Software Engineering Manager

BBC Studios Ltd; City of London; Hybrid; GBP 110,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading media organization is seeking a Software Engineering Manager to lead multi-disciplinary teams in delivering high-volume media publishing workflows. The ideal candidate should have a strong background in cloud-based solutions (preferably AWS) and experience managing engineering teams in an Agile setting. This role involves shaping technical strategy for Media Services and ensuring high standards of quality and reliability.

Benefits

Competitive salary package

Flexible working hours

Professional development opportunities

Health care and gym discounts

Qualifications

• Experience leading multiple engineering teams in an Agile environment.
• Proven track record delivering complex, cloud-based solutions at scale.
• Ability to provide hands-on technical direction and mentoring.

Responsibilities

• Lead and support engineering teams in high-volume media publishing workflows.
• Provide clear technical leadership for engineering decisions.
• Shape and deliver the technical vision for Media Services.

Skills

Leading multiple engineering teams in an Agile environment

Delivering complex, cloud-based solutions

Hands-on technical direction

Stakeholder management

Line-managing senior engineers

Tools

AWS

CI/CD Tools

Terraform

CloudFormation

Job description

Job Locations

• Birmingham, GBR, B1 1AY
• Cardiff, GBR, CF10 1FT
• Glasgow, GBR, G511DA
• London, GBR, W1A 1AA
• Newcastle-upon-Tyne, GBR, NE991RN
• Salford, GBR, M50 2QH

Job Details

• Band: E
• Contract: Permanent, Full-time
• Department: Digital Distribution – Media Services
• Location: London or Salford (preferred), or Glasgow, Cardiff, Newcastle, or Birmingham, with regular travel to London/Salford as part of hybrid working
• Salary: £110,000–£130,000 depending on skills and experience

We’re happy to discuss flexible working arrangements. If you wish, you can outline your preference when you apply, but there’s no obligation at this stage.

Purpose of the Role

The BBC aims to be as strong in engineering as we are in content. Our digital products underpin our mission to inform, educate and entertain millions of people everyday, and we’re looking for a Software Engineering Manager who can blend hands‑on technical expertise with confident people leadership.

This is a unique opportunity for an experienced engineering leader who still enjoys engaging with technical decision‑making. You will lead several multi‑disciplinary teams who design, build and operate the BBC’s cloud‑based media platform — ensuring it is scalable, resilient and ready for the BBC’s digital future.

You will develop and own the technical strategy for Media Services, working closely with product, architecture and operations partners. This is a role where your technical judgement and your leadership will have a tangible impact on the BBC’s audience‑facing products.

Why Join the Team

Media Services sits at the heart of BBC Digital Distribution, powering iPlayer, BBC Sounds, News and Sport. Our systems handle more than 50 million daily plays and process thousands of hours of content every single day.

You’ll work with modern cloud technologies, a DevOps culture and teams who care deeply about engineering quality and continuous improvement. It’s an opportunity to help build products and services that truly matter — at a scale few organisations can match.

Your Key Responsibilities and Impact

• Lead and support several engineering teams delivering high‑volume, high‑availability media publishing workflows and consumer‑facing services using AWS and modern frameworks.
• Provide clear technical leadership, helping teams make thoughtful architectural and engineering decisions.
• Recruit, mentor and develop engineering talent, creating an inclusive, collaborative and high‑performing environment.
• Shape and deliver the technical vision and strategy for Media Services in partnership with colleagues across Technology, Product Group and Media Operations.
• Ensure our systems meet high standards of reliability, security and operational excellence.

Your Skills and Experience

Essential Criteria

• Experience leading multiple engineering teams in an Agile environment, ideally with platform or infrastructure exposure.
• A strong track record delivering complex, cloud‑based solutions at scale (AWS preferable).
• The ability to provide hands‑on technical direction — whether through architecture, code review, prototyping or guiding engineering approaches.
• Confident stakeholder management and the ability to influence across product, architecture and delivery teams.
• Experience line‑managing senior engineers and/or team leads and supporting their career development.

Desirable Criteria

• Familiarity with CI/CD and configuration tools such as AWS CodePipeline, GitHub Actions, Terraform, CloudFormation or Ansible.
• Experience with large‑scale media platforms (VOD or live streaming).
• Knowledge of threat‑modelling frameworks or zero‑trust approaches.
• Experience with event‑driven architectures and RESTful API design.
• A passion for improving developer experience, tooling and engineering craft.

Before your start date, you may need to disclose any unspent convictions or police charges, in line with our Contracts of Employment policy. This allows us to discuss any support you may need and assess any risks. Failure to disclose may result in the withdrawal of your offer.

Disclaimer

This job description is a written statement of the essential characteristics of the job, with its principal accountabilities, incorporating a note of the skills, knowledge and experience required for a satisfactory level of performance. This is not intended to be a complete, detailed account of all aspects of the duties involved.

Please note: If you were to be offered this role, the BBC will conduct Employment screening checks which include Reference checks; Eligibility to work checks; and if applicable to the role, Safeguarding and Adverse media/Social media checks. Any offer made is conditional on these checks being satisfactory.

The BBC is committed to redeploying employees seeking suitable alternative employment within the BBC and they will be given priority consideration ahead of other applicants. Priority consideration means for those employees seeking redeployment their application will be considered alongside anyone else at risk of redundancy, prior to any individuals being considered who are not at risk.

Information at a Glance

At the BBC you can create and innovate in an inclusive environment while contributing to some of the world’s best loved content, and the BBC’s mission to inform, educate and entertain.

Life at BBC

Here you will benefit from:

• Fair pay and flexible benefits including a competitive salary package, a flexible 35‑hour working week, 25 days annual leave with the option to buy an extra 5 days, a defined pensions scheme and discounted dental, health care and gym.
• Excellent career and professional development.
• Support in your working life, including flexible working which you can discuss with us at any point during the application, selection or offer.
• A values‑based organisation where the way we do things is important as what we do.

Benefits may vary if you are joining on an FTC basis or on an orchestra conditions contract.

Learn more about life at the BBC and our values in our candidate pack.

Candidate Pack

You Belong

We have a working environment where we value and respect every individual’s unique contribution, so all our employees feel that they can belong, thrive and achieve their full potential.

We want to attract the broadest range of talented people to join us. The more diverse our workforce, the better able we are to respond to and reflect our audiences in all their diversity.

We welcome applications from individuals, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio‑economic background, religion and/or belief.

Find out more about diversity, inclusion and belonging in our strategy below.

Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging Strategy

Disability Confident

We are a disability‑confident employer. If you need to discuss adjustments or access requirements for the interview process, or to carry out this role, please contact us via email at [e-mail].

BBC Group and Public Services, Broadcasting House, Portland Place, London, United Kingdom, W1A 1AA. BBC Studios Distribution Limited, company no: 01420028, registered address: 1 Television Centre, 101 Wood Lane, London, United Kingdom W12 7FA.