Software Development Manager

IKnow Church Software; Metropolitan Borough of Solihull; Hybrid; GBP 53,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

1 Day per Month Dedicated to Learning

Your Birthday Off

Subscription to Online Training

Complimentary Car Valet

Annual Eye Test

Job summary

A software company supporting charities is seeking a Development Manager to lead and support their small team. This hands-on leadership role involves guiding the development of key platforms while also contributing directly through coding. Candidates should have at least 5 years of experience in a commercial environment, previous leadership experience, and a strong technical background, including PHP and AWS. The position offers a hybrid work model, generous vacation days, and various perks to support professional growth.

Qualifications

• At least 5 years’ experience in a commercial development environment.
• Previous leadership or management experience.
• Technically strong and comfortable remaining hands-on.

Responsibilities

• Lead and support a small team of developers.
• Plan and shape new features with thorough code reviews.
• Actively contribute high-quality code to the platform.
• Refine existing features and develop new modules.

Skills

Leadership experience

Team development

Software quality assurance

Emotional intelligence

Tools

PHP (Laravel)

React

AWS

Job description

Location: Hybrid (3 days in our Solihull office per week)
Contact: 0121 651 11 25 [e-mail]
Salary: £53,000 - £60,000
Full Time: 8.30 - 17.00 Monday to Friday
Holidays: 26 days per year + Bank Holidays

About iKnow and Edit

Our iKnow and Edit platforms are trusted by thousands of organisations across the UK to help them communicate, stay organised, and support their mission. They range from small single location churches and charities up to charities with over £70m a year in income.

Our software includes our Edit website builder and our iKnow admin software that is available in a number of different brands. This past year we have launched safeguarding software that we are told is market leading for managing concerns and checks. We want to continually build new features and support our growing customer base.

At our heart, we’re a small, dedicated team who care deeply about creating tools that empower our charities to flourish. Whether a charity is building community, caring for members, or reaching out to their local area, our software is designed to help them do it well.

Job Description

We’re looking for an experienced Development Manager who is a true all-rounder - someone who combines strong technical ability with excellent people skills, and who enjoys both leading a team and building software.

This is a hands-on leadership role. You’ll guide our development team while continuing to contribute high-quality code yourself. You’ll play a key part in shaping the future of our platforms, maintaining high standards, and fostering a positive, collaborative team culture.

As leader of our development team, you’ll work on our two major platforms:

• Edit - our website platform
• iKnow - our management, donations and safeguarding software with companion mobile app and contactless app

What You’ll Be Doing

• Leading and supporting a small team of developers, helping them grow and do their best work
• Planning and shaping new features, from whole-team UI discussions through to task allocation
• Ensuring code reviews are thorough and maintain a high standard of quality
• Actively coding and contributing to the platform alongside the team
• Refining existing features and developing new modules that solve real customer problems
• Working closely with other teams to ensure our software meets the needs of churches and charities
• Being part of an on-call rota for urgent hosting or software availability issues

About You

We’re looking for someone who:

• Has at least 5 years’ experience in a commercial development environment
• Has previous leadership or management experience
• Is technically strong and comfortable remaining hands-on
• Has strong emotional intelligence and enjoys empowering and supporting others
• Cares deeply about software quality and user experience
• Is motivated by building products that make a meaningful difference
• Demonstrates a high level of integrity

Technical Environment

Our software is hosted on AWS, so experience with cloud-based hosting is essential.

Our stack includes:

• PHP (Laravel)
• React
• Legacy system in CodeIgniter and jQuery (this still has some development but will be migrated to Laravel over time)

Why Work With Us?

Joining Edit means being part of a very friendly team committed not just to building software, but to serving churches and charities and helping them have greater impact in their communities.

You’ll also enjoy:

1 Day per Month Dedicated to Learning
A paid Friday each month to explore new technologies, skills, or passion projects.

Your Birthday Off
If it falls on a working day, it’s yours to enjoy.

Subscription to Online Training
Access to professional learning resources.

Complimentary Car Valet (Every 2 Months)
Professional car cleaning at our car park.

Annual Eye Test
Plus a £49 contribution towards glasses if required.

Your work will support organisations across the UK, helping them communicate better, care for their contacts, and fulfil their mission.

This role is Hybrid with 3 days per week based in our Solihull Office.