Software Engineering Manager

Role: Software Engineering Manager

Location: York

Salary: Excellent + Benefits

Work-Pattern: Hybrid

About the Role

We're looking for an experienced Software Engineering Manager to lead and develop a software engineering team, driving the delivery of high-quality, reliable and maintainable software solutions.

This is an opportunity to combine people leadership with technical oversight, engineering operations and continuous improvement. You'll play a key role in developing a collaborative, high-performing team, ensuring effective delivery and embedding best practices across the software development lifecycle.

Working closely with senior technical leadership and wider business stakeholders, you'll help shape engineering standards, improve development processes and ensure technology continues to support wider business objectives.

Responsibilities

Technical Oversight and Stakeholder Collaboration:

• Provide guidance across software development, troubleshooting and problem resolution.
• Support SQL querying, data investigation and controlled data updates where required.
• Work closely with developers, testers and business analysts to resolve issues and improve outcomes.
• Support the adoption of effective development practices, source control and release management.
• Balance hands-on technical involvement with people management and operational responsibilities.
• Build effective relationships with technical teams, senior leaders and wider business stakeholders.
• Communicate delivery progress, risks and technical considerations clearly.
• Contribute to planning, governance and resource management.
• Bridge the gap between technical teams and non-technical stakeholders to ensure priorities remain aligned.

Team Leadership & Operations:

• Lead, mentor and develop a team of software engineers, supporting individual growth and career progression.
• Foster a collaborative environment built around accountability, knowledge sharing and continuous improvement.
• Conduct regular one-to-ones, performance reviews and development planning.
• Support recruitment, onboarding and workforce planning.
• Encourage innovation, constructive challenge and effective teamwork.
• Oversee the day-to-day running of the software engineering function.
• Manage workloads, priorities and resources to maintain delivery momentum.
• Identify and remove blockers, helping the team deliver against business objectives.
• Oversee releases and act as an escalation point for technical or operational issues.
• Support production incident management, root-cause analysis and preventative improvements.

Engineering Quality & Technical Standards:

• Promote best practices across code quality, testing, security, maintainability and documentation.
• Oversee code reviews and pull request processes, ensuring consistent engineering standards.
• Identify and reduce technical debt while supporting ongoing improvements to existing systems.
• Work alongside senior engineers to resolve technical challenges and improve software delivery.
• Contribute to architectural discussions and ensure solutions align with agreed technical standards.

Essentials

• Proven experience leading, coaching and developing software engineering teams.
• A strong background in software development, with experience progressing into a leadership position.
• Excellent people management, communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Experience managing workloads, competing priorities and engineering resources.
• A solid understanding of modern software development practices, source control and release management.
• Experience working with SQL, including querying, data analysis and troubleshooting.
• Familiarity with Agile or iterative software delivery methodologies.
• An understanding of code quality, testing, technical debt and engineering governance.
• The ability to balance operational demands with longer-term technical improvements.
• A proactive approach to problem-solving, team development and continuous improvement.

Desirables

• Experience in a Software Engineering Manager, Development Manager, Technical Lead or similar role.
• Exposure to DevOps practices and CI/CD pipelines.
• Experience working with cloud platforms and modern engineering tools.
• Involvement in platform modernisation or digital transformation initiatives.
• Experience in regulated or compliance-driven environments.
• Familiarity with AI-assisted software development tools and practices.