Development Manager / Platform

HolidayGems Ltd; Belfast; On-site; GBP 60,000 - GBP 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading online travel operator in Northern Ireland is seeking a Development Manager to oversee their in-house reservation system. This role involves leading a team of software engineers, ensuring high-quality engineering and adherence to Agile practices. Candidates should have proven experience with .NET technologies and a strong background in leading development teams, ideally within the travel industry. The successful applicant will help enhance the platform while promoting a culture of continuous improvement.

Benefits

Company Pension Scheme

22 days holiday rising to 25

Enhanced Maternity & Paternity

Learning & Development Funding

Life Insurance

Staff Travel Discounts

On-site parking

Casual dress code

Qualifications

• Proven experience as a Development Manager or Lead Developer managing a development team.
• Hands-on experience with .NET (C#, .NET Core), Angular, and SQL Server.
• Strong track record of delivering software using Agile methodologies.
• Experience in travel or booking platforms is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Manage the planning and delivery of development work on the Hermes platform.
• Lead and mentor a team of developers for skills growth.
• Collaborate closely with the Solution Architect on development tasks.
• Ensure high-quality code through effective peer reviews and secure practices.

Skills

Leadership

Agile methodologies

Technical understanding of Microsoft stack

Problem-solving

Communication

CI/CD workflows

Education

Degree in Computer Science or related field

Tools

.NET (C#, .NET Core)

Angular

SQL Server

Git

AWS

Azure

Job description

The Development Manager (Platform) is responsible for leading the day-to-day development and delivery of SHG’s in-house reservation system, Hermes, built primarily in .NET. The role ensures highquality engineering, effective Agile ways of working, and the smooth delivery of enhancements, maintenance and integrations across the platform. The post-holder will manage and develop a team of software engineers, inherit and strengthen an established team culture, and work closely with the Solution Architect to ensure all development aligns with architectural standards and the wider technology strategy.

Key Responsibilities:

• Manage the planning, delivery and quality of all development work on the Hermes platform.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of developers, supporting skills growth, performance and career development.
• Work in close partnership with the Solution Architect, translating architectural direction into actionable development tasks and ensuring adherence to technical standards.
• Oversee Agile delivery processes (Scrum/Kanban), including sprint planning, stand-ups, estimation, retrospectives, and demos.
• Ensure high-quality code, effective peer reviews, secure coding practices, and reliable CI/CD pipelines.
• Support the stability, scalability, and performance of Hermes, managing technical debt and addressing platform risks.
• Collaborate with Product Owners, QA, Infrastructure and Integration teams to ensure clear requirements and successful end-to-end delivery.
• Manage workload distribution, track team velocity, and ensure predictable delivery outcomes.
• Maintain documentation related to development processes, technical decisions and platform components.
• Ensure compliance with InfoSec, GDPR and internal governance standards.
• Promote continuous improvement in engineering practices, tooling, and ways of working.

Key Performance Indicators:

• Delivery Predictability: Achievement of sprint commitments and roadmap milestones.
• Quality & Stability: Reduction in production incidents, defects, and rework.
• Engineering Improvement: Increased adoption of CI/CD, automation and coding standards.
• Team Performance & Engagement: Improved capability, retention, and feedback from the development team.

Experience:

• Proven experience as a Development Manager, Lead Developer or Senior Engineer managing a development team.
• Hands-on experience with .NET (C#, .NET Core), Angular, API development and SQL Server.
• Experience inheriting and developing an established engineering team.
• Strong track record of delivering software using Agile methodologies.
• Experience of establishing Agile practices within a team.
• Experience collaborating with Solution Architects or architecture functions.
• Demonstrated success improving engineering standards, delivery processes or team performance.
• Experience in travel, reservations, booking platforms, or high-availability transactional systems.
• Exposure to cloud technologies (AWS, Azure), microservices or event-driven architectures.
• Experience in integration-heavy environments or API/middleware ecosystems.

The Person

The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate the following attributes:

• Supportive, empathetic leader who builds trust with established teams.
• Strong communicator able to explain technical issues clearly to varied audiences.
• Calm, pragmatic decision-maker able to prioritise effectively under pressure.
• Passionate about continuous improvement and modern engineering practice.
• Collaborative, team-focused mindset with a desire to deliver high-quality outcomes.

Skills and Knowledge

• Strong technical understanding of the Microsoft development stack.
• Good knowledge of Agile SDLC frameworks and team delivery practices.
• Ability to convert architectural direction into detailed delivery tasks.
• Competence with CI/CD workflows, version control (Git), automated testing and DevOps principles.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical thinking skills.
• Ability to coach and develop team members at varying skill levels.
• Understanding of secure coding, data protection and compliance requirements.

Qualifications (Desirable but not essential)

• Degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering or related discipline.
• Microsoft development or cloud certifications (e.g., Azure Developer/Administrator).
• Leadership or management training certifications.

This is a Full-Time position where you will be required to work 37.5 hours per week, Monday – Friday

In return for your hard work and commitment we will offer:

Core Benefits*

• Company Pension Scheme
• 22 days holiday rising 1 day per year (up to 25)
• Enhanced Pension
• Enhanced Maternity & Paternity
• Learning & Development Funding
• Life Insurance

Additional Benefits*

• Long Service Awards
• Staff Travel Discounts
• Company social events
• Employee Discounts Platform
• Eye Care eVouchers
• Friendly working atmosphere
• On-site parking
• Casual dress code

Destination2 Ltd, HolidayGems Ltd, Citalia, Sovereign and American Holidays are part of the Travcorp Holdings Ltd group and are the most innovative and progressive Online Tour Operators in the UK selling holidays nationwide to a variety of long and short haul destinations.