Software Engineering Manager in London

Are you prepared to explore the ever‐changing landscape of global commodity prices, forecasts, and market intelligence? Expana is a leading independent provider of this data for the food, consumer packaged goods (CPG), and capital goods industries. We offer our data and insights through various cloud‐based SaaS products, as well as APIs and Data Feeds.

Expana is scaling fast and we are looking for a hands‐on Software Engineering Manager who blends deep technical expertise with inspiring engineering leadership. If you are the kind of leader who still loves to build, architect, mentor, and elevate teams, this is your opportunity to make a defining impact. This role is perfect for someone who thrives at the intersection of architecture, delivery, and people development. You will guide technical direction, contribute directly to core codebases, and champion a modern engineering culture that embraces AI‐powered development, continuous improvement, and high‐performance delivery.

As a working manager, you will own outcomes, shape engineering excellence, and coach a talented team to reach new levels of technical and architectural maturity.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Technical Leadership & Hands‐On Contribution (60%)
  • Contribute directly to core services, data pipelines, shared libraries, and platform enhancements.
  • Lead architecture reviews, technical design sessions, and long‐term technology planning.
  • Define and uphold engineering standards across code quality, testing, observability, performance, and security.
  • Drive adoption of AI‐assisted engineering, including:
  • AI‐powered code generation, refactoring, testing, and documentation
  • Coaching engineers on safe, effective AI usage
  • Introducing AI‐based quality checks and workflow accelerators
  • Evaluate and introduce new tools, frameworks, and technologies that elevate developer experience.
  • Identify technical risks, unblock engineers, and ensure delivery is fast, reliable, and scalable.
  • Collaborate with Staff and Principal Engineers to define shared architecture patterns and long‐term platform direction.
• Team Management & People Development (40%)
  • Lead, coach, and develop a team of software engineers with clear goals and continuous feedback.
  • Run regular 1:1s, career development conversations, performance reviews, and promotion assessments.
  • Build a culture of ownership, autonomy, collaboration, and continuous learning.
  • Mentor engineers in:
  • System design and architectural thinking
  • High‐quality coding practices
  • Effective problem solving
  • AI literacy and productivity techniques
  • Partner closely with Product, Design, and Data teams to prioritise effectively and deliver meaningful outcomes.
  • Support recruitment, onboarding, and capability planning as the engineering organisation grows.

What You Bring

• 5+ years as a Senior, Staff, or Lead Engineer with strong hands‐on technical impact.
• 1–3+ years managing engineers or leading technical delivery teams.
• Deep expertise in TypeScript/JavaScript, Node.js, modern backend/frontend engineering, and SQL.
• Strong understanding of distributed systems, scalable architecture, cloud platforms, and production operations.
• Proven ability to mentor and elevate engineers at multiple levels.
• Experience driving architectural decisions and long‐term technical strategy.
• Comfortable delivering complex workstreams in fast‐paced, product‐centric environments.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to simplify complex topics.

Who You Are

• A self‐starter with strong ownership and accountability.
• A pragmatic, empathetic leader who balances technical excellence with team wellbeing.
• Passionate about AI‐accelerated engineering and modern developer tooling.
• Comfortable navigating ambiguity and evolving business needs.

Why Join Expana?

You will be joining a company where engineering excellence, innovation, and data intelligence are at the heart of everything we do. You will shape the future of our platform, influence long‐term architecture, and help build a world‐class engineering organisation from the inside out. If you are excited by the idea of leading while still staying close to the code — we would love to hear from you.

Our Core Values at Expana

• Brilliance - We strive for excellence in everything we do, pushing the boundaries of creativity and innovation to deliver outstanding results.
• Connected - We believe in the power of collaboration and communication. By fostering strong relationships within our teams and with our partners, we create a supportive environment that drives success.
• Make a Difference - We are committed to making a positive impact in our industry and community. Our actions reflect our dedication to sustainability, social responsibility, and delivering value to our stakeholders.

Other values such as trust, transparency, creativity, and ownership define our brand and company culture. These qualities are what we seek in our teams as well. Your unique communication style and optimistic vision will inspire harmony with colleagues, customers, and business partners. Your commitment to excellence and strong relationship skills are also valued. Positive energy and strategic skills are key to succeeding at Expana. We value both individual success and collaboration, seeking dynamic team players who think outside the box. Everyone's development is integral to our collective success, so we foster and support each person's strengths and talents.

In return for your hard work and dedication, we offer fantastic rewards. Please note that we operate with an agile working model, allowing for remote work and occasional travel to our offices. It is important to mention that we cannot sponsor or provide any work visas to any candidate in our locations and we will be conducting Right to Work checks during our hiring practices to ensure compliance with employment laws.