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For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and develop a dynamic engineering team while driving innovative EdTech projects.
- Company: Fast-growing EdTech/SaaS company with a collaborative and ambitious culture.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, hybrid working, flexible hours, and generous holiday allowance.
- Why this job: Shape the future of education technology and make a real impact in a growing industry.
- Qualifications: Proven leadership in software development and strong full-stack JavaScript skills.
- Other info: Exciting opportunity for career growth in a supportive environment.
A fast-growing EdTech / SaaS company is looking for an experienced Head of Development to lead and scale its engineering function across web and immersive technologies. The business builds interactive, technology-driven learning platforms that bridge the gap between theoretical and practical education. As the company continues to scale across the UK and US, this role will be critical in shaping the technical architecture, delivery capability and long-term engineering strategy. This is a senior leadership role for a hands-on engineering manager who enjoys balancing active development work with team leadership.
Role Responsibilities
- Lead, manage and develop a multidisciplinary engineering team of 6 across web and immersive (Unity) technologies.
- Balance hands-on development with leadership responsibilities, contributing directly to web-based projects while overseeing broader technical delivery.
- Own and evolve the platform’s system architecture, ensuring scalability, performance, maintainability and security as the product and team grow.
- Set and uphold engineering best practices through code reviews, technical standards and mentoring across JavaScript and C# stacks.
- Work closely with a Project Manager to plan capacity, estimate work, prioritise delivery and ensure projects are delivered on time and to a high standard.
- Provide technical oversight and architectural guidance for Unity-based development, supporting best practices in C# even if not coding daily.
- Design and support AI-enabled integrations, working with external APIs and scalable integration patterns to enable current and future platform features.
- Ensure development workflows, tooling and deployment processes are efficient, reliable and well documented.
- Maintain oversight of cloud infrastructure, environments and data flows, ensuring systems are robust, secure and well managed.
- Identify technical risks, architectural gaps and delivery bottlenecks early, proposing pragmatic solutions.
- Support hiring and onboarding of new developers, working with senior leadership to identify skills or capacity gaps.
- Communicate technical decisions, architectural direction and delivery progress clearly to senior leadership and non-technical stakeholders.
- Help define the long-term evolution of the engineering function, including future team structures and leadership layers.
Requirements
- Proven experience leading and managing a software development team in a growing or scaling technology organisation.
- Strong hands-on experience as a full-stack JavaScript developer, with production experience using technologies such as React.js, Astro and Express.js.
- Solid working knowledge of C#, with the ability to guide and support Unity-based development teams from a leadership perspective.
- Demonstrated experience owning system architecture and making technical decisions that balance delivery speed with long-term scalability.
- Experience designing and integrating AI-enabled services using external APIs and modern integration patterns.
- Comfortable working across cloud-based systems, APIs, data flows and JSON-driven architectures.
- Experience running code reviews, mentoring engineers and raising engineering standards across a team.
- Strong delivery mindset, with experience collaborating closely with project or product management.
- Confident communicator, able to explain technical concepts clearly to non-technical stakeholders.
- Pragmatic, organised and proactive, with the ability to foresee technical risks and guide teams through growth and change.
- Willing to remain hands-on while the team scales, with a clear interest in growing into a larger leadership role over time.
Benefits
- £100,000–£112,000 total package.
- Hybrid working: Monday and Friday from home, Tuesday–Thursday in Manchester.
- Flexible working hours (7.5-hour day, 08:00–09:00 start).
- 23 days holiday plus bank holidays.
- Collaborative, inclusive and ambitious company culture.
If you’re a hands-on engineering leader looking to shape and scale a modern EdTech platform, apply now.
Head of Development in Manchester employer: Langham Recruitment
Contact Detail:
Langham Recruitment Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Development in Manchester
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the EdTech and SaaS space. Attend meetups, webinars, or even local tech events in Manchester. 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 that highlights your hands-on development work and leadership achievements. Include projects that demonstrate your experience with JavaScript, C#, and Unity. This will give potential employers a clear picture of what you bring to the table.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for interviews by brushing up on your technical knowledge and leadership strategies. Be ready to discuss how you've tackled challenges in system architecture and team management. Practice explaining complex concepts in simple terms, as you'll need to communicate effectively with non-technical stakeholders.
✨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 ambitious and inclusive culture. Let's get you that Head of Development role!
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Development in Manchester
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV reflects the skills and experiences that match the Head of Development role. Highlight your leadership experience, hands-on development skills, and any relevant projects you've worked on in EdTech or SaaS.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Use your cover letter to tell us why you're the perfect fit for this role. Share your passion for technology-driven learning platforms and how your background aligns with our mission at StudySmarter.
Showcase Your Technical Skills: Don’t forget to mention your expertise in JavaScript, C#, and Unity. We want to see how you’ve applied these skills in real-world scenarios, especially in leading teams and managing system architecture.
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 this exciting opportunity to shape the future of EdTech with us!
How to prepare for a job interview at Langham Recruitment
✨Know Your Tech Stack Inside Out
Make sure you’re well-versed in the technologies mentioned in the job description, especially JavaScript frameworks like React.js and C#. Be ready to discuss your hands-on experience and how you've applied these technologies in previous roles.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Style
Prepare examples of how you've led and developed engineering teams. Think about specific challenges you've faced and how you balanced hands-on development with leadership responsibilities. This will demonstrate your ability to manage a multidisciplinary team effectively.
✨Understand the Company’s Vision
Research the company’s products and their approach to EdTech. Be prepared to discuss how you can contribute to their mission of bridging theoretical and practical education through technology. This shows your genuine interest and alignment with their goals.
✨Communicate Clearly with Non-Tech Stakeholders
Practice explaining complex technical concepts in simple terms. You’ll need to communicate effectively with senior leadership and non-technical stakeholders, so being able to articulate your ideas clearly is crucial for this role.
