At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a dynamic engineering team and drive AI adoption in software development.
- Company: Fast-growing tech company in a mission-critical, regulated domain.
- Benefits: Salary up to £85,000, performance bonus, hybrid work, free food, and gym membership.
- Other info: Exciting leadership opportunity during a pivotal growth phase.
- Why this job: Own the engineering function and make a real-world impact with cutting-edge AI tools.
- Qualifications: Experience in managing engineers, AI fluency, and hands-on engineering background.
The predicted salary is between 85000 - 85000 £ per year.
Engineering Manager opportunity at a fast growing technology company in a mission critical, regulated domain. AI first engineering culture, fluency with AI tooling is central to how this team works and delivers. Hands on leadership role reporting directly to the CEO with full ownership of the engineering function. Hybrid working from Derry/Londonderry, three days per week in office. Salary up to £85,000 plus performance bonus.
About the Company
Our client is a technology company operating in a mission critical, regulated domain, having successfully delivered across multiple high profile UK campaigns. With their client base forecast to expand significantly over the next twelve to eighteen months, they are now investing in the engineering leadership that will take them through that growth. This is a small, focused organisation where the Engineering Manager is the most senior engineer in the building, reporting directly to the CEO and setting the bar for how software is built, shipped and maintained. The stack is TypeScript across the board, AWS native serverless architecture, and the team operates to ISO 27001 certification standards given the sensitivity of the data involved.
The Role
This is a hands on Engineering Manager position with full ownership of the engineering function. You will lead the team day to day, drive delivery against business goals, own engineering processes and tooling, and embed AI first practices across the entire development workflow. Working closely with the Senior Leadership Team, you will translate between engineering reality and business intent, push back where needed and negotiate scope and commitments without damaging relationships. You will also own AWS spend, manage CI and CD, testing, observability and incident response, and contribute directly to architectural decisions and code reviews. This is not a purely managerial role; you will be expected to lead by example technically, using AI agents to build software and setting the standard for the team. If you are a hands on engineering leader who thrives in a high ownership, fast moving environment, this is worth a conversation.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the engineering team day to day including one to ones, performance management, hiring and team development.
- Drive the adoption of AI across the engineering function from coding practice through design and review - set the standard and challenge engineers who are not using tools effectively.
- Own engineering processes and tooling including CI and CD, code review, testing, observability and incident response.
- Manage AWS spend and engineering capability spend with a genuine understanding of the architectural levers behind cloud cost.
- Contribute to technical decisions, architectural guidance and code reviews as the most senior engineer in the organisation.
- Manage relationships with senior business leadership, translating between engineering and business priorities.
- Align engineering output with operational priorities, client needs and business timelines.
- Set the cultural tone for the engineering function - the way you operate under pressure defines the floor for the team.
- Operate independently and handle ambiguity - own problems end to end and make calls when the answer is not obvious.
What You'll Need
Essential:
- Demonstrable AI fluency in your own engineering work, with evidence of driving AI adoption across at least one team.
- A track record of managing engineers directly with examples of hiring, performance management and team development.
- Experience reporting to or working closely with non-technical executive leadership.
- Hands on engineering background with recent and credible experience in a modern web and cloud stack.
- Comfortable operating as the sole senior engineering leader in a small, fast moving startup environment.
- Composure and integrity under pressure - direct feedback, willingness to admit mistakes and calm under stress.
Nice to Have:
- Experience with regulated or mission critical software environments.
- Ownership of an engineering or cloud budget line.
- Experience working effectively alongside third party delivery partners.
Why Apply?
- Salary up to £85,000 plus a defined performance bonus on agreed targets.
- Hybrid working from Derry/Londonderry, minimum three days per week in office with flexibility on the remainder.
- Full ownership of the engineering function with direct access to CEO level leadership.
- AI first culture where tooling and automation are genuinely central to how the team works.
- Mission critical, regulated domain with real world impact and high standards across security and compliance.
- Free food and drinks from the onsite cafe, subsidised gym membership and bike to work scheme.
- Flexible and hybrid working including condensed working patterns.
- Ground floor leadership opportunity at exactly the right moment in the company's growth trajectory.
How to Apply
For a confidential conversation about this opportunity, please reach out to Nick Napier directly on LinkedIn or submit your CV via the link below.
Engineering Manager employer: Ocho People
Join a fast-growing technology company in Derry/Londonderry, where you will have the unique opportunity to lead an engineering team in a mission-critical domain. With a strong AI-first culture, flexible hybrid working arrangements, and direct access to the CEO, this role offers significant ownership and influence over engineering processes. Enjoy competitive salary packages, performance bonuses, and a supportive work environment that prioritises employee growth and well-being.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Engineering Manager
✨Join Local Tech Meetups
Get out there and mingle with fellow developers by joining local tech meetups. It’s a fantastic way to meet people who might be working at Ocho People or know someone who does. Plus, you can pick up some trendy tech skills and trends while you're at it!
✨Contribute to Open Source Projects
Show off your coding chops by jumping into open-source projects. Not only does this give you practical experience, but it also gets you noticed in the dev community. You'll create a killer portfolio that speaks volumes about your skills to Ocho People.
✨Tap into Online Developer Communities
Don’t underestimate the power of online developer communities like GitHub, Stack Overflow, and even Reddit. Participate in discussions, share your projects, and build your visibility. We can often find opportunities through these channels that can lead to a full-time gig at companies like Ocho People.
✨Explore Job Boards Specifically for Tech Roles
Keep your eyes peeled on job boards that focus on tech roles. Sites like TechCareers or Stack Overflow Jobs can often have listings for companies like Ocho People that might not show up on broader job sites. Make it a habit to check these regularly, and don’t hesitate to apply directly through our website!
We think you need these skills to ace Engineering Manager
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show off your coding skills:When applying for a software engineering role, it's super important to showcase your coding skills. Make sure your CV includes your tech stack, any relevant programming languages you’re comfortable with, and examples of projects you've worked on. If you have a GitHub profile, link it up! We love to see code in action.
Tailor your portfolio:For a full-time role, we’d expect to see some solid examples of your work in your portfolio. Make sure to include at least two or three projects that highlight your problem-solving skills and your ability to work with different technologies. Focus on the projects that are most relevant to the position at Ocho People.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Ocho People and how your skills align with the role. Show us your passion for software development. We dig enthusiastic candidates who understand the value of collaboration and continuous learning!
Be clear and concise:When it comes to writing your CV and cover letter, clarity is key. Avoid jargon that could confuse us and stick to simple, direct language. Highlight your achievements with quantifiable results where possible, and keep everything easy to read. A well-organised application goes a long way!
How to prepare for a job interview at Ocho People
✨Brush Up on Your Coding Skills
For a full-time software engineering role, it's crucial that we stay sharp with our coding abilities. Expect technical questions that might involve solving problems on the spot or discussing algorithms. Practise on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to get comfortable with the types of questions that often come up.
✨Know Your Tools and Frameworks
Make sure we’re well-acquainted with the tools and technologies listed in the job description. Familiarise ourselves with any specific frameworks or programming languages mentioned. If Ocho People uses React or Node.js, for instance, be ready to discuss how we’ve used them in previous projects or coursework.
✨Showcase Your Projects
Bring along a portfolio that highlights our best work. This could be code samples, GitHub repositories, or any side projects we’ve built. Make sure we can talk through our thought process for each project, especially the challenges we faced and how we solved them—this shows our problem-solving skills in action.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
While technical skills are key, full-time positions also require cultural fit. Be ready to discuss our previous experiences and how we handle teamwork, conflict, and deadlines. Brush up on the STAR method—Situation, Task, Action, Result—to clearly articulate our past experiences when discussing how we've contributed to a team.
