Senior Software Engineering Manager: Backend

The Senior Software Engineering Manager: Backend is responsible for leading the design, development, and optimization of backend systems and services that power the organization’s digital and enterprise platforms. This role ensures that backend engineering capabilities are secure, scalable, resilient, and aligned with enterprise architecture. It combines deep technical expertise with leadership, governance, and delivery responsibilities.

Key Responsibilities

1. Backend Strategy & Leadership

• Define and execute the backend engineering roadmap, ensuring alignment with enterprise and digital strategies.
• Champion modernization initiatives such as cloud-native services, microservices, event-driven architecture, and API-first development.
• Provide technical leadership on backend standards, frameworks, and integration patterns across the enterprise.

2. Backend Platform Delivery

• Oversee the design, build, and deployment of APIs, services, databases, and middleware that support front-end and mobile platforms.
• Ensure backend systems are resilient, high-performing, and optimized for scale.
• Drive adoption of CI/CD, containerization, orchestration (Kubernetes), and Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) practices.
• Govern API lifecycle management, versioning, and developer portal usage.

3. Governance, Risk & Compliance

• Ensure backend services comply with security, privacy, and regulatory standards.
• Establish observability frameworks (logging, monitoring, tracing) for all backend systems.
• Align backend engineering with enterprise governance, risk, and compliance frameworks.

4. Leadership & Team Development

• Lead and mentor backend engineering managers, architects, and developers.
• Foster a culture of engineering excellence, continuous learning, and accountability.
• Build strong career pathways for backend engineers, ensuring expertise in modern backend technologies.
• Encourage collaboration between mobile, digital channels, and enterprise engineering teams.

5. Stakeholder & Vendor Management

• Partner with enterprise architecture, infrastructure, and product teams to deliver shared services.
• Manage relationships with strategic vendors, API providers, and middleware partners.
• Represent backend engineering in architecture boards, delivery forums, and executive updates.

Educational Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Systems, or a related technical discipline (mandatory).
• Postgraduate qualification (MSc in Engineering/IT, MBA) is advantageous.

Professional Certifications (Preferred)

• Cloud Certifications (AWS Certified Developer/Architect, Azure Solutions Architect, GCP Professional Engineer).
• API & Integration Certifications (MuleSoft, Apigee, Kafka, or equivalent).
• Agile / SAFe Certifications (Scrum Master, SAFe Practitioner).
• DevOps Certifications (Docker, Kubernetes, CI/CD tools).

Relevant Experience

• 10–12 years of experience in Backend or Software Engineering, with at least 5 years in leadership roles.
• Proven experience designing and managing large-scale backend systems and distributed architectures.
• Hands-on expertise with databases (SQL and NoSQL), microservices, message queues, and API frameworks.
• Demonstrated track record of implementing cloud-native and event-driven architectures.
• Strong background in backend observability, performance optimization, and security engineering.
• Experience managing budgets, delivery pipelines, and vendor relationships.

Core Skills & Competencies

• Deep technical expertise in backend frameworks, APIs, microservices, and integration.
• Strong understanding of enterprise-scale security, scalability, and compliance requirements.
• Excellent leadership and people management skills, with experience developing and growing backend engineering talent.
• Strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills, capable of bridging technical and business priorities.
• Ability to balance innovation with reliability and enterprise governance.