Development Manager

Salary: £52,143 up to £60,000 per annum dependent upon experience

Contract Type: Permanent – Full Time

Security Level: SC

Visa Restrictions: This position does not offer visa sponsorship

We are the UK’s aviation regulator, recognised worldwide for our expertise and commitment to the highest standards of safety and innovation. Our Software Engineering function is at the heart of our digital transformation, driving excellence in service delivery and championing modern engineering practices. As we modernise our technology landscape, we are seeking a Service Delivery Lead/Development Manager to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our digital services.

The Role

We are seeking a dynamic and experienced Development Manager to lead a multi-disciplinary Agile team delivering and supporting nationally critical digital services. This role combines responsibility for service reliability with leadership of modern software development practices, ensuring high quality, secure, and user centred service delivery.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage a team of developers and DevOps engineers creating a high-performing and collaborative culture
• Act as a conduit between the business and the development team
• Oversee the delivery and support of digital services, ensuring operational performance meets product and delivery needs.
• Champion Agile methodologies and DevOps practices, embedding CI/CD, automation, and secure by design principles
• Plan and prioritise work using tools such as Azure DevOps, managing dependencies, risks, and delivery timelines
• Ensure compliance with departmental governance, security, and quality standards
• Act as a key liaison between the development team and senior stakeholders, aligning delivery with organisational strategy.
• Optimise team performance, assist capacity planning and improve development metrics.
• Drive continuous improvement through retrospectives, Agile metrics, and coaching.
• Manage third party supplier contributions and collaborate across internal teams to ensure successful outcomes.

Essential Skills and Experience

• Proven experience managing Agile development teams in a public sector or regulated environment.
• Strong understanding of Agile, DevOps, and CI/CD practices.
• Experience in service delivery management, including KPI production, incident and problem resolution.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills.
• Familiarity with cloud platforms, secure development practices, and automation tooling.
• Ability to lead teams through change and foster a culture of continuous improvement.

Desirable

• Experience with ITIL or similar service management frameworks.
• Knowledge of public sector digital service standards and governance.

About You

You are an experienced leader in application support and development, with a proven track record of delivering services to agreed SLAs and project requirements. You have hands on experience with Agile and DevOps in multiteam environments and are comfortable operating at scale with Azure DevOps for backlog management, CI/CD, and release automation. Your expertise includes change, release, and environment management, as well as stakeholder and vendor management up to senior manager level.

Additional Information

For many appointments within the CAA, these roles require access to operationally sensitive infrastructure and/or Nationally Protected information. For these roles the post holders must undergo National Security Vetting and achieve the appropriate level of clearance.

SC - To be vetted we will usually expect a reasonable period of residency in the UK so that meaningful checks can be undertaken. For this role this will need to be 5 years.

If you do not meet these requirements, we may not be able to accept your application.

For more information on SC clearance please visit - Vetting explained - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The CAA values high ethical standards and personal integrity among employees. If invited for interview you will be asked to complete a declaration of interest.

Relocation & Property

The CAA will be relocating from Aviation House (Our Gatwick Office) to new premises in a few years’ time. Our move is driven by strategic, operational and environmental considerations.

We will be moving to a new local home, up to a 15-mile radius of Aviation House, to minimise disruption for our valued colleagues and customers.

We are now working with colleagues and visitors to understand what we need in our new office, before we start our property search. We will sell Aviation House and land, vacate the site and move to new premises, but we do not expect to move before 2028

Inclusive Recruitment

We are passionate about diversity and ensuring all are included at the CAA. We are an equal opportunity employer and actively encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds.

As a member of the Disability Confident scheme, applicants who meet the minimum criteria for a role with us will be guaranteed an interview. We use fair and inclusive selection approaches to hire the best person for the job based on merit alone. If you require an adjustment for any reason, please let us know.

Use of Artificial Intelligence by candidates in the CAA recruitment process

We recognise that many of our candidates find Artificial Intelligence to 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 rejected on that basis.

Working With Us

We are on a journey towards being increasingly adaptable, where our colleagues collaborate as part of cross-functional teams. This approach ensures we never stop learning together. It also means that you may become involved in activities that take you out of your day-to-day role, providing you with opportunities to develop and grow your career with us.

We have embraced hybrid working and offer flexible working patterns, being open to having a conversation about what works for you. We know where and when we work is important in achieving a work-life balance.

We offer a range of excellent benefits such as flexible working arrangements, free onsite gym at Gatwick, discounted gym membership for London, 28 days annual leave, additional 5 days leave purchase scheme, a generous pension scheme and much more!

Our Values

Do The Right Thing, Never Stop Learning, Build Collaborative Relationships, Respect Everyone – For more information please Click Here

Closing Date: Sunday 15th March 2026

Interview Date: W/C Monday 16th March 2026

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

No recruitment agencies please.