Software Development Manager

Software Development Manager required for a manufacturer of life saving electronic solutions products. Part of a global group, this company offers rewarding careers, great benefits, and plenty of opportunities to grow in a supportive, energetic workplace. Hybrid working options (6 out of 10 days in the Rochester office).

Benefits include - Bonus, Pension, Life Assurance, Eye care, Employee assistance programme, cycle2work scheme.

We are seeking a Software Development Manager passionate about driving innovation in embedded systems, IoT, and cloud solutions. In this role, you will lead, mentor, and develop a talented team of software engineers, guiding them through product development while managing an existing portfolio. Your responsibilities will include shaping development processes, ensuring the timely delivery of high-quality solutions, and collaborating closely with other departments within the R&D team and the Project Management Office. By enhancing use of modern software management tools like Atlassian Jira, you will improve software quality, streamline workflows and boost development efficiency. Moreover, you will play a pivotal role in advancing cybersecurity initiatives, addressing the increasing demands of the market and continue to innovate.

You will be able to create great products that you can take pride in knowing have a positive impact in the real world.

Software Development Manager – the role:

Oversee Software Development Activities

• Collaborate with the Principal engineers guide the architecture and design of embedded (both bare metal and small RTOS environments), Linux, desktop, web-based applications and cloud services.
  
  
• Manage the technical realization from high-level design to efficient technical solutions.
  
  
• Make key decisions to ensure solutions are robust, scalable, efficient, resilient, and secure.
  
  Manage Project Delivery
  
  
• Working closely with the project management team to plan and prioritize software development projects, allocate resources, run sprints, manage risk and delays, and set clear timelines and milestones.
  
  
• Oversee the team's delivery of new software products, features, bugs and general maintenance.
  
  
• Update stakeholders on project progress, activities and ensure proper project governance.
  
  
• Conduct regular project reviews and provide status updates to key project stakeholders.
  
  Ensure Quality and Compliance
  
  
• Align technology development with our quality standards and product specifications, especially regarding regulatory compliance and Cyber security.
  
  
• Ensure compliance with industry standards and regulatory requirements specific to fire alarm and life safety devices (EN54\UL864\ISO27001\CE).
  
  
• Implement best practices in coding, testing, and documentation.
  
  
• Develop and refine measurable software development processes to enhance efficiency and quality.
  
  
• Collaborate with R&D team section managers to improve development workflows.
  
  Champion Continuous Improvement
  
  
• Promote high-speed iterations and measurable improvements in code quality.
  
  
• Encourage continuous enhancement of coding practices.
  
  
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement within the team.
  
  
• Champion internal processes and modern software management tools to product development.
  
  Stay Updated with Industry Trends
  
  
• Keep abreast of the latest industry trends, technologies, and best practices in software engineering.
  
  
• Play a pivotal role in shaping technical product roadmaps.
  
  
• Act as a product specialist.
  
  
• Represent the business on regulatory boards where applicable.
  
  Software Development Manager requirements:
  
  We are looking for an individual with solid management experience of a mixed software programming language development team as well as practical software development and system design experience.
  
  Qualifications
  
  Degree level in Engineering, preferably with a Software focus.
  
  Experience
  
  Considerable proven experience managing development teams of 10-15 engineers within an electronic product segment, ideally regulatory controlled.
  
  Knowledge/Skills
  
  Management
  
  Proven experience leading and managing software development teams of various sizes, with a track record as an exceptional people manager.
  
  Ability to mentor, coach, motivate, and develop team members to reach their full potential.
  
  Experience in performance management, including setting objectives, conducting evaluations and clearly documenting and monitoring progress.
  
  Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) Management
  
  Proficiency in Waterfall as well Agile practices, including Scrum and Kanban.
  
  Experience in Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD), setting up and managing CI/CD pipelines using tools like Jenkins, GitLab CI, or Azure DevOps.
  
  Expertise in version control systems particularly Git, and collaborative development workflows.
  
  Design
  
  Strong skills in C and one or more of the following C++ for low-level programming and / or C#, .NET Framework and / or HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and / or frameworks like React or Angular with associated cloud services.
  
  Familiarity with microcontroller architectures (e.g., ARM Cortex-M) and hardware interfaces.
  
  Knowledge of popular communication technologies such as SPI, I2C, TCP/IP, UDP, I2S, USB, RS232 and RS485/422.
  
  Communication Skills
  
  Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to produce detailed and informative reports that are clear and concise for both internal and external stakeholders.
  
  Analytical Thinking
  
  Demonstrated ability to provide a logical, in-depth analysis of problems or situations.
  
  Able to manage priorities and provide clear options or routes to maintain development schedules.
  
  Documentation Expertise
  
  Proficient in reviewing and creating clear product design documents that comprehensively describe the product design and functionality.
  
  Certification
  
  Experience in designing products for a regulatory controlled market and ensuring compliance with those standards including ISO9001 and ISO27001 / NIST or other relevant security frameworks.
  
  This is an excellent opportunity to become part of the key engineering team within a developing business with its culture shaped by core values of Integrity, Passion, Challenge and Teamwork