Software Development Manager

We are seeking a Software Development Manager with strong people management, process leadership, and delivery governance skills.

In this role, you will:

• Lead and develop the software team through a period of process evolution.
• Maintain our proven Waterfall framework while incorporating Agile-inspired practices for improved planning, reporting, and visibility.
• Drive process improvements and maximise our use of Atlassian tools for work breakdown structures, progress tracking, and actionable reporting.
• Develop and manage CI/CD pipelines to enhance build, integration, testing, and deployment workflows - ensuring faster delivery of high-quality, compliant software.
• Collaborate closely with the Project Management Office and other R&D managers to integrate software development into the wider product delivery process.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement, accountability, and open communication.

Responsibilities

Project & Delivery Management

• Plan and prioritise software projects in collaboration with the Project Management Office.
• Allocate resources, manage risks, and set clear milestones and timelines.
• Oversee delivery of new products, features, bug fixes, and maintenance.
• Introduce Agile-inspired practices (Scrum, Kanban) within the Waterfall framework.
• Ensure Jira boards, sprint reports, and dashboards are accurate, up to date, and central to project governance.

Quality & Compliance

• Design and maintain CI/CD pipelines in collaboration with the Software Quality team.
• Align software development with regulatory, quality, and cybersecurity standards.
• Promote best practices in documentation and traceability from requirements through testing.
• Collaborate with other R&D managers to improve development workflows.

Team Leadership

• Build and develop a high-performing software team.
• Set clear objectives, conduct performance reviews, and ensure accountability.
• Promote a culture of ownership, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Process Improvement

• Encourage retrospectives and turn lessons learned into actionable improvements.
• Trial workflow, automation, and tool enhancements that benefit software and wider R&D.
• Stay current with emerging practices in regulated software development and hybrid Agile/Waterfall delivery models.

Stakeholder Communication

• Provide regular progress updates to stakeholders.
• Facilitate planning sessions, reviews, and retrospectives that deliver actionable outcomes.
• Contribute to long-term product and technology roadmaps with structured, realistic delivery plans.

Qualifications

Degree in Engineering (preferably with a Software focus) - desirable.

Essential Experience

• Proven experience managing software development teams (10-15 engineers) delivering embedded (preferable), IoT, and cloud-enabled products.
• Demonstrated success introducing process improvements and CI/CD pipelines that improved performance while maintaining compliance and timelines.
• Experience leading cross-functional collaboration between software, hardware, and testing teams.
• Background in adapting Agile methods (Scrum, Kanban) within Waterfall structures.
• Practical experience using Atlassian tools (Jira, Bitbucket) for project tracking and reporting.

Knowledge/Skills

Leadership & People Management

• Strong track record as a people manager, including setting objectives, conducting reviews, and ensuring accountability.
• Skilled in conflict resolution and building a collaborative team culture.

Process & Delivery

• Expertise in SDLC management across both Waterfall and Agile-inspired practices.
• Skilled in structuring Work Breakdown Structures (WBS) for design traceability.
• Capable of driving reporting, forecasting, and transparency using Jira dashboards and metrics.

Communication

• Excellent communication skills, able to convey technical and project information clearly to diverse stakeholders.
• Experienced in facilitating planning sessions, reviews, and retrospectives.
• Skilled at influencing change and promoting continuous improvement.

Quality & Compliance

• Solid understanding of regulated software development practices (e.g., ISO9001, ISO27001, NIST).
• Experience embedding secure development lifecycle practices and ensuring audit-readiness.

Personal qualities

Integrity:

• Effective Time Management: Demonstrates excellent time management skills to prioritize tasks efficiently.
• Attention to Detail: Ensures that all information conveyed to others is accurate and presented clearly.

Passion:

• Commitment to Continuous Learning: Enthusiastic about continuous learning and staying updated with evolving industry practices.
• Empathetic Problem Solver: Recognizes the importance of maintaining compassion and empathy when dealing with challenging situations and solving problems
• Self-Motivated and Positive Attitude: Displays high energy and self-motivation, maintaining a positive attitude that inspires the team.

Challenge:

• Self-Motivated and Positive Attitude: Displays high energy and self-motivation, maintaining a positive attitude that inspires the team.

Teamwork:

• Team Player and Initiative: Excels both as a team player and an independent worker, proactively driving tasks to completion.
• Critical Thinking and Active Listening: Demonstrates strong critical thinking skills and active listening, effectively evaluating information, questioning assumptions, and considering multiple perspectives