Engineering Manager (Hands-On | Software Delivery)
Belfast | Hybrid
MPA are partnering with an elite Canadian tech firm expanding into Belfast to hire a hands-on Engineering Manager to lead high-performing software teams delivering complex cloud and enterprise systems.
This is a player-coach role — ideal for someone who enjoys developing engineers, driving delivery, and still contributing technically when needed.
The Role
You’ll lead a team of backend and frontend engineers across active client projects, ensuring high-quality, scalable software delivery while fostering strong team culture and technical standards.
This is not a pure management role. You’ll be expected to influence architecture, guide technical decisions, and stay close to the codebase.
Key Responsibilities
* Lead, mentor, and develop a team of software engineers
* Conduct 1:1s, performance reviews, and career development planning
* Drive technical direction across backend services and APIs
* Contribute hands-on to system design and key architectural decisions
* Collaborate with product and design to shape roadmaps and delivery plans
* Lead agile ceremonies and improve team delivery processes
* Ensure strong engineering standards across testing, CI/CD, and deployments
Required Experience
* 8+ years in software engineering, including 2+ years in a leadership or people management role
* Strong backend development experience (Java and/or Python, ideally Spring)
* Experience with modern frontend technologies (React, JavaScript)
* Strong understanding of REST APIs, scalable system design, and web architecture
* Experience with relational and non-relational databases
* Proven ability to lead projects end-to-end while maintaining team engagement and morale
* Strong communication and stakeholder management skills
Highly Desirable
* Experience in cloud-native or containerised environments
* Exposure to data tooling or workflow orchestration (e.g., Airflow, dbt)
* Experience scaling teams or improving engineering processes
* Experience mentoring early- to mid-career engineers
Why Consider This Role?
* Real ownership over both technical direction and team growth
* Influence hiring, architecture, and delivery standards
* Hybrid working model in Belfast
* High-autonomy, fast-paced engineering culture
* Highly competitive compensation and fantastic benefits package