At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the development of an enterprise-scale work management platform and guide a talented team.
- Company: Join Franchise Brands, a dynamic international franchisor with a collaborative culture.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive salary, 25 days leave, pension, and career progression opportunities.
- Other info: Remote role with travel to Macclesfield; excellent growth potential in a supportive team.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by shaping innovative solutions in a fast-paced environment.
- Qualifications: Experience in software development management and strong technical leadership skills required.
The predicted salary is between 70000 - 95000 £ per year.
Franchise Brands is an international, multi-brand franchisor focused on building market-leading businesses, primarily through a franchise model. The Group has a combined network of more than 625 franchisees across seven brands in the UK, North America and Europe. Our market-leading brands include Metro Rod, Metro Plumb, Willow Pumps, Filta and Pirtek in Europe. They benefit from the Group's central support services, including Franchise Support, National Sales and Account Management, Information Technology, Marketing, Finance, Recruitment and HR.
We are looking for an experienced Product Development Manager to lead the technical delivery and continued development of our enterprise-scale work management platform, used by multiple clients across a range of industries. This is a people-management role with strong technical depth. You will provide day-to-day leadership across development, analysis, testing and product disciplines, translating product and client requirements into secure, maintainable and deliverable technical outcomes. Working closely with Product, Engineering, Project Management, Support and business stakeholders, you will guide solution design, strengthen engineering practices, remove delivery obstacles and protect the integrity of the core platform. Product and commercial awareness remain important, but the primary focus is technical leadership, engineering quality, team capability and dependable delivery.
Key responsibilities and accountabilities:
- Technical Leadership & Solution Oversight: You’ll be the technical compass for the team, guiding ideas from initial requirement through to successful release and support. You’ll challenge solutions, untangle complex problems and help shape secure, scalable technology built to last. Working alongside senior developers and technical specialists, you’ll influence key decisions across architecture, integrations, data and performance, champion great engineering practices and keep technical debt firmly on the radar.
- Delivery Management & Engineering Governance: You’ll keep delivery moving and the backlog healthy, turning plans into clear, achievable and testable work. Working across project and engineering teams, you’ll spot risks early, remove blockers and keep everyone sighted on progress. You’ll bring just enough process to keep things controlled without getting tangled in red tape - and ensure every release is properly tested, documented and ready for the real world.
- People Leadership & Capability Development: You’ll lead a talented multidisciplinary team, giving people the clarity, coaching and confidence to do their best work. Through regular one-to-ones, mentoring and meaningful development opportunities, you’ll grow capability and encourage people to challenge ideas, solve problems together and take ownership. You’ll also help shape the team’s future through recruitment, onboarding, succession planning and smart capacity management.
- Product Direction, Prioritisation & Stakeholder Collaboration: You’ll help steer the platform roadmap, balancing brilliant ideas with technical reality, commercial value and operational risk. You’ll juggle core-product improvements, client needs, technical debt and defect fixes, ensuring the right work gets attention at the right time. As the bridge between technical and non-technical teams, you’ll turn complexity into plain English, explain the trade-offs and bring practical solutions - not just problems - to the table.
About You
Essential Skills & Experience:
- Substantial experience delivering enterprise B2B software in a technical leadership, software development management, engineering management or comparable role.
- A good degree in Computing or a similar technical subject.
- Strong practical understanding of software architecture, application design, integrations, databases, APIs, source control, testing and deployment practices.
- The ability to review technical proposals, identify risks and trade-offs, and guide teams towards pragmatic solutions.
- Experience managing and developing software professionals, including objective setting, coaching, one-to-ones and performance management.
- Experience managing delivery backlogs and coordinating work across development, analysis, testing, product and project disciplines.
- Experience establishing or improving engineering-quality practices, including code review and automated testing.
- Experience delivering software for multiple clients or balancing a shared platform with client-specific requirements.
- Clear written and verbal communication, including the ability to explain complex technical matters to non-technical audiences.
Desirable Skills & Experience:
- Multi-tenant SaaS or configurable enterprise-platform experience.
- Experience modernising or incrementally improving a legacy PHP application or comparable established codebase.
- Azure DevOps or similar tooling across backlog, source control, build, test and release management.
- Experience with CI/CD pipelines, automated regression testing, observability and release governance.
- Exposure to cloud-hosted services, integration platforms, data migration or third-party system integration.
- Experience of work management, field service, workflow or operational-process platforms.
- Product-management or commercial experience sufficient to contribute to roadmap, value and prioritisation decisions.
- Experience using AI-assisted development, testing or analysis tools within appropriate quality, security and governance controls.
What You'll Bring:
You’ll bring sound technical judgement, clear leadership and a knack for bringing order to complexity. You’ll know how to keep delivery moving without compromising quality, security or long-term maintainability, balancing customer and commercial needs with sensible technical decisions. Most importantly, you’ll be a natural collaborator who can influence different audiences, empower technical specialists and turn tricky problems into practical solutions.
What you’ll receive:
- 25 days' annual leave plus bank holidays
- Royal London company pension
- Group Life Assurance
- Company events
- Laptop and company mobile
- Free eye tests / subsidy for glasses
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Occupational Health support
- Employee discounts platform
- Commitment to career progression, training, learning and development
We are an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified individuals regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.
Product Development Manager in Macclesfield employer: Metro Rod LTD
Metro Rod LTD is an exceptional employer located in Manchester, offering a dynamic work environment where innovation and teamwork thrive. With competitive salaries, comprehensive benefits including travel expenses and a company pension, as well as ample opportunities for professional growth, employees are empowered to excel in their roles. Join us to be part of a leading company in drain services that values quality and employee development.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Product Development Manager in Macclesfield
✨Join Product Management Meetups
Get involved in local product management meetups or workshops. These events are perfect for meeting industry folks, sharing ideas, and staying updated on trends. Plus, you never know who might be hiring—it's a fantastic way to make connections that could lead to a job at places like Metro Rod LTD!
✨Show Off Your Product Sense
Create case studies or mini-projects showcasing your product management skills, and share them on platforms like Medium or LinkedIn. This not only puts your skills on display but also boosts your visibility in the product community. Imagine how impressed the hiring team at Metro Rod LTD would be by your initiative!
✨Utilise Online Communities
Dive into online product management communities like Product Coalition or Mind the Product. Engage in discussions, ask questions, and share your insights. These platforms are goldmines for networking and finding hidden job opportunities—many companies often scout talent from within these circles.
✨Leverage Your University Network
If you’ve recently graduated or are still in uni, tap into your alumni network for connections in product management. Many universities have their own job boards and affinity resources to help graduates land roles. Don't forget to keep an eye out for job openings at Metro Rod LTD through your school's career services!
We think you need these skills to ace Product Development Manager in Macclesfield
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Product Passion:When applying for a product management role like Product Development Manager, let your passion for developing products shine through in your cover letter. Share specific examples of products you've managed, how you solved user needs, and any successful outcomes you've achieved. This is your chance to showcase your understanding of the product lifecycle!
Highlight Your Cross-Functional Skills:Product management isn't just about understanding the product; it’s about collaborating with different teams! Make sure to emphasise your experience working with developers, designers, and marketers. Use your CV to showcase your ability to bridge gaps between these areas, and include relevant experiences that demonstrate your communication and leadership skills!
Include Your Metrics and Achievements:In a full-time product management application, data speaks volumes! Quantify your achievements wherever possible. Did you increase user retention by a certain percentage? Launch a product ahead of schedule? Include these metrics in your CV to paint a picture of your impact and effectiveness in previous roles.
Tailor Your CV to the Role:Make sure your CV is tailored for the Product Development Manager position at Metro Rod LTD. Use keywords from the job description and ensure your relevant experiences are front and centre. Highlight any certifications or relevant training you’ve completed that will make you stand out as a strong candidate for the role. And remember, we’re excited to see your application on our website!
How to prepare for a job interview at Metro Rod LTD
✨Understand the Product Life Cycle
As a product management candidate, we need to get our head around the complete product life cycle. Be prepared to discuss real-world examples of how you’ve managed product development from ideation to launch. Bring specific insights on tools like JIRA or Trello that can help streamline these processes.
✨Showcase Your Cross-Functional Skills
Product management is all about collaboration. We should be ready to highlight how we’ve worked across teams—think marketing, engineering, and design. Prepare to discuss scenarios where you had to mediate differing opinions and how you got everyone on board with a shared vision.
✨Prepare for Case Studies
In a full-time role, we can expect to encounter case study questions during our interviews. Practise solving hypothetical product problems on the spot, such as prioritising features for a new app or improving user engagement metrics. This will show our analytical thinking and decision-making skills.
✨Know Your Metrics
Let’s face it, numbers are our best friends in product management. We should prepare to discuss key performance indicators (KPIs) and how we've used analytics to inform product decisions. Dive into examples where data has driven our strategy for improvements or justified product changes.
