Software Engineering Team Manager

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen to become part of our Software Engineering management team, where you’ll play an important role in shaping and supporting our engineering community as we deliver UKHO’s Technology strategy.

This is a people focused role. You won’t be involved in coding or the day-to-day delivery. Instead, you will work alongside our talented engineers – who operate within agile delivery teams, to champion the overall capability development of the function, champion professional development and foster a thriving and forward-thinking practice.

As the team manager, you’ll help ensure that our engineering teams have the skills, capacity and support they need to deliver high quality, enterprise scale software today and into the future.

We are looking for someone who understand the challenges and opportunities within software, test or data engineering – ideally gained through a previous technical or agile delivery role and this insight will support you to guide, coach and develop our teams.

In return, we offer a comprehensive benefits package, flexible and hybrid working options, and a personalised career development plan with time built in to succeed and grow in your career. You’ll have access to a broad range of learning opportunities.

Hybrid working

This job role can be worked on a hybrid basis, which is an informal, non-contractual and voluntary arrangement, working between the office in Taunton and remotely within the UK.

Part time hours of 22.2 might be considered for this role.

Job description

• Line management of a number of engineers (split with other team managers)
• Supporting resourcing activity in line with the Technology division and UKHO’s strategic objectives. Working with the Head of Engineering to implement talent management initiatives in line with UKHO’s strategic workforce planning activity.
• Setting and monitoring development and objectives for team members.
• Addressing day-to-day escalations, functional and line management issues for the team
• Develop relationships within UKHO both within our areas of technology and the wider business to increase collaboration and a one team approach.
• Act as one of the joint practice heads of the engineering community, facilitating team meetings and other activities.
• Leading improvements to our Engineering practices
• Lead the team through business/cultural change

A typical day could include:

• Carrying out one-to-one meetings with a number of engineers
• Working with other team managers on skills planning for the year
• Working on implementing a new process across software engineering teams (such as safety assurance)
• Attending a sprint review to understand current challenges faced and successes celebrated
• Interviewing a number of people for software and test engineering roles
• Preparing the agenda and organising speakers for the monthly community meeting
• Facilitating a bi-weekly meeting of Lead Engineers
• Working with the marketing team and HR teams on hiring campaigns

Person specification

• Practical experience of line management of a number of technical people, these will include performance management, career development and mentoring.
• Experience of within an Agile Environment, in some technical role (Development, Testing, Data Engineering or some other technical role)
• Experience of introducing change to a technical team(s)
• Strong communication & influencing skills, both verbal and written

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Developing Self and Others
• Working Together
• Communicating and Influencing

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £48,746, UK Hydrographic Office contributes £14,121 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

At the UK Hydrographic Office, it's very important to us that our people feel valued.

We offer a huge range of benefits such as training and development, well-being support, flexible/ homeworking, a fantastic state of the art building, high spec equipment, and so much more.

See our attached Candidate Information Pack for more details.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

How to Apply:

When you click "Apply Now" at the bottom of this page, you will be required to attach your anonymised CV and give a 500 word supporting statement on the Experience criteria below.

Timeline:

• Advert Closes for applications: 26/03/2026
• Shortlisting: Week commencing: 06/04/2026
• Interviews: Week commencing: 20/04/2026

We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates change. You will be provided with sufficient notice of the confirmed dates.

Sift/Shortlist Criteria:

All applications are processed anonymously.

You will be short-listed against the following criteria - assessed by both your anonymised CV and personal statement.

Experience:

• Significant experience of managing people, including coaching, mentoring, performance management and fostering potential (lead criteria).
• Experience of driving and implementing new ways of working, new tools, policies, within a development environment/software engineering team.

Interview Criteria:

You will be interviewed against the following criteria:

Experience:-

• Significant experience of managing people, including coaching, mentoring, performance management and fostering potential
• Experience of driving and implementing new ways of working, new tools, policies, within a development environment/software engineering team.

Civil Service Behaviours (SEO Level)

• Developing self and others
• Working Together
• Communicating and Influencing (assessed against the presentation)

See here for further information: Success Profiles: Civil Service Behaviours

Process:

• Single Stage Interview via MS TEAMS. You will be contacted to book a suitable slot if you are shortlisted (see our Candidate Pack for further information)
• Interview will be with a panel of no more than 3 people and will last approximately 60 minutes. If selected for interview, you will be required to give a 15 minute presentation as noted above. The title of the presentation will be provided in your Invitation to Interview.

Onboarding Checks:

In the event you are offered a role with us, you will be required to go through Basic Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) checks which will include Employment and Right to Work Checks. You will also need to apply for SC (Security Clearance), but you may be able to start your role before gaining this. Please see our attached Candidate Pack for further details and Terms.

Please note, we are unable to offer visa sponsorship.

Residency Requirements:

SC – non reserved

This is a Ministry of Defence non-reserved post and although open to UK, British Commonwealth and European Economic Area nationals, successful applicants will require a security clearance (SC) and therefore need to have resided in the UK for a minimum of 12 consecutive months within the last 5 years.

Eligibility

Due to the secure nature of our work, there may be eligibility restrictions if you hold dual nationality or are not a British Citizen. We will consider each application on a case-by-case basis. We will ask you in our application form to confirm your place of birth and details of any dual or previous nationalities.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : recruitment.queries@ukho.gov.uk
• Email : recruitment.queries@ukho.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : recruitment.queries@ukho.gov.uk

Further information

The Department’s recruitment processes are underpinned by the requirement of selection for appointment based on merit, open and fair competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles, details of which can be found at http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact recruitment.queries@ukho.gov.uk If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can further contact the Civil Service Commission at: civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk or view more details at http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk

Attachments

UKHO Candidate Information Pack - Tech Opens in new window (pdf, 5887kB)Additional Pay Information Opens in new window (pdf, 163kB)