Software Engineering Manager; Site Lead

Enso Recruitment is delighted to be working with a brand new FDI organisation who are setting up a team in Belfast. As part of this exciting expansion, their first key technical hire will be the Software Engineering Manager (Site Lead).

This position is a classic hybrid of both a technical and operational leadership role. Candidates will need to come from a strong software engineering background and have the capacity to lead and grow a mid-sized engineering team in Northern Ireland.

This is a rare opportunity to build something from the ground up while remaining technically hands‑on.

You’ll play a foundational role in establishing and scaling the Belfast engineering function, working closely with global leadership while shaping local culture, delivery standards, and technical direction.

This organisation delivers high-quality cloud, data, and API‑driven systems for enterprise and high‑growth clients. You’ll operate as a player‑coach;
balancing hands‑on technical contribution with team leadership, hiring, delivery oversight, and operational growth
.

You’ll have genuine influence across:

• Technical architecture and engineering standards
• Hiring and team scaling strategy
• Delivery methodology and client engagement
• Culture‑building and long‑term growth of the NI operation

• Establish and grow the Belfast engineering function
• Lead, mentor, and support a team of backend and frontend engineers
• Conduct regular 1:1s, development planning, and performance reviews
• Drive hiring, onboarding, and capability building locally
• Foster a culture of ownership, collaboration, and engineering excellence

• Lead technical decision‑making across client projects
• Contribute hands‑on to backend services, APIs, and architectural design
• Ensure delivery of scalable, high‑quality cloud‑native systems
• Collaborate with product and client stakeholders to shape delivery roadmaps
• Uphold best practices across testing, CI/CD, deployment, and code quality

• Optimise agile delivery workflows and sprint processes
• Remove blockers and ensure delivery consistency
• Represent the Belfast site within the wider global organisation
• Build sustainable processes that support long‑term team growth

• 8+ years’ professional software engineering experience
• 2+ years in a technical leadership or people management role
• Strong backend expertise (
  Java, Python, and Spring
  )
• Solid understanding of system design
  , APIs
  , and scalable web architectures
• Experience working with relational and non‑relational databases (e.g. Postgre
  
  SQL, MongoDB
  )
• Comfortable leading projects end‑to‑end while remaining technically credible
• Strong communication skills with the ability to build trust across teams
• Experience operating in fast‑paced, high‑growth environments
• Opportunity to be the foundational technical leader in a brand new Belfast FDI
• Fantastic PTO and holidays
• Home office equipment provided
• Regular social events and wellness activities