Software Development Manager

Location: Hybrid (3 days in our Solihull office per week)
Contact:
Email:
Salary: £60,000 - £70,000 depending on experience
Full Time: 8.30 - 17.00 Monday to Friday
Holidays: 26 days per year + Bank Holidays
Start Date: October 2026

Job Description

We’re looking for an experienced Development Manager to lead our development team while remaining actively involved in software development.

This is a hands‑on role for someone who enjoys writing code as much as helping others succeed. You'll spend part of your week developing new functionality and part mentoring developers, reviewing code, improving processes and helping shape the future of our products.

We’re looking for someone who leads by example rather than title. Someone who enjoys solving problems, sharing knowledge and creating an environment where developers can produce their best work.

We don't believe great software is built by individuals working in isolation - it comes from teams that trust each other, challenge ideas respectfully and continually improve together.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Leading and supporting a small team of developers, helping them grow and do their best work
• Coaching and mentoring developers through constructive feedback and support
• Planning and shaping new features, from whole‑team UI discussions through to task allocation
• Ensuring code reviews are thorough and maintain a high standard of quality
• Actively coding and contributing to the platform alongside the team
• Refining existing features and developing new modules that solve real customer problems
• Helping the team make effective, secure and responsible use of AI to improve productivity and software quality
• Working closely with other teams to ensure our software meets the needs of churches and charities
• Creating an environment where developers enjoy coming to work and are able to do their best work
• Encouraging healthy technical debate whilst ensuring decisions are made collaboratively
• Helping continually improve our development practices, tooling and deployment processes
• Participating in a shared on‑call rota for critical hosting or platform availability issues. Thankfully these are rare, but we’re looking for someone who is happy to help when genuinely needed.

About You

We’re looking for someone who:

• Has significant commercial software development experience, ideally with at least five years in a professional environment.
• Has experience leading or mentoring developers
• Is technically strong and comfortable remaining hands‑on
• Builds trust easily and communicates clearly
• Is approachable, humble and generous with their knowledge
• Can challenge ideas without creating conflict
• Is comfortable saying "I don't know" and enjoys learning from others
• Cares deeply about software quality and user experience
• Has high standards but understands that people learn in different ways
• Is motivated by building products that make a meaningful difference
• Has experience managing cloud infrastructure, ideally within AWS
• Demonstrates unquestionable integrity and professionalism.

Technical Environment

Our platforms are hosted on AWS, so experience working with modern cloud infrastructure is important.

• PHP (Laravel)
• React / React Native
• Docker
• Legacy system in CodeIgniter and jQuery (this still has some development but will be migrated to Laravel over time)

We also make extensive use of Git, GitHub, code reviews and AI‑assisted development to help us deliver high‑quality software.

Our Culture

We're a small team and we work closely together. We value people who are collaborative, respectful and willing to help each other.

We believe the best ideas can come from anyone, regardless of role, and we encourage open discussion and healthy technical debate.

We're looking for someone who enjoys building people as much as building software - someone who can raise standards while remaining approachable, supportive and humble.

If you enjoy mentoring others, sharing knowledge and celebrating team success rather than personal recognition, you'll fit in well here.

Our 5 values are: Integrity, Excellence, Innovation, Working Together and Fulfilment.

You’ll also enjoy:

1 Day per Month Dedicated to Learning
A paid Friday each month to explore new technologies, skills, or passion projects.

Your Birthday Off
If it falls on a working day, it’s yours to enjoy.

Subscription to Online Training
Access to professional learning resources.

Complimentary Car Valet (Every 2 Months)
Professional car cleaning at our car park.

Annual Eye Test
Plus a £49 contribution towards glasses if required.

Your work will support organisations across the UK, helping them communicate better, care for their contacts, and fulfil their mission.

If you're looking for a role where you can combine technical leadership with hands‑on development, help shape products that genuinely make a difference, and work alongside a supportive, experienced team, we'd love to hear from you.

This role is Hybrid with 3 days per week based in our Solihull Office.

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