At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead diverse engineering teams to deliver innovative insurance solutions and improve software delivery.
- Company: WTW, an inclusive employer committed to diversity and innovation.
- Benefits: 25 days annual leave, private healthcare, hybrid working, and a range of perks.
- Other info: Opportunities for professional growth and a focus on continuous improvement.
- Why this job: Join a supportive environment and make a real impact in tech and insurance.
- Qualifications: Experience in leading Agile teams and delivering complex software solutions.
The predicted salary is between 72000 - 88000 £ per year.
This job is with WTW, an inclusive employer and a member of myGwork – the largest global platform for the LGBTQ+ business community.
As a Software Engineering Manager, you will lead highly skilled, multi-disciplinary engineering teams within a substantial global technology organisation, delivering market-leading insurance and reserving solutions. You will play an important role in our continued evolution from desktop and on-premise products to modern cloud and SaaS platforms, helping teams build secure, reliable, scalable and user-centred software while continuously improving engineering effectiveness, developer experience and ways of working. Engineering excellence is about more than producing great code. It is about creating the environment, practices and feedback loops that enable teams to deliver valuable software safely, predictably and sustainably. You will encourage continuous learning, thoughtful use of engineering metrics, high standards of quality and reliability, and responsible adoption of modern practices such as AI-assisted software delivery, automation, secure development and DevSecOps.
You will bring a strong background in software engineering, with experience delivering complex commercial applications across a range of technologies, and will have progressed into technical leadership and people management. You will have a successful track record of leading engineering teams, building inclusive and high-performing cultures, improving delivery flow, and balancing speed with quality, security, reliability and maintainability. This role combines technical credibility with strategic and operational leadership, stakeholder management, team engagement, recruitment, organisational design, continuous improvement and coaching. It is a strong opportunity for an established technical lead or engineering leader who is ready to take the next step into broader engineering management in a collaborative and supportive environment.
The Role
- Be accountable for the development, release and continuous improvement of reserving products, ensuring teams deliver high-quality outcomes through appropriate Agile, product-oriented or flow-based delivery approaches.
- Coach, mentor and develop engineers, fostering an inclusive, collaborative and psychologically safe culture focused on quality, learning, accountability and sustainable delivery.
- Partner with Architects, Senior Engineers, Product, Platform, Security and Operations teams to assess technology options and define robust, scalable, secure and maintainable architectures that support cloud/SaaS evolution, modern user experiences and product innovation.
- Provide delivery and technical troubleshooting support, using sound judgement, people leadership and data to unblock issues, manage risks and identify systemic improvements.
- Enable a data-informed engineering culture by using meaningful delivery, quality, reliability, customer and developer-experience metrics to identify bottlenecks, improve team flow and guide continuous improvement.
- Recruit, onboard, develop and retain high-calibre software engineers, identifying training needs, supporting career development and recommending improvements to team structures and operating models.
- Oversee development, quality assurance, security and governance processes, recommending improvements to the practices, automation and tooling that support secure and reliable software delivery.
- Promote responsible use of AI-assisted engineering tools and automation, ensuring productivity improvements are balanced with human review, maintainability, security, compliance and clear engineering standards.
- Champion developer experience by reducing unnecessary friction, improving documentation, encouraging reusable patterns and supporting appropriate self-service engineering practices.
Qualifications
The essential skills/experience for this position are:
- Experience leading multi-disciplinary Agile, product-oriented or flow-based engineering teams delivering complex, maintainable and commercially valuable software solutions.
- Practical experience across the full software development lifecycle in a commercial or production environment, including discovery and requirements analysis, estimation, architecture and design, implementation, testing, deployment, maintenance and operational support.
- Strong practical understanding of modern software engineering principles, including maintainable architecture, automated testing, CI/CD, secure-by-design practices, observability and reliability.
- Successful track record of growing teams and leading transformation initiatives across engineering effectiveness, Agile or flow-based delivery, people development, cloud/SaaS adoption, DevSecOps and technology modernisation.
- Strong leadership skills: enthusiastic, motivational, proactive, decisive, collaborative, inclusive and committed to continuous improvement.
- Ability to use engineering metrics thoughtfully to improve delivery flow, quality, reliability, developer experience and team health without creating unnecessary measurement overhead.
Other highly desirable, but not essential skills are:
- Experience with Azure, cloud-native architectures, SaaS technologies, platform engineering or internal developer platforms.
- Appreciation of current and emerging technologies, including AI-assisted software delivery, automation, DevSecOps, observability and developer-experience tooling, along with their benefits, limitations and risks.
- General knowledge of the insurance industry, actuarial or reserving domains, or other regulated software environments.
What we offer
Enjoy a benefits package designed to help you thrive, both professionally and personally. You'll receive 25 days of annual leave plus an extra WTW day to relax and recharge. Our comprehensive health and wellbeing offering includes private healthcare, life insurance, group income protection, and regular health assessments, all giving you peace of mind. Secure your future with our defined contribution pension scheme, featuring matched contributions up to 10% from the company. We support your growth and balance with hybrid working options, access to an employee assistance programme, and a fully paid volunteer day to make a difference in your community. On top of these, you can opt into a variety of additional perks including an electric vehicle car scheme, share scheme, cycle-to-work programme, dental and optical cover, critical illness protection, and much more. Start making the most of your career and wellbeing with a range of benefits tailored for you.
Equal Opportunity Employer
We’re committed to equal employment opportunity and provide application, interview and workplace adjustments and accommodations to all applicants. If you foresee any barriers, from the application process through to joining WTW, please email candidatehelpdesk@wtwco.com.
Software Engineering Manager in Surrey employer: WTW
WTW is an exceptional employer that fosters a dynamic work culture, offering a hybrid work model that promotes flexibility and work-life balance. Employees benefit from comprehensive health insurance and have ample opportunities for professional growth within the M&A team, making it an ideal environment for those looking to thrive in a collaborative and innovative setting.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Software Engineering Manager in Surrey
✨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 WTW 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 WTW.
✨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 WTW.
✨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 WTW 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 Software Engineering Manager in Surrey
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 WTW.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at WTW 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 WTW
✨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 WTW 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.
