Product Engineering Manager

Responsibilities

• Own platform strategy and performance – You’ll take accountability for the health, performance, and evolution of your platform estate, managing risk, technical debt, and a clear roadmap of improvements.
• Manage vendors and commercial relationships – You’ll act as the primary contact for platform suppliers, owning contracts, negotiating renewals, and holding partners accountable to SLAs and service quality.
• Own budgets and optimise spend – You’ll manage platform budgets end‑to‑end, from forecasting and licence management to identifying cost optimisation opportunities and building business cases for investment.
• Deliver hands‑on platform improvements – You’ll stay close to the technology, contributing directly to platform configuration, integrations, and enhancements where it adds the most value.
• Drive adoption and business value – You’ll work closely with stakeholders to ensure new functionality is understood, embedded, and delivering measurable outcomes across the business.
• Lead prioritisation and demand management – You’ll balance competing priorities across your portfolio, making clear, well‑reasoned decisions based on value, urgency, and effort.
• Align platforms with business strategy – You’ll collaborate with cross‑functional teams to ensure platform investments support wider product and organisational goals.
• Lead squads and delivery – You’ll own sprint planning, backlog prioritisation, and day‑to‑day delivery, removing blockers and ensuring your team consistently meets its commitments.
• Develop and lead your team – You’ll line manage and mentor engineers and administrators, supporting their growth, building capability, and creating an inclusive, high‑performing environment.
• Drive effective change – You’ll lead business change alongside platform delivery, ensuring stakeholders are engaged early and adoption is planned from the outset.

Requirements

• Enterprise platform expertise – You’ve managed business‑critical platforms such as CRM systems, telephony or IVR solutions, or similar SaaS and COTS tools.
• Vendor and commercial management – You’re experienced in managing supplier relationships, negotiating contracts, and ensuring partners deliver against agreed service levels.
• Budget ownership – You’ve owned technology budgets, including forecasting, cost control, licence optimisation, and investment planning.
• Hands‑on platform experience – You’re comfortable configuring and integrating platforms, with a pragmatic approach to balancing customisation and maintainability.
• Agile delivery leadership – You’ve led teams in an agile environment, using metrics and delivery practices to continuously improve outcomes.
• Strategic decision‑making – You can balance short‑term needs with long‑term platform health, making thoughtful trade‑offs across technical debt, risk, and delivery.
• People leadership – You have line management experience and a track record of developing individuals, managing performance constructively, and building strong teams.
• Clear and direct communication – You communicate with clarity and confidence, and you’re comfortable navigating challenging conversations when needed.
• Attention to detail and delivery focus – You take pride in getting things right and know when to move quickly versus when to follow process.

Core Competencies

Demonstrates expertise in managing enterprise platforms, including CRM systems and SaaS tools, while effectively leading teams in agile delivery environments. Proven ability to manage budgets, vendor relationships, and drive platform improvements that align with business strategy.