At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a talented team to shape digital platforms for STEM education.
- Company: Join STEM Learning, dedicated to enhancing lives through STEM education.
- Benefits: Enjoy 30 days holiday, flexible hours, and a great pension scheme.
- Other info: Hybrid working at the National STEM Learning Centre in York.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on STEM education while advancing your career.
- Qualifications: Experience in leading development teams and technical expertise in various platforms.
The predicted salary is between 65000 - 70000 £ per year.
Salary: £65,000 - £70,000, dependent on experience
Shape the digital platforms supporting STEM education across the UK! Are you an experienced Head of Development, Development Manager or Tech Lead ready to take your career to the next level? Would you like to lead a talented development team and shape digital platforms that make a meaningful difference to STEM education?
About Us
STEM Learning is dedicated to improving lives through STEM education by helping young people develop the skills and knowledge they need to thrive. Its digital products and platforms support teachers, educators, students, employers and educational organisations across the UK. Its work includes subject-specific professional development, high-quality learning resources and the STEM Ambassadors programme.
The Role
The Development Manager will lead STEM Learning's in-house development function while managing relationships with key third-party suppliers. You will take responsibility for the technical direction and architecture of a varied digital estate spanning Microsoft Dynamics 365, Microsoft Power Platform, front-end web applications, hosting and the cloud services that underpin them.
This hands-on leadership role is responsible for ensuring STEM Learning's digital products and infrastructure remain reliable, secure, cost-effective and ready to evolve. It is an excellent next step for an experienced Senior Developer or Development Lead moving into broader management.
What You'll Be Doing
- Lead, coach and develop the in-house development team, creating the skills, capacity and environment needed to deliver high-quality work.
- Set the technical direction and own architecture across Dynamics 365, Power Platform, front-end applications and AWS-hosted services.
- Oversee the design, development and support of solutions and integrations for new and existing digital products.
- Balance low-code solutions with bespoke development so platforms remain consistent, secure and maintainable.
- Champion code review, testing, secure development and effective CI/CD pipelines.
- Improve the developer experience, remove technical blockers and address technical debt with Technical Delivery.
- Act as an escalation point for technical and integration queries from internal teams and suppliers.
- Oversee web hosting and AWS environments for performance, resilience, scalability and cost efficiency.
- Manage environments, access and licensing across Dynamics 365, Power Platform and AWS.
- Maintain systems, integration and architecture documentation, including records of key technical decisions.
- Support compliance with Cyber Essentials Plus and ISO alongside infrastructure and security colleagues.
- Manage supplier performance and contribute to incident reviews that prevent recurrence.
Our Ideal Candidate
Candidates will demonstrate our values: Sustainable – Innovative – Proactive. We are looking for someone who combines credible technical expertise with supportive, people-focused leadership. You will ideally bring:
- Experience building, leading and developing software or digital development teams.
- A hands-on approach and the ability to step into technical work when required.
- Knowledge of Microsoft Dynamics 365, including Customer Engagement or Dataverse, configuration, customisation, data management and integration.
- Experience of Power Apps, Power Automate and Power BI, including governance, environments and licensing.
- Front-end web development and hosting experience, ideally with TypeScript, JavaScript, React or Next.js.
- Working knowledge of AWS and cloud or serverless platforms, potentially including S3, CloudFront, Amplify or container services.
- Experience of modern APIs and authentication technologies such as OAuth and OIDC.
- Competency in TypeScript, JavaScript, C#, PHP, Python or another modern programming language.
- Experience with Postman or Insomnia, GitHub, CI/CD tooling and release pipelines.
- Ability to write complex queries against SQL Server, PostgreSQL or MySQL.
- Experience managing third-party suppliers and balancing internal and outsourced delivery.
- Strong communication skills, including explaining technical subjects to non-technical stakeholders.
- Experience working with Cyber Essentials Plus and ISO security standards.
You do not need to be the deepest technical specialist across every platform. What matters is your ability to provide sound technical leadership, ask the right questions, support your team and make pragmatic decisions across a varied digital environment.
The role is based at the National STEM Learning Centre in York and offers hybrid working. The successful candidate will normally work on-site two days per week, with flexible hours in line with STEM Learning’s policy.
The Opportunity
This is an opportunity to influence the technical direction of an established organisation whose digital platforms support STEM teaching and learning. You will lead an in-house team with senior, full-stack and Dynamics development expertise, working closely with the IT Lead, internal stakeholders and external technology partners.
STEM Learning is looking for someone who will bring its values to life by being sustainable, innovative and proactive.
Our Benefits
- 30 days holidays plus bank holidays
- An additional day off on your birthday
- Access to an attractive pension scheme
- Our full-time hours are 37 hours per week
- Up to 3 paid volunteering leave days per year
- A comprehensive employee assistance programme
To Apply
WRK digital is working in exclusive partnership with STEM Learning and is managing all applications and shortlisting for this appointment.
If you are an experienced Head of Development, Development Manager or Tech Lead ready for a broader leadership role, we would be delighted to hear from you.
Please provide us with:
- Your up-to-date CV
- A covering letter (no more than the equivalent of 2 sides of A4) explaining your interest in the role and why you think you would be the ideal candidate.
We recommend you apply as soon as possible as there is no set closing date for the role and applications will be reviewed as they are received.
Contact James Westwood at WRK digital for a confidential conversation about the opportunity and next steps.
STEM Learning strives to be diverse and inclusive – a place where we can ALL be ourselves. We encourage applications from all backgrounds and communities, and are committed to employing teams with diverse abilities, skills, and experiences. We foster a culture where every employee’s voice is respected and valued.
Development Manager in York employer: STEM Learning
STEM Learning is an exceptional employer dedicated to improving lives through STEM education, offering a collaborative and dynamic work environment that fosters innovation and creativity. As a Secondary Computing & Digital Subject Specialist, you will contribute to high-profile initiatives that have a lasting impact on students and employers, while enjoying generous benefits such as 30 days of holiday, a supportive pension scheme, and opportunities for professional growth. Located in the National STEM Learning Centre in York, you will be part of a passionate team committed to shaping the future of STEM careers and ensuring inclusivity in the workplace.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Development Manager in York
✨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 STEM Learning 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 STEM Learning.
✨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 STEM Learning.
✨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 STEM Learning 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 Development Manager in York
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 STEM Learning.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at STEM Learning 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 STEM Learning
✨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 STEM Learning 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.
