The Engineering Manager exists to lead the delivery performance and professional development of engineers within a designated product domain or problem area. The role is responsible for driving team health, engagement, and operational predictability across multiple cross-functional engineering squads. The position focuses purely on people leadership and delivery optimisation rather than hands-on coding, serving to connect engineering execution directly with an ambitious product roadmap. Ultimately, this role ensures the sustainable delivery of high-quality SaaS solutions that directly advance the organisation's mission to transform how schools work. Dimensions • Financials: No direct budget ownership; indirectly impacts infrastructure efficiency and resource allocation across assigned squads to ensure projects are delivered. • Team: Direct line management, coaching, and career development of software engineers and Technical Leads within a designated domain, coordinating squads typically composed of a Tech Lead, QA Engineer, and multiple developers, alongside cross-team DevOps and Staff Engineers. • Scope: Tactical and operational leadership across the Ecosystem engineering area, impacting distributed teams situated across the UK and Serbia. Key Responsibilities 1. Delivery Leadership & Roadmap Execution • Drive delivery performance and predictable execution across multiple product and engineering teams. • Lead planning sessions, technical estimations, sprint reviews, and delivery tracking activities. • Partner with Product Managers to define priorities, shape feature roadmaps, and ensure alignment between business objectives and engineering capabilities. • Provide visibility into delivery progress, risks, dependencies, and mitigation plans. • Ensure engineering outputs meet agreed quality standards and delivery commitments. 2. Performance Metrics & Flow Optimization • Manage engineering workflow and optimize team throughput, efficiency, and software reliability. • Establish, monitor, and improve operational engineering metrics using DORA and SPACE frameworks. • Identify bottlenecks and implement data-driven improvements to delivery processes. • Support and embed Agile delivery practices, including Scrum and Kanban methodologies. • Promote sustainable delivery cadences while maintaining team autonomy. 3. People Leadership & Talent Development • Coach, mentor, and develop engineers and Technical Leads. • Create and support individual development and career progression plans. • Conduct performance reviews and provide regular feedback and development guidance. • Address performance concerns proactively and fairly. • Foster a high-performing, inclusive culture based on accountability, ownership, and collaboration. 4. Team Wellbeing & Psychological Safety • Champion psychological safety, employee engagement, and overall team wellbeing. • Promote sustainable engineering practices that balance delivery speed with long-term maintainability. • Resolve team conflicts and remove barriers that impact productivity and engagement. • Encourage open communication and continuous feedback across teams. 5. Process Excellence & Engineering Governance • Standardize delivery workflows, release management practices, and operational processes across teams. • Ensure adherence to quality standards, deployment governance, documentation requirements, and testing best practices. • Collaborate with Staff Engineers and Technical Leads to align delivery practices with the organization's technical strategy. • Drive continuous improvement initiatives that enhance engineering effectiveness and quality. 6. Cross-Functional Collaboration & Dependency Management • Manage technical dependencies and delivery risks across engineering teams and business functions. • Partner with Portfolio, Product, and Engineering Leadership teams to track roadmap progress and resolve blockers. • Facilitate transparency and alignment across stakeholders. • Contribute to strategic planning and organizational prioritization activities. 7. Organizational Capability & Leadership • Actively contribute to engineering leadership forums and organizational improvement initiatives. • Promote a data-driven culture focused on continuous learning and operational excellence. • Represent the engineering function in leadership meetings, presentations, and external professional communities. • Support the maturation of engineering management practices across the organization. 8. Distributed Team Leadership • Build and maintain a strong, unified culture across distributed engineering teams. • Facilitate collaboration across multiple locations and time zones. • Lead team offsites, workshops, and collaborative engagement initiatives. • Ensure equitable access to development, mentorship, and growth opportunities for all team members. Requirements • Proven experience leading multi-disciplinary engineering teams comprising Software Engineering, QA, and DevOps professionals. • Experience managing teams of at least 5+ engineers. • Strong expertise in engineering performance frameworks such as DORA and SPACE metrics. • Extensive experience with Agile delivery methodologies, including Scrum and Kanban. • Deep understanding of CI/CD pipelines, continuous delivery, and modern software development practices. • Strong people management experience, including coaching, mentoring, career development, and performance management. • Experience working with distributed teams across multiple locations and time zones. • Excellent stakeholder management, communication, and presentation skills. • Strong systems-thinking mindset and understanding of software engineering principles. Desirable • Previous background in software engineering or technical leadership. • Familiarity with PHP, Node.js, TypeScript, AWS, Kong API Gateway, or similar technologies. • Experience delivering SaaS, platform, or API-driven products. • Understanding of Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) and platform performance management. • Experience leading engineering transformations and scaling delivery practices within growing organizations. • Exposure to DevOps culture, cloud-native technologies, and modern engineering operating models. Benefits What we offer The chance to work alongside a team of hard-working, passionate people in a role where you’ll see the impact of your work every day. We also offer: • Flexible work environment (3 days work from office) • Group Term Life Insurance paid out at 3x Annual CTC (Arbor India) • 32 days holiday (plus Arbor Holidays). This is made up of 25 days annual leave plus 7 extra companywide days given over Easter, Summer & Christmas • Work time: 9.30 am to 6 pm (8.5 hours only) • Compensation - 100% fixed salary disbursement and no variable component.