JOB SUMMARY

The Software Development Manager is responsible for leading a team of software developers and ensuring the successful delivery of software solutions within a cloud-based environment. Although this role is not hands-on in coding or architecture, the manager must have a strong technical foundation and the ability to understand code, systems, and architectural decisions.

The position is primarily managerial and focused on people, delivery, and collaboration. The manager works closely with cross-functional teams, including QA, Infrastructure, Product Management, and other engineering leaders, to ensure alignment, support effective delivery, and maintain high engineering standards. The environment is fully cloud-based using Microsoft Azure.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Manage, mentor, and support software developers, senior developers, and team leads.
• Facilitate professional growth through continuous feedback, coaching, and development plans.
• Conduct performance evaluations and guide career development discussions.
• Handle conflict resolution, performance concerns, and feedback cycles.
• Promote a positive engineering culture focused on collaboration, quality, and accountability.
• Encourage the adoption of engineering best practices and standards.
• Set individual and team goals, conduct performance evaluations, and facilitate career development discussions.
• Work closely with QA, Delivery, Infrastructure, and Product teams to ensure smooth end-to-end delivery.
• Participate in discussions with Product Managers, UX, and business stakeholders to align expectations and priorities.
• Communicates progress, challenges, and needs to leadership and partner teams.
• Support cross-team alignment and help remove blockers or dependencies during delivery.
• Assist in project requirement gathering, technical specifications, effort discussions, and roadmap planning.
• Contribute to identifying risks and dependencies, while partnering with Product Managers and other leaders to address them.
• Support release planning and help coordinate delivery timelines across teams.
• Ensure the team follows Agile processes and participates effectively in ceremonies such as sprint planning, reviews, and retrospectives.
• Monitor project timelines, budgets, and resource allocation to ensure successful delivery.
• Review and understand system designs, architectural decisions, and code approaches.
• Provide input into architectural discussions when appropriate and give feedback based on experience.
• Ensure adherence to engineering standards, code quality practices, and architectural guidelines.
• Support developers in understanding system behavior, distributed systems patterns, and cloud native concepts.
• Help identify risks related to security, privacy, and handling of PII data.
• Stay informed about cloud technologies, especially Azure, and modern engineering trends.
• Track team performance and key delivery indicators.
• Lead or contribute to process improvement initiatives to increase efficiency and quality.
• Collaborate with Product Management on long-term planning and contribute to the technical roadmap.
• Support DevOps practices, including automation, pipelines, and coordination with Infrastructure teams.

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

REQUIRED:

• Demonstrated success and a proven track record of professional/life experience in specific job functions, projects, industries or military service can substitute for professional experience and/or formal education requirements.
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field
• 7+ years of experience in software development, with at least 4 years in a management role.
• Solid understanding of programming languages (C#, Python)
• Proficiency in SQL and Database Technologies
• Proficiency in Cloud Computing and Technologies preferably Microsoft Azure
• Proficiency in Azure DevOps or similar tools
• Experience working with distributed systems, microservices, or cloud-native architectures.
• Familiarity with DevOps practices, including automation, CI/CD pipelines, and collaboration with Infrastructure teams.
• Strong understanding of Agile methodologies and participation in Agile ceremonies.
• Excellent communication and leadership skills, with the ability to engage both technical and nontechnical audiences.
• Proven ability to coach, delegate, empower, and guide teams through challenges.
• Background in microservices, REST APIs, and systems integration.
  

PREFERRED:

• Master's Degree
• Experience with developing and delivering eCommerce Platforms and/or Online Marketplaces
• Knowledge of security best practices and handling sensitive or PII data

KEY COMPETENCIES

• Conflict resolution and constructive feedback.
• Delegation, empowerment, and team enablement.
• Ability to drive alignment across teams and stakeholders.
• Strong decision-making and prioritization skills.
• Maintain a high-performing engineering team.
• Drive continuous process improvements to support better delivery outcomes.
• Collaborate closely with Product Management on priorities and planning.
• Contribute to the long-term technical roadmap and engineering strategy.
• Ensure that engineering practices support reliability, quality, and security.

CORE VALUES

Step Up For Students believes strongly in two key core values to carry out their mission of “We empower families to pursue and engage in the most appropriate learning options for their children.”:

• Everyone is an asset.
• Every event is an improvement opportunity.

To maintain a positive and effective organizational culture, employees are expected to demonstrate these two core values in their everyday work.

WORKING CONDITIONS & EQUIPMENT USE

• Work is performed indoors in a typical office environment - not substantially exposed to adverse environmental conditions.
• Valid driver license with proof of insurance.
• Must be able to lift up to fifteen (15) pounds.

• Frequent use of office machines to include telephone, computer, and printer.