At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a dynamic engineering team to build innovative software solutions that delight users.
- Company: Join BBC Maestro, a creative hub within the BBC Studios group.
- Benefits: Enjoy 28 days holiday, flexible working, and a supportive culture.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a fast-paced environment while growing your skills.
- Qualifications: 7+ years in software development, with leadership experience and a passion for mentoring.
- Other info: Embrace a culture of innovation, empathy, and continuous learning.
The predicted salary is between 78000 - 91000 £ per year.
About BBC Maestro
BBC Maestro is an independent company within the BBC Studios group, offering inspiring online courses from world-class experts in their fields; from filmmaking and writing to cooking, music and beyond. We are a small, collaborative team doing big things at pace, where creative ideas move fast, everyone rolls up their sleeves, and we take pride in delivering high-quality learning experiences for our global audience.
The Role
As a high-performing SME with a global customer base, we’re looking for a senior, hands-on engineering leader to take full ownership of our core technology platforms and lead a small, high-performing team to deliver simple, scalable software that delights our customers. You’ll spend about 70% of your time building and maintaining our core Rails platform and mobile app infrastructure, with the remainder focused on delivery, coaching, and cross-functional collaboration. You’ll be the most senior engineer on the team; setting technical direction, leading by example, and helping shape how we grow. This is a great opportunity for someone who wants to build product-centric systems with purpose, and who leads with heart, loves innovation, and is excited to grow others while growing themselves.
You will report into our Managing Director Lily Smith, a technical product leader. The salary for this role is £90,000 - £110,000; this will be determined by factors that include relevant experience and location.
What you’ll do
- As our most senior engineer, you'll be responsible for the team's technical output, delivery pace, and wellbeing, and help us keep our customer promise at the centre of everything we ship.
- Lead and support a small engineering team, balancing delivery, technical quality, and team health.
- Spend significant time hands-on with Ruby on Rails, and occasionally contribute to our React Native mobile app.
- Mentor engineers through active coaching, clear feedback, and meaningful growth plans.
- Help engineers make sound technical decisions, acting as a sounding board and guide.
- Ensure the team delivers iteratively and reliably, with a customer-first mindset.
- Collaborate deeply with Product and Design to shape realistic roadmaps and well-scoped solutions.
- Proactively spot blockers and own delivery outcomes, technical health, and production stability.
- Contribute to hiring and onboarding as we grow the team.
- Champion documentation, code quality, and sustainable development practices.
- Foster a positive, inclusive, and learning-focused team culture.
- Encourage a mindset of continuous improvement; in systems, tools, and ourselves.
Requirements
Your Skills & Experience
We’re looking for a strong engineer first, with leadership experience and a deep sense of responsibility for the customer, the code, and the team. You’ll likely bring:
- 7+ years building and operating production systems (Rails a big plus), and 2+ years leading or line managing engineers.
- Strong backend experience, ideally with Ruby on Rails and Hotwire, and enough breadth to support others across the stack.
- Confidence working with PostgreSQL, caching layers like Redis or Memcached, and background jobs (e.g. Sidekiq).
- Strong grasp of software best practices, including CI/CD, testing, and system observability.
- Experience supporting live production environments and contributing to incident response.
- Proven ability to manage team delivery, navigate trade-offs, and deliver against customer needs.
- Great communication skills; you work well with designers, product managers, and execs alike.
- Passion for growing people, and helping others own their craft and impact.
- Above all, you care about how we build, not just what we ship, and you’re excited to shape the technical foundations of a customer-centric company.
How We Work - Our Values in Action
We don’t just want you to deliver great software, we want you to do it in a way that reflects who we are and how we work. You'll thrive in this role if you:
- Love Innovation - You experiment, simplify, and use good judgment to drive progress. You’re not afraid to challenge outdated assumptions or modernise legacy thinking.
- Lead With Heart - You coach engineers to problem-solve, lead with empathy, and show care for your team, your peers, and our customers.
- Yearn to Learn - You’re curious, proactive, and always levelling up; both yourself and those around you.
- Own It - You take responsibility for outcomes. You are known for following through on your commitments to others.
- Be The Greatest - You pursue excellence and set a high bar without ego. You lift the team by raising your own game.
Benefits
- 28 days holiday + public holidays.
- Flexible Benefits via HapplChoice between Private Healthcare Plan or Wellbeing Allowance.
- Salary Sacrifice Pension.
- Salary Sacrifice Childcare Scheme.
- Modern Employee Assistance Programme / Counselling via Spill. Unlimited structured sessions.
- Flexible working including ability to work from home regularly.
- Training & Development.
- Engaging off-sites and fun socials.
- Enhanced Maternity and Paternity incl. enhanced neonatal care pay.
Engineering Manager employer: BBC Maestro
Contact Detail:
BBC Maestro Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Engineering Manager
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the industry, attend meetups, and engage with online communities. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! Create a portfolio or GitHub repository showcasing your projects and contributions. This gives potential employers a taste of what you can do and sets you apart from the crowd.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for interviews by practising common questions and scenarios related to engineering management. Think about how you would lead a team, handle conflicts, and ensure quality delivery—this will help you shine during the interview.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in joining our awesome team at BBC Maestro.
We think you need these skills to ace Engineering Manager
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion: When writing your application, let your enthusiasm for the role shine through! We want to see how excited you are about building innovative software and leading a team. Share specific examples of projects that have inspired you or challenges you've overcome.
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV is tailored to the Engineering Manager role. Highlight your experience with Ruby on Rails and any leadership roles you've held. We love seeing how your skills align with our needs, so don’t be shy about showcasing your relevant achievements!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to tell us why you're the perfect fit for our team. Use it to explain how your values align with ours, especially around innovation and team growth. Keep it conversational but professional – we want to get to know the real you!
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it shows you’re proactive and keen to join our team at BBC Maestro!
How to prepare for a job interview at BBC Maestro
✨Know Your Tech Inside Out
Make sure you’re well-versed in Ruby on Rails and any other technologies mentioned in the job description. Brush up on your backend skills and be ready to discuss your experience with production systems, PostgreSQL, and caching layers like Redis. This will show that you’re not just a leader but also a hands-on engineer who can dive into the code.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Style
Prepare examples of how you've led teams in the past, focusing on mentoring and coaching. Be ready to discuss how you balance delivery pace with team wellbeing. Highlight your ability to foster a positive team culture and how you’ve helped others grow in their roles.
✨Emphasise Customer-Centric Thinking
Since this role is all about delivering high-quality learning experiences, come prepared with examples of how you’ve put customers first in your previous projects. Discuss how you’ve navigated trade-offs between technical quality and customer needs, and how you ensure that the customer promise is at the heart of everything you do.
✨Be Ready for Collaboration
This position requires deep collaboration with Product and Design teams. Think of instances where you’ve worked cross-functionally to shape realistic roadmaps or solve complex problems. Show that you can communicate effectively with various stakeholders, from engineers to execs, and that you value input from all sides.