Director of Software Delivery Management

Finova; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading financial services tech provider in Manchester is seeking a Director of Software Delivery Management to lead their software delivery teams. This role requires a strong background in Agile practices, effective coaching, and excellent stakeholder management skills. The candidate will drive high-quality software delivery while promoting a culture of continuous improvement within the organization. This position offers a hybrid working model and various employee benefits.

Benefits

25 days holiday plus bank holidays

Life Assurance

Private Medical Insurance

Cycle to Work Scheme

Paid volunteering day annually

Qualifications

• Practical experience with Agile techniques across different delivery environments.
• Proven track record in delivering high-quality software.
• Strong skills in stakeholder management at all levels.

Responsibilities

• Lead Software Delivery Managers and Business Analysts.
• Manage risk and mitigation for software projects.
• Coach teams on best practices for delivery.

Skills

Agile techniques

Coaching and mentoring

Stakeholder management

Software delivery experience

Pragmatic decision making

Job description

Director - Software Delivery Management (Manchester - Hybrid)

About Finova

Finova is the UK’s largest financial services technology provider, supporting one in every five mortgages nationwide. Our agile, cloud-native solutions enable over 60 banks, building societies, specialist lenders, equity release providers and a network of 2,400+ brokers to stay ahead in a competitive market.

Built on open architecture and backed by deep industry expertise, our platform is designed to scale. Each year, we process over £50 billion in loans, manage nearly £50 billion in savings, and support the digital servicing of more than 650,000 UK borrower accounts. Be part of a team that’s driving innovation, enabling growth and shaping the future of UK lending.

For Lenders

Finova offers a flexible, modular technology suite designed to help lenders move faster, scale efficiently and deliver standout digital experiences.

Financial Institutions use Finova to launch products faster, process applications up to 50% more efficiently and reduce operational costs — all while staying fully compliant in a fast-moving market.

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced Director of Software Delivery Management to lead our Software Delivery Managers and Business Analysts.

Reporting directly into our CTO, you will be passionate about continually improving our ability to deliver high quality, reliable and market leading software. You will have a wealth of experience in transparent leadership that demands simplicity and predictability. Priding yourself on making sure everyone is informed so decisions can be made quickly and with the best knowledge to hand:

• Your teams will help to coordinate all our software builds from inception through to live customer usage / support
• Working closely with our client delivery teams to ensure seamless handovers and updates
• Coaching and mentoring the teams on best practices around continual improvement, backlog management, working practices, exploration techniques etc.
• Ensuring all practices are sustainable and valuable
• Managing stakeholders at all levels and clearly communicating where we actually are, not where we want to be!
• Driving pragmatic decision making but being firm with what is and isn’t possible
• Managing risk and mitigation
• Helping to own and manage the budgets with the CTO

About You

• You have practical experience of Agile techniques and understand what truly works across different delivery environments.
• You’re comfortable working with a mixed estate, from high-performing, fluid teams using Mob programming to those just starting their Agile journey.
• You’re an effective coach and mentor, able to guide and support delivery managers and teams in varied scenarios to raise performance standards across the organisation.
• You have a clear focus on achieving the goal of all teams being excellent by 2028.
• You thrive in a CI/CD environment and embrace a ‘build it, you run it’ culture, promoting ownership, accountability, and quality.
• You bring strong software delivery experience, with a proven track record of delivering high-quality, reliable, and market-leading software.
• You’re known for transparent leadership, creating simplicity, predictability, and open communication to enable fast, well-informed decisions.
• You are passionate about continual improvement and best practices, including backlog management, working practices, and exploration techniques.
• You’re skilled in stakeholder management at all levels — providing clear, honest communication about where things stand, not just where you want them to be.
• You make pragmatic decisions, balancing ambition and realism while managing risk and mitigation effectively.
• You bring financial and commercial awareness, helping to own and manage budgets alongside the CTO.
• You have a collaborative and coaching mindset, fostering teamwork, empowerment and professional growth across the delivery and business analysis functions.

What We Offer

Flexible Working

25 days holiday plus bank holidays, bank holiday trading and holiday purchase options, the opportunity to work from anywhere in the world for up to 4 weeks per year, and a flexible hybrid working policy.

Looking After You

Life Assurance, Group Income Protection, Private Medical Insurance, a pension scheme via Salary Exchange, an Employee Assistance Programme, and access to a Virtual GP.

Family-Friendly Policies

Enhanced maternity and paternity pay, as well as paid time off for fertility treatments and pregnancy loss.

Extra Perks

Cycle to Work Scheme, discounts on shops, restaurants, and gym memberships, free fresh fruit daily, and opportunities to join colleague networks and social groups.

Giving Back

One paid volunteering day annually and the Give-As-You-Earn scheme to support your favourite charities.

Equal Opportunity Statement

We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. If you’re passionate about this role but don’t meet all the criteria, please reach out—we’d love to discuss how your skills and experiences align with our needs.