering standards that support it — including code conventions, branching strategies, and runbooks — and further develop them in line with the team's growth
• You provide guidance in the areas of system architecture and software design, including make-or-buy and tooling decisions, and constructively question the team's technical estimates and proposals
• Together with the Software Engineering Manager, you are responsible for agile implementation and prioritize the technical backlog
• You are responsible for the quality of releases and deployments, including the release of production readiness and compliance with documented industry best practices
• You take responsibility for the quality of the software developed by the team and for the diligence in the code review process, ensuring that scalability, performance, and reliability are considered in every architectural decision
• Control of security standards and compliance with GDPR and data protection
• You work closely with the Product Manager to translate business requirements into technically feasible solutions, and communicate technical direction, trade-offs, and progress clearly to non-technical stakeholders
• You support engineers through mentoring and foster a feedback-rich, knowledge-oriented culture that embodies trust, collaboration, and inclusion within the team
• You conduct technical interviews and participate in hiring and onboarding decisions
• You remain actively involved technically yourself — lead by example in code, design reviews, and pragmatic problem-solving together with the team

Key Competencies

• Proven experience as a Lead or Senior Engineer in a product-oriented software development environment and experience with codebases in the Java and TypeScript ecosystems
• Profound knowledge of software architecture, system design, and engineering best practices
• Experience in managing agile development processes and working in cross-functional teams
• Ability to coach engineers and develop the technical level of a team
• Solid understanding of security principles, GDPR requirements, and best practices in operational excellence
• Excellent communication skills — with the ability to effectively engage both technical and non-technical stakeholders
• A pragmatic mindset: You balance quality and speed of execution and adapt your approach situationally

Additional Skills

• Familiarity with German regulatory requirements and data protection frameworks
• Experience with server infrastructure, CI/CD pipelines, and DevOps practices
• Experience in technical recruiting and team building

What We Offer

• Flexibility: work hybrid in Germany or in one of our beautiful office buildings in Göttingen
• Decide how many hours per week you want to work (35-38 hours) and we value individual flexibility
• We work with agile methods and value feedback
• We value flexibility, collaboration, and continuous improvement to be adaptable and responsive
• We promote on-the-job training and recognized certifications
• We are an international employer with numerous benefits (team events, health management, and more) that bring variety to your work, and each team works at its own pace and supports its own processes
• We offer attractive compensation in the salary range of €75,000 to €100,000 gross annually (based on full-time/38h)
• Meaningful work is important to us, so you too can contribute to the understanding and development of human psychology