Senior Manager Software Engineer, Application Development - Farnborough

Vantage Point Global; Farnborough; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a leading global financial institution as a Senior Manager, Application Development. This role involves leading a high-performing software engineering team to deliver the next generation of its international payments network while driving modern engineering practices and strategic partnerships across business and technology.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in software/application development.
• 2+ years of experience managing and mentoring software engineering teams.
• Strong understanding of modern development practices including CI/CD and DevOps.

Responsibilities

• Lead cross-functional teams to deliver innovative, high-quality software.
• Oversee all aspects of software development, from architecture to delivery.
• Promote best practices in DevOps, continuous delivery, and test automation.

Skills

Leadership

Java-based systems

Cloud engineering

DevOps

Agile delivery

Strategic thinking

Communication

Mentoring

Job description

Are you an experienced technology leader with a passion for driving modern engineering practices? Can you combine deep technical expertise with strategic thinking and a people-first approach? Then this leadership opportunity within our delivery team could be your next career move.

What will I be doing?

You’ll be joining a leading global financial institution to help shape and deliver the next generation of its international payments network. As a Senior Manager, Application Development, you’ll lead a high-performing software engineering team responsible for end-to-end application ownership — from architecture and design through to delivery and continuous optimisation.

You’ll play a pivotal role in delivering scalable, real-time systems built using modern technologies and practices, while also acting as a coach, mentor, and strategic partner to stakeholders across business and technology.

What kind of work will I be doing?

As a Senior Manager, Application Development, you will:

• Lead and inspire cross-functional teams to deliver innovative, high-quality software and services within a scaled agile framework.
• Own and oversee all aspects of software development — from architecture and design through to build, test, deployment, and support
• Drive best practices in DevOps, continuous delivery, test automation (TDD/BDD), and cloud-native development.
• Provide architectural direction on Java-based microservices, RESTful APIs, and event-driven systems.
• Collaborate with technology and business stakeholders to translate strategic goals into clear technical roadmaps and actionable outcomes.
• Promote a culture of innovation, resilience, security, and continuous learning across your teams.
• Guide individual development and team performance through coaching, mentoring, and accountability frameworks.
• Oversee risk, compliance, and operational excellence to support delivery in a regulated environment.
• Contribute to a collaborative and high-performing leadership team focused on technology evolution and business impact.

What will I be gaining?

• A unique opportunity to drive technology strategy and delivery at a globally recognised financial services firm.
• Exposure to cutting-edge technologies and modern engineering practices (Cloud, APIs, CI/CD, Open Source, Event Streaming).
• The ability to lead and grow high-performing teams and shape the technical culture from the ground up.
• Strategic influence in a highly visible programme that will transform legacy systems into resilient, real-time platforms.
• A collaborative and supportive environment that values experimentation, learning, and continuous improvement.

What are we looking for?

You’ll demonstrate:

• Strong hands-on technical grounding in Java-based systems, APIs, cloud engineering, and DevOps.
• A proven track record of leading application development teams in complex, regulated environments.
• Strategic thinking, strong decision-making, and an ability to align technical delivery with business goals.
• A servant leadership mindset, with a focus on developing others and building high-trust teams.
• Clear, compelling communication skills — upward, downward, and across — and the ability to influence senior stakeholders.
• Passion for innovation and driving engineering excellence across the SDLC.

Essential Criteria

We would love to hear from you if you can demonstrate:

• 8+ years of experience in software/application development
• 2+ years of experience managing and mentoring software engineering teams
• Proven experience with Agile delivery and continuous improvement practices
• A strong understanding of modern development practices including CI/CD, test automation, and DevOps.

Preferred Qualifications

The following experience would be highly desirable:

• Proven ability to translate business goals into technical execution plans
• Strong communication skills with the ability to articulate a clear technology vision
• Demonstrated leadership in complex, matrixed organisations or regulated environments
• Hands-on experience building or leading API-based, cloud-native, or real-time systems
• Background in the payments or banking domain, with commercial awareness of industry trends
• Familiarity with:
  • Java / J2EE, Spring, RESTful APIs, relational databases
  • Open Source technologies, CI/CD pipelines, event-driven architecture
• Experience in coaching and developing talent, as well as managing team performance
• A collaborative mindset and proven ability to engage third-party vendors
• Strong appreciation of risk management, operational resilience, and compliance practices

Vantage Point Global is fully committed to being an Equal Opportunities, inclusive employer. We are passionate about attracting diverse talent, and welcome applications regardless of ethnicity, culture, age, gender, nationality, religion, disability, or sexual orientation.

Things you need to know:

• To apply, you’ll need to provide us with a CV and answer a few initial questions.

• We’d like to make you aware that if you have not heard back from us within three weeks of the date of application that we will not be progressing your application.