Software Engineering Manager

This isn’t an Engineering Manager role for somebody who wants to spend their day designing architecture or writing code. It’s for somebody who knows how to get the best out of software engineers. Someone who understands the SDLC, knows what good Agile delivery looks like, can spot where process is slowing a team down and, most importantly, is an exceptional people leader. The opportunityYou’ll sit at the heart of the Engineering function, working closely with senior Technology and Product leadership. Product will help define what needs to be built.

Your responsibility is making sure Engineering has the people, structure, processes and clarity to work out how and when it gets delivered.

You’ll initially take responsibility for an engineering function of around five people, with the team expected to grow significantly over the following 12 months.

That means this isn’t simply about maintaining an established function. You’ll have the opportunity to shape how the Engineering team operates as it scales. What you’ll ownYou’ll take responsibility for the day-to-day effectiveness of Software Engineering, including:

• Leading, coaching and developing engineers
• Creating clear accountability, ownership and expectations across the team
• Owning engineering delivery, sequencing and prioritisation
• Improving Agile ways of working and the wider SDLC
• Identifying blockers before they become delivery problems
• Balancing competing priorities, deadlines and engineering capacity
• Partnering closely with Product to turn priorities into realistic delivery plans
• Improving engineering processes, standards and consistency
• Managing performance and supporting individual career development
• Helping the Engineering function scale without losing quality or pace
• Creating an environment where good engineers can do their best work

What we’re looking forWe’re deliberately not looking for the most technical person in the room. You’ll understand Software Engineering well enough to lead engineers credibly, but your biggest strengths will be people, process and delivery. You’ll likely have experience as an: Engineering Manager | Software Development Manager | Development Manager | Technical Delivery Manager -or potentially be an exceptional Delivery Manager with genuine experience operating inside Software Engineering teams.

• Strong experience leading software engineers
• An excellent understanding of the software development lifecycle
• Demonstrable Agile/software delivery experience
• Strong prioritisation and delivery-management capability
• Experience improving engineering processes and ways of working
• Confidence dealing with missed deadlines, delivery problems and competing priorities
• Strong line-management, coaching and people-development skills
• The ability to work effectively between Product, Engineering and senior stakeholders
• Evidence of handling difficult conversations and resolving problems rather than allowing them to drift

The person matters.The business is looking for someone pragmatic, organised and emotionally intelligent. Someone engineers respect. Someone Product trusts. And someone senior leadership can rely on when priorities collide and delivery gets difficult. You don’t need to be writing production code.

Lead the people. Own the delivery. Make Engineering work better.Our client is a growing technology business building digital products for some of the world’s most recognisable brands.

Following an evolution of its Product & Engineering structure, the business is creating a new Engineering Manager position to take genuine ownership of how its engineering teams operate, deliver and grow., You do need to understand how great software teams operate - and know how to create the environment that allows them to perform. Why this one is interestingThis is a newly created position rather than somebody else’s established playbook. You’ll be joining at the point where the Engineering organisation is evolving, with the remit and senior-level backing to influence how the function operates as it grows.

You’ll work directly with senior Technology leadership, inherit a manageable initial team and have the opportunity to help shape a considerably larger Engineering function over the next 12 months.