Software Engineering Manager

UK Tote Group Limited; Wigan; On-site; GBP 125,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading gaming company in Wigan is seeking an experienced Software Engineering Manager to lead agile teams in delivering robust software solutions. You will shape technical direction and foster high-performing teams while focusing on best practices in software development. The ideal candidate has significant experience in JavaScript, Node.js, and cloud infrastructure management. This role offers competitive salary and a range of employee benefits, providing opportunities for growth and development within a vibrant work culture.

Benefits

Competitive Basic Salary

Discretionary Bonus Scheme

Company Shares Option Plan

Contributory pension scheme

Life insurance (4 x basic salary)

Simply Health Cash Plan

Holiday entitlement (33 days inclusive of bank holidays)

Study Support

Regular social events

Qualifications

• Solid engineering background and experience managing software engineering teams.
• Hands-on development experience in JavaScript and Node.js.
• Deep understanding of software design and system architecture.

Responsibilities

• Lead agile engineering teams delivering software across multiple projects.
• Set and guide technical direction, ensuring modular and scalable solutions.
• Mentor and coach engineers, fostering a culture of continuous learning.

Skills

Technical leadership

Agile methodologies

JavaScript

Node.js

Cloud infrastructure

Communication skills

Tools

Terraform

CloudFormation

Job description

We are looking for an experienced and driven Software Engineering Manager to join our Engineering function in Wigan. Reporting to the Head of Engineering, you will play a key role in leading multidisciplinary teams to design and deliver simple, effective applications that meet real user needs. This role combines strong technical leadership with people management, offering the opportunity to shape technical direction, build high‑performing teams, and foster a culture of continuous learning and innovation.

What you’ll be doing

You will lead agile engineering teams responsible for delivering software across small, medium, and large projects, often as part of platform rebuilds or squads aligned to core business goals. You will set and guide technical direction, ensuring solutions are modular, scalable, and resilient, while continuously improving system architecture and performance. You will hands‑on in promoting and demonstrating engineering best practices, including test‑driven or behaviour‑driven development, continuous integration, and high‑quality code reviews. You will support sprint planning and roadmap development, providing clear visibility of progress to both internal and external stakeholders. Working closely with Product Owners, BI Developers, Compliance, and Operational Marketing teams, you will help translate customer and business requirements into effective technical solutions. You will ensure regulatory considerations are embedded into platform design, enabling customers to use our products responsibly. You will also mentor and coach engineers, creating an autonomous team environment where people are supported to grow, learn new technologies, and deliver their best work.

Qualifications

We are looking for a strong technical leader with a solid engineering background and demonstrable experience managing highly skilled software engineering teams. You will have hands‑on development experience and be comfortable writing, testing, and releasing high‑quality JavaScript and Node.js code, as well as designing and maintaining cloud infrastructure using infrastructure‑as‑code tools such as Terraform or CloudFormation. You will have a deep understanding of software design, system architecture, algorithms, and performance, along with experience building commercial web, backend, and cloud‑based solutions. You will be confident working in Agile environments and applying modern product development lifecycle practices from prototyping through to delivery. Alongside your technical expertise, you will be an effective people manager with excellent communication skills and the ability to motivate, coach, and influence others. You will bring a proactive, “can‑do” mindset, challenge existing approaches, and continuously look for better, more innovative ways to deliver high‑quality software.

Working at the Tote

At the Tote you can expect a friendly working environment with a strong sense of teamwork and pride in what we do. Within this role you'll develop a broad range of skills and experiences that can enhance your career at the Tote.

Benefits

Additionally, our company benefits package includes:

• Competitive Basic Salary
• Discretionary Bonus Scheme
• Company Shares Option Plan
• Contributory pension scheme
• Life insurance (4 x basic salary)
• Simply Health Cash Plan
• Holiday entitlement (33 days inclusive of bank holidays)
• Study Support and opportunity for progression and development
• Confidential 24/7 365 employee assistance helpline
• Agile and collaborative office environment with free parking, fruit, biscuits, and drinks
• Regular social events, charity events and volunteering opportunities