Development Manager - Software Development Group Job Oxford England UK,Management

Development Manager - Software Development Group

United Kingdom

Job Description

Posted Monday 13 July 2026 at 00:00 | Expires Monday 27 July 2026 at 23:59

Closing Date: 27 th July 2026@5pm

Salary: c £50,000 per annum (negotiable based on experience) + comprehensive benefits package

Jisc grade: TSO3 (internal use only)

Job Type: Permanent

Hours: 35 hours per week

Reports into: Head of Development Management

Working style: Hybrid – blend of working from home and nominated hub office. Hubs:
London, Bristol, Manchester, Oxford.

About the Team

Our Software Development Group powers products that transform digital experiences across education and research. We build the right solutions with agile, continuous delivery, and a focus on innovation.

About the role

As a Development Manager, you’ll lead high‑performing agile teams (typically 2 teams of 5 or 6 people) to deliver outstanding results. You’ll create an inclusive, psychologically safe environment where people thrive, grow, and do their best work.

Key Responsibilities

Champion team performance and continuous improvement
Coach and develop talent, unlocking individual potential
Align skills, capacity, and delivery with organisational goals
Drive engineering excellence through best practices like CI/CD and automated testing
Use data and metrics to continuously raise the bar

What you’ll be doing People Leadership That Inspires

Attract, develop and retain top talent
Lead meaningful 1:1s, performance reviews and career growth plans
Build a high‑performing, inclusive and psychologically safe culture
Champion coaching, mentoring and continuous upskilling
Balance team capacity, skills and succession planning
Tackle performance challenges with clarity and care
Prioritise wellbeing and work–life balance

Empowering Teams to Excel

Give teams ownership of delivery, documentation and quality
Strengthen resilience through smart resourcing and skills development
Identify risks early and drive efficiency improvements
Foster collaboration through Communities of Practice and shared learning

Driving Strategic Impact

Align teams to OKRs, KPIs and organisational priorities
Bring product and technical roadmaps to life for teams and stakeholders
Champion big‑picture thinking — from security to operational excellence
Partner across the organisation to align priorities and manage risk
Represent your teams in leadership conversations
Communicate change clearly, building trust and buy‑in

Technical Leadership That Delivers

Bring strong understanding of agile delivery and SDLC
Introduce tools, standards and best practices that drive excellence
Champion CI/CD, automated testing and quality tooling (Sonar Qube, Snyk, etc.)

What we are looking for Need to Have

A track record of leading high‑performing teams
Strong experience with Agile/Scrum delivery
Knowledge of CI/CD, automated testing and tools like Sonar Qube or Snyk
Ability to align team goals with OKRs and KPIs
Confident communicator who thrives in cross‑functional collaboration
Experience supporting teams through change and transformation
Skilled in 1:1s, performance and career development conversations
People‑first leadership style with a strong EDIB mindset

Nice to Have

Experience working across multiple teams
Solid understanding of SDLC and engineering best practices
Background in software development (especially OOP)
Knowledge of psychological safety and succession planning
Familiarity with scaled agile environments
Experience using DORA metrics
Confidence representing teams at leadership level
Proven ability to lead change at scale
Experience coaching or mentoring other leaders

Skills & Personal Qualities Need to have

Strong succession planning and skills balancing to build resilient teams
Excellent relationship builder with a collaborative, trust‑first approach
Ability to turn strategy into clear, measurable goals
Passion for empowering teams and driving ownership
A clear, confident communicator across all levels
Data‑informed mindset to support smart decision‑making
Skilled at influencing without authority
A natural advocate for your team’s voice and success
Clear on expectations, accountability and outcomes
Solid technical awareness to guide decisions
Strong conflict resolution and…