Interim Software Development Manager

Go Fractional; West of England; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Go Fractional is seeking an experienced Interim Software Development Manager to lead the Software Development function on a 12-month fixed-term contract in Bristol. You will provide technical leadership, oversee end-to-end software delivery across a broad portfolio and drive Agile, DevOps and CI/CD maturity.

The role requires strong people management, stakeholder engagement and the ability to deliver practical improvements within an interim assignment.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in a Software Development Manager, Head of Development or similar leadership role.

Responsibilities

• Lead Software Development Team Leaders across multiple technology stacks.

Skills

Software development leadership

Team leadership

Agile delivery

DevOps

Azure DevOps

Stakeholder management

Architecture collaboration

Incident resolution

People development

Delivery performance

Tools

Azure DevOps

Job description

About The Role

We are looking for an experienced and hands-on Interim Software Development Manager to lead our Software Development function in a 12-month fixed term contract. This is a key leadership role responsible for ensuring the successful delivery, support and continuous improvement of secure, resilient and high-quality software solutions that underpin critical business services.

Leading teams across a diverse technology landscape including RPG, Visualfiles, .NET and Java, you will provide technical leadership, operational oversight and people management while working closely with our Architecture, Security, Solution Delivery and Governance teams.

You will be responsible for driving engineering excellence, embedding effective development practices and ensuring delivery remains aligned with business priorities. Alongside supporting day-to-day development and application support activities, you will play a vital role in modernising approaches, improving delivery processes and strengthening the overall capability of the function.

As an interim leader, you will quickly assess the current environment, identify opportunities for improvement and implement practical solutions that deliver lasting value. By the end of the assignment, you will leave behind clear processes, documented ways of working and a roadmap for future success.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading and developing Software Development Team Leaders across multiple technology stacks.
• Driving a high-performing, collaborative and customer-focused engineering culture.
• Overseeing end-to-end software delivery across a broad application portfolio.
• Championing Agile delivery practices, Azure DevOps governance and CI/CD maturity.
• Managing application support, incident triage and continuous service improvement.
• Collaborating with Architecture, Security, Solution Delivery and Governance teams to ensure solutions are secure, compliant and aligned with strategic objectives.
• Supporting application stability, resilience and operational performance.
• Managing third-party suppliers, technical dependencies and delivery risks.
• Identifying opportunities to modernise legacy platforms and improve engineering capability.

About You

You will be an experienced software development leader who can quickly establish credibility, provide direction and drive meaningful improvements within a complex technology environment.

You will have a strong technical background and be comfortable engaging in discussions around software engineering, architecture, security and application support. You will combine strategic thinking with a pragmatic, hands-on approach and be confident leading multiple teams through change and improvement initiatives.

You will also bring:

• Proven experience in a Software Development Manager, Head of Development or similar leadership role.
• Experience leading multiple development teams across a range of technology platforms and software stacks.
• Strong understanding of Agile delivery methodologies, DevOps principles and modern software engineering practices.
• Experience overseeing Azure DevOps, including Boards, Repositories and Pipelines.
• A track record of improving delivery performance, operational resilience and engineering standards.
• Experience managing application support functions, incident resolution and continual service improvement.
• Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to collaborate effectively across technical and non-technical teams.
• Experience working alongside Architecture, Security, Governance and Delivery functions within a structured technology environment.
• Excellent communication, leadership and people development skills.
• The ability to quickly assess challenges, establish priorities and deliver results within an interim assignment.

Vacancy Type: Fixed Term Contract (12 months)Location: BristolDepartment: IT