Software Development Lead (.NET Modernization)

Job Description

Engagement: Contract: 6 months + potential 3-month extension

Start: ASAP

We are seeking a Software Development Lead (.NET Modernization) to take end‑to‑end ownership of a large, legacy .NET application modernization initiative within a regulated public‑sector environment.

This is not a task‑based Senior Developer role.

This role requires a hands‑on technical lead who can independently drive modernization decisions, execution, and delivery — from assessment through implementation — while collaborating closely with a Solution Architect, Business Analyst, and internal IT staff.

The environment is risk‑averse, on‑prem, and highly sensitive to system stability and data integrity.

What You’ll Be Responsible For

Technical Leadership & Ownership

• Lead the technical execution of a legacy ASP.NET MVC (.NET Framework 4.x) modernization initiative
• Own day‑to‑day technical decision‑making, sequencing, and trade‑offs
• Independently assess the existing codebase, architecture, and data flows
• Identify refactoring vs. retain decisions with a focus on stability and predictability
• Drive execution without requiring detailed task breakdowns or step‑by‑step direction
  
  

Modernization Execution

• Upgrade and refactor legacy .NET Framework applications to modern .NET (Core / 6+)
• Decouple tightly coupled MVC components (controllers, views, data access)
• Introduce APIs and cleaner boundaries without changing system behavior
• Preserve complex business rules and outputs relied upon by power users
• Ensure regression safety across large, sensitive datasets
  
  

Collaboration & Delivery

• Collaborate closely with:
• Solution Architect (architecture guardrails, long‑term direction)
• Lead Business Analyst (requirements, business rules, validation)
• Internal developers and data analysts
• Translate business requirements into safe, executable technical solutions
• Act as a technical mentor and point‑of‑reference for internal IT staff
  

Stability, Testing & Knowledge Transfer

• Drive regression testing, validation, and defect resolution
• Ensure changes are incremental, testable, and reversible
• Document decisions, designs, and implementation details throughout the project
• Embed knowledge transfer from day one, not just at project close
  
  

What We’re Looking For (Must‑Have)

• Proven experience leading legacy .NET modernization projects end‑to‑end
• Hands‑on experience upgrading:
• ASP.NET MVC / .NET Framework 4.x → modern .NET
• Strong depth in:
• C#, ASP.NET MVC, Web API
• Entity Framework / EF Core
• SQL Server (T‑SQL, performance tuning, large datasets)
• Demonstrated ability to:
• work independently
• make technical decisions
• drive execution in small teams
• Experience working in on‑prem, risk‑averse public‑sector or enterprise environments
• Comfortable operating in environments with:
• strict governance
• limited tolerance for failures
• fixed external timelines
  

Nice to Have

• Public‑sector / Crown corporation experience
• Experience modernizing systems used by analysts or internal power users
• Identity / authentication modernization (ASP.NET Identity, AD, SSO)
• Frontend experience (Razor, JavaScript, jQuery, React or Angular — for integration awareness, not UI specialization)
  
  

How Success Is Measured

• Ability to independently assess and drive modernization work
• Stable upgrades with preserved system behavior
• Predictable, low‑risk delivery
• Internal team confidence and knowledge transfer
• Reduced technical risk and improved maintainability