About this role
Salary: £60,000 - 80,000 per year
Requirements
- Proven experience managing software developers, including senior engineers
- Practical, hands-on experience using AI tools to improve software development and delivery
- Strong understanding of modern software engineering, agile methodologies, CI/CD and release management
- Experience delivering software within a Microsoft environment, such as .NET, SQL Server or Power Platform
- Working knowledge of Microsoft Azure
- Experience managing an outsourced IT provider or managed service provider (MSP)
- Strong communication, stakeholder management and organisational skills
- An inquisitive mindset, a thirst for learning, and the ability to adapt as technology evolves
- An interest in and knowledge of AI
- Experience with Copilot Studio, Azure AI, agentic AI tools, Dynamics 365, or bringing outsourced applications in-house would be advantageous
Responsibilities
- Lead, develop and grow a team of software developers
- Champion AI-enabled software development across requirements, design, coding, testing and documentation
- Oversee software delivery, engineering standards, testing and release management
- Identify opportunities to use Microsoft AI technologies and the Power Platform to improve business processes
- Take ownership of day-to-day IT operations, application performance and incident management
- Manage outsourced IT providers and specialist suppliers against agreed service levels
- Work with senior stakeholders to shape technical direction and drive continuous improvement
- Embed AI into the software delivery lifecycle while ensuring applications and IT services remain reliable and effective
Technologies
- Agentic AI
- AI
- Azure
- CI/CD
- Copilot
- Incident Management
- Support
- Marketing
- SQL
- Office 365
- ASP.NET
- Cloud
More
We are recruiting on behalf of a leading organisation based in Watford for an IT Manager – AI & Software Development. This is an opportunity to shape technology delivery, champion AI-enabled software development and lead a growing IT function responsible for engineering internal IT systems and the customer portal. The role combines people leadership with software engineering, AI and IT service operations, and involves leading a small software development team. The salary is £60,000–£80,000, depending on experience, with profit sharing, enhanced pension, private medical insurance, life insurance and income protection, and enhanced annual leave options.
We are Think Specialist Recruitment, an independent support staff recruitment agency based in Hemel Hempstead and working across Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire. We specialise in permanent, temporary and contract recruitment across administration, customer service, PA and secretarial, human resources, accountancy and finance, sales support, marketing, and IT helpdesk and support.
last updated 43 week of 2026