We’re a digital insurance provider with ambitious plans to become The Best and Biggest in the UK market. Over the past few years, we've made significant investments in our data and tech capabilities, particularly within our CIO function. Our CIO team is at the forefront of driving innovation and ensuring our technology infrastructure supports our ambitious goals. We’ve nurtured our 4Cs culture, fostering collaboration, creativity, and continuous improvement.

We’re proud of the journey we’re on as a company and know that our continued success will rely on the contribution of our talented colleagues. The CIO team plays a crucial role in this journey, working on cutting-edge projects that enhance our digital presence and improve customer engagement.

We provide insurance to nearly four million customers, but we know there’s even bigger opportunity out there. The fact you’re now reading this job advert means we’ve tempted you to find out more about #lifeatHD – we really hope you like what you see, and you’ll join us to share in the success of the exciting chapter that lies ahead.

We understand some people may not apply for jobs unless they feel they tick every box. If you are excited about joining us and think you have some of what we are looking for, even if you’re not 100% sure, we would love to hear from you. Our CIO team is always looking for passionate individuals who are eager to make a difference and contribute to our success.

What does the role involve?

As a .NET Developer with a passion for AI, you will play a key role within the Technology Engineering team in CIO by designing, building, and maintaining modern .NET applications while contributing to the organisation’s growing AI capabilities. Your primary focus will be delivering robust, scalable .NET solutions, with opportunities to explore how emerging AI technologies can enhance our systems and processes.

You will collaborate with senior engineers and cross functional teams to understand business needs, identify automation opportunities, and support the introduction of AI capabilities into our business processes. This role offers room to grow your expertise in both software engineering and AI, within a supportive, innovative, and forward thinking environment.

Hybrid working – 1 day per week on-site (Leicester or Bexhill offices)

Key Responsibilities:

• Design and maintain scalable, high‑availability applications using C#/.NET.
• Build RESTful APIs and microservices that integrate across the organisation.
• Work closely with business and product teams to understand requirements and deliver quality solutions.
• Support the integration of AI tools, components, and services into .NET applications.
• Help evaluate new technologies, including AI platforms and engineering tools.
• Participate in Communities of Practice and internal knowledge‑sharing sessions.
• Collaborate with Engineering and Platform teams to ensure data pipelines and infrastructure support .NET and AI workloads.
• Contribute to cultural initiatives that encourage engineering excellence, AI literacy, and innovation. and innovation.

What You’ll Need to Succeed

• Curiosity and enthusiasm for learning — especially around emerging tech and AI.
• Self‑motivation and proactive ownership of delivery.
• Strong collaboration skills across engineering and product teams.
• A commitment to agile principles and automation‑first thinking.
• Clear communication and strong teamwork.
• Ability to model good engineering practices and support junior colleagues.
• Strong analytical thinking and attention to detail.
• Ability to build positive relationships across the organisation.
• Openness to feedback and adaptability to new technologies.

Skills we would love you to have:

• Strong experience in C# and .NET (including .NET Core 8/10+).
• Proven background in building backend services, APIs, and microservices.
• Understanding of APIs, containers, and cloud services, with a focus on Azure.
• Experience with version control (e.g., Git) and CI/CD practices.
• Strong problem solving ability and willingness to learn.
• Experience working in agile environments and cross functional teams.
• Interest in AI technologies and emerging AI engineering practices.

Desirable

• Exposure to large language models (LLMs), generative AI, or Azure AI capabilities such as Azure OpenAI or Foundry.
• Familiarity with data engineering concepts, vector databases, or retrieval augmented generation (RAG).
• Familiarity with responsible AI principles and data privacy considerations.
• Experience in insurance, financial services, or other regulated sectors.
• Knowledge of additional Azure services such as Application Insights or App Configuration.
• Understanding of DevOps practices and automated testing frameworks (e.g., xUnit, Moq).

Qualifications

• Educated to degree level in Computer Science, Data Science, Mathematics, Engineering, or equivalent professional experience.

What we offer

Join us and you’ll find a different way of doing things. We call it the 4Cs. We focus on getting it right for our colleagues, customers, company, and community. As one of our colleagues, you’ll be helping to drive our growth, so in return, we’ll give you all the support, training and development you need. Not to mention plenty of recognition and rewards, and the scope to voice your ideas and put them into practice.

Reward

Salary – Attractive salary based on experience (pay reviews also completed each year) + Bonus

Flexible Working – We champion a flexible and hybrid working approach so please speak to your recruiter to discuss in more detail, including days in the office and at home.

Competitive Bonus Scheme - All colleagues are eligible for our annual 4Cs performance bonus, which is usually paid in March. The scheme is based on Hastings’ performance against our business goals and your own personal performance.

Physical Wellbeing – We like to help our colleagues take a proactive approach in keeping themselves well, that’s why we fund our colleagues to be able to claim against everyday health care through our healthcare cash plan.

Financial Wellbeing – As well as providing you with 4x your salary with our life assurance cover and income protection at no extra cost, pension contribution match up to 10%, we are proud to provide you with an AWARD WINNING package which includes – discounts and cashback at

Hastings Group is an equal opportunities employer which means we treat people fairly. We welcome applications from all suitably skilled persons regardless of their gender, age, race, disability, ethnic background, religion/belief, sexual orientation, gender reassignment or marital/family status. Please also note that we have a thorough referencing process, which includes credit and criminal record checks.

At Hastings Direct, we’re committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. If you require any reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, we encourage you to be open with us. Our recruitment team is here to provide the support you need to ensure a fair and accessible experience for all.

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