Software Development Manager

Software Development Manager

We're looking for a grounded, people-first Software Development Manager to join our leadership team. zu is a Canadian digital agency with 30 years of experience building complex software for regulated industries with clients spanning government agencies, insurance providers, and healthcare organizations. We need developers who bring sound judgment, clear communication, and end-to-end ownership to projects where expectations are high.

As a Software Development Manager at zu, you'll own the delivery health and team development of a group of developers. You'll run a tight feedback loop between people, process, and product by working with tech leads and project managers to keep work moving, help developers grow, and contribute to how we plan and hire. You'll stay technically grounded without becoming a delivery bottleneck.

AI is embedded in how we work, and this role plays a direct part in shaping how the team adopts it responsibly. This role sits at the first split between our individual contributor and management tracks, and it's designed for someone who's genuinely motivated by the work of developing people and clearing the path for great engineering while staying hands-on technically.

What You'll Do

• Work with our Technical Director to manage and develop a team of developers through regular 1:1s, feedback, and growth planning
• Proactively identify and clear blockers so the team can focus on high-impact work
• Collaborate with tech leads and project managers on roadmap planning to help the team engage at the product level by thinking through constraints, tradeoffs, and business value alongside delivery
• Contribute to recruiting efforts, including interviews, candidate evaluation, and resource planning
• Track and report on delivery metrics and SDLC process health
• Set clear expectations for how the team uses AI tooling
• Surface technical debt trade-offs with clear cost/benefit framing for stakeholders

What You Bring

• 6+ years of software development experience, including time in a senior or lead role
• Demonstrated experience managing or leading developers in a professional setting
• Strong communication skills across technical and non-technical audiences
• Comfortable holding people accountable while remaining a supportive, authentic manager
• Able to stay technically relevant without pulling focus from people and process responsibilities

Bonus Skills

• Experience in agency environments, regulated industries, or managing hybrid/distributed teams

How You'll Grow

• Build your people management practice with direct support from senior leadership
• Develop strategic influence over how zu's engineering organization operates and scales
• Progress toward Director-level scope by expanding oversight across multiple teams or functions

If you're a developer who's found that helping your team do great work is as rewarding as doing it yourself, we'd love to hear from you.

To apply: Submit your resume and a portfolio or samples of previous work.

Pay: $80,000.00-$125,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Casual dress
• Dental care
• Flexible schedule
• On-site parking
• Paid time off
• RRSP match

Work Location: In person