Head Of Development

Why move to a start up given the current economic downturn? Why move at all?
Start ups are great after all, you have the autonomy to build quickly, no red tape and endless meetings. There's no real bureaucracy but then again, you don't know if funding is going to be an issue in the years or months to come.
What happens however when you combine a business, with no existing IT function with a brand that has been around for 15+ years, has a growing customer base (we're talking millions of followers on social media) and has just been recently backed by a global VC firm? An E-commerce brand who truly hold the monopoly in their respective domain are looking to grow significantly to become a global brand. For this they have planned significant hires across the next year and this is just the start. The business has a clear two year hiring strategy in place and the position below is just one of a handful of senior hires they are looking to make in the first six months, reporting directly into the founders.
In this role they are looking for a Head of Development to take ownership of their software engineering, systems and related technologies. They currently work with 3rd parties and vendors so there is a responsibility to take the lead here, hold current suppliers to account and manage them. At the same time, there are very limited internal resources currently, so the right person will still be hands on, particularly in PHP (Magento is a plus), React and retail related systems (WMS, CRM, PIM etc.)
If you only want to be in a leadership role, this role won't be right for you however at the same time, if you just want to code, this won't be the best fit either. Hitting the ground running, this figure will lead on all aspects of technical development, modernisation and globalisation.
They will work with a newly formed data team, marketing and founders to establish processes, structure and efficiency to their internal IT set up.
The right person will ideally have experience of working in similar positions, building from the ground up, getting their hands dirty and wearing many different hats. You will also have the experience and know how to scale, to hire and to ensure future-proofing of Development as the business grows.
An understanding of marketing automation and related technologies is incredibly useful. Ideally you'll have demonstrable experience of using APIs and automation of processes using APIs.
In return you'll be working alongside the founders of a business where you'll be truly be trusted to take ownership and leave your mark on a growing brand. As the business grows, you will play a key role in hiring and scaling a team too.
They currently have an office in Manchester and ideally would want you to come to the office on a regular basis (3/4 days a week) but they can be flexible. Whilst they want you to work close with the founders, the business is mature, they understand flexibility and will trust you. The salary is currently benchmarked at 80-90,000 however there is flexibility for the right person.
oh . and if you have a passion for sports, whilst this is not a requirement, there may be some synergy here.
If this sounds like you, even if you do not meet all of the requirements, please apply to find out more details.