Software Development Manager

Role: Software Development Manager
Salary: From £50,000 per annum negotiable depending on experience (when working full time max 35 hours per week)
Contract: Permanent
Location: Hybrid - office based with full flexibility to work from home or at any of our main hubs - London, Bristol, Manchester and Harwell.

About Jisc:

Jisc is the UK higher, further education and skills sectors' not-for-profit organisation for digital services and solutions. We operate shared digital infrastructure and services; negotiate sector-wide deals with IT vendors and commercial publishers; and provide trusted advice and practical assistance for universities, colleges and learning providers.

We believe in technology for good - in improving lives through education and research. Our people want to make a real change and are at the heart of our success.  At Jisc, everyone plays a key role and gets the chance to feel part of it, that to us is the definition of a meaningful career. 

We're a place unlike any other, where the best of education fuses with the best of technology to create a unique model with unique opportunities and interesting problems to solve in a diverse and inclusive environment. It's what keeps our work varied, original and surprising - and that's why we love it.   

So if you're ready to own it and run with it, to learn fast and get it done, to take pride in what you do and never stand still, then this is the place.

The team: 

The Software Development Group in Jisc works closely with the different product families in Jisc to create products that meet their vision and the users' requirements. Focussing on the technical innovation and software delivery, we pride ourselves on building the right thing, and building the thing right. We do this using agile methodologies, with continuous testing, architecting, integration, delivery, and validated learning

About the role: 

Due to an increase in work and some very exciting projects across Jisc, we are looking to add to our Software development group.  As Software development manager, you will be responsible for the tactical implementation of Jisc's software development strategy, monitoring and will report progress to the Group CTO and Director of Software.

Other responsibilities will include:

• Understanding teams process and technology use and mapping a route to a desired end state, managing the implementation of that change to an agreed timescale with the Director of Software
• Direct line management, including performance management, for a range of roles over time including Scrum Masters, Developers, and Testers, to meet the changing needs of a growing department
• Facilitation of cross-team collaboration, and identification of cross-team efficiencies
• Internal stakeholder management, engaging the directorates and service teams we build software for, with responsibility for maintaining those relationships
• Product Owner for internal projects, including service management of systems used internally by the Software Development Group to improve future efficiency, ensuring quality of service and timely delivery of changes
• Track, manage and contribute to Software Development Group projects, engaging service teams to prioritise and schedule staffing

About you:

We know that sometimes people can be put off applying for a job if they think they can't tick every box but we realise the ‘perfect candidate' doesn't exist. So, if you can do most of what we're looking for, go ahead and apply. You could be exactly what we need!

We are looking for: 

• Experience of people management within an agile software development environment
• A strong knowledge of agile processes
• Able to act independently with effective relationship management skills.
• Proactive and organized, able to self-manage within an changing environment

 Why work at Jisc:

We want to make sure our people have the flexibility they need to balance their personal lives and do well at work. So, we focus on outputs rather than presenteeism and are open to a whole range of ways of working.

We offer hybrid working although a majority of our staff work from home.  To keep close to our team and other colleagues, we chat and collaborate effectively online via Teams and other channels.  All our offices are open if you prefer that kind of environment, and occasionally we will have an ‘office day' just to catch up and get some face time with each other.  A few of our roles require you to be in the office more regularly, but this will be discussed at interview.

You can look forward to a rewarding job with opportunities to develop and make a real difference to the education and research sectors.  We're always learning and developing, and all our people have access to a huge variety of learning resources to help them achieve this.

Our benefits are great too. We offer:

• Flexible work pattern, that can adapt to suit your schedules and family commitments.
• 25 days holidays per annum plus bank holidays. You will also get an additional 3 days paid leave between Christmas and New Year (as of 1 August these go up to 28 days per annum, total 31 days)
• A generous pension scheme with above average employer contributions.
• A range of leave options, including parental leave, volunteer leave and even career breaks.
• Access to LinkedIn learning, thousands of courses and free books for learning skills.
• A generous budget to attend conferences and in-person training
• Allocated allowance to equip your home office
• A company culture which supports and promotes personal learning and development.
• Mental health first aid trained staff and supportive environment.
• Financial well-being support.
• Public sector discounts on big-name high-street stores.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Employee recognition awards and travel loans.

Connecting with each other is easy, thanks to our technology but getting face to face is something we value and find time for when we can. Our main offices are Bristol, London, Harwell and Manchester.

Other stuff you need to know: 

At Jisc we celebrate diversity and know that it is critical for our success. We work hard to make sure we're inclusive. So, if you are great at what you do and share our values, we want to hear from you.

If you need any adjustments made to the application or selection process so you can do your best, let us know. We will be happy to help.

Just so you know, we review CVs as we receive them, and interview as soon as we have applications that look like a good match (usually within a week). We don't use closing dates. So, please apply as soon as possible to avoid missing out on this role. We advertised this role on 19/05/2022