Development Manager, Store Solutions

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

**Our vision**:
Retail Directions mission is simple - to make retailing easier. To do this, we provide our clients with retail solutions and services built around our leading end-to-end retail management platform. Our typical clients include general merchandise retailers such as apparel, sportswear, stationery, cosmetics, and homeware retail businesses.

Operating in a dynamic and competitive market, we pride ourselves on differentiation through nearly 30 years of retail-specific expertise, combined with out-of-the-box and tailored retail solutions that help retailers to achieve their goals more easily. We offer our people a culture of innovation, agility, opportunity, and reward in return for dedication, passion, and proactivity.

**Your role**:
The key objective of the Retail Directions Store Systems & eCommerce Development Manager is to provide functional leadership for our Software Engineers to drive the design, development and support of our Store systems & eCommerce solution within the Retail Directions Platform. The leadership, productivity, and profitable operation of the development team will be the main measures of success in this role.

**Your responsibilities**:

- Team Leadership_

You will sustain and lead a team of** **Software Designers & Engineers** **capable of excellence in quality product development and delivery:

- Selection and recruitment of Software Engineers, ranging from Graduates to Senior Software Engineers.
- Line Manager responsibilities including inductions; performance reviews; training; team meetings; time recording management (self and team); counsel and mentorship; disciplinary proceedings.
- Coaching and mentorship of team members and encouraging client-focused outputs aligned to our company values.
- Communication of a clear long-term vision, as well as provision of context, to drive the motivation and focus of the team.
- Owning product specifications, documentation, guidelines, requirements, and release plans for product.
- Ensuring that design artefacts as required by Retail Directions software development methodology are prepared as a part of the product development process.
- Partnering with cross-functional teams to ensure excellence in product quality standards and timeliness.
- Managing Software Development Lifecycles within Design and Engineering standards including Software Design, Testing, and Documentation.
- Contributing to our knowledge base within our Client Portal to expand self-service support and to improve customer experience.
- Maintaining teamwork schedules for all Software Engineers for up to 12 weeks in advance.
- Assessing and estimating scope of work requirements for product development, repairs, or updates.
- Ensuring that commercial arrangements for all activities are in place prior to commencement of work.
- Performance measurement and reporting against pre-defined KPIs based around performance and effectiveness, both individually and for the team of software engineers.
- Internal Collaboration_
- Attend and participate in Management Team meetings to share progress updates and key successes.

**About you**:
**Skills and Capabilities**:
To be effective in this role, you will be technically capable and possess a unique blend of business knowledge and management skills; you must be customer-focused; able to develop a big-picture vision, and have the passion and drive required to make that vision a reality by working with the Retail Directions team and clients.

**Management**:

- Strong ability to create plans and schedules, and to manage tasks through to completion, consistently delivering outputs within the quality standard to schedule.
- Ability to handle multiple tasks, and to prioritise and balance your workload based on a variety of assignments.
- Ability to plan 18 months in advance and execute plans through to the point of realisation.
- Attention to detail, with a disciplined and well-structured approach to work.

**Technical**:

- Strong understanding of commercial software processes and principles.
- Strong understanding of the retail industry, and information technology and its use in retail.

**Team Leadership**:

- Inspiring team leader with positive attitude and ability to add value to the work of Software Engineers by providing effective team leadership, coaching and mentorship.
- Proactive management style, confident in owning, finding, and recommending paths to resolution, securing peer buy-in, and successfully managing the products.
- Ability to propose and make decisions in collaboration with your team and colleagues.

**Communication**:

- Demonstrate strong interpersonal skills with the ability to work effectively, both with others and autonomously as required.
- Be highly motivated and have a confident approach when dealing with colleagues, clients, peers, and partners.
- Excellent communication skills, both internally and externally, with ability to communicate clearly in English over the t