Software development managers are perhaps some of the most important IT and software development team members. These professionals manage all aspects of software development in the organization by leading teams in designing, troubleshooting, and optimizing software programs. They also brainstorm and implement long- and short-term strategies aimed at the technological advancement of the organization.
Our article delves deeper into what software development management is all about. We will look at the roles and responsibilities of software development managers and the various accompanying requirements spanning from educational to specialized knowledge. We have included two resume examples and a FAQ section, hoping they will help you draft the best resume for your upcoming job applications. Let’s get started!
Software Development Manager Job Description
As the name implies, a software development manager is in charge of software development and enhancement in an organization. These professionals lead software teams responsible for designing, troubleshooting, and optimizing software programs. Their job also includes coordinating the swift resolution of issues, monitoring applications, and trend analysis.
Succeeding in software development management requires excellent team-working skills, attentiveness to details, a deep understanding of the software-development lifecycle, and solid software development background. Such a manager must also possess excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Software Development Manager Roles and Responsibilities
- Leading the software development or IT team in designing, troubleshooting, and optimizing software programs
- Regularly monitoring applications and resolving issues
- Developing both long and short-term strategies aimed at technology development
- Regularly recruiting, hiring, and mentoring software development engineers for the successful and swift delivery of software products
- Working closely with both internal and external clients to understand their requirements and set priorities based on them
- Regularly reporting to management and project stakeholders on the progress of different projects
- Planning projects and setting attainable goals to ensure timely delivery
- Encouraging work productivity and successful project execution through motivation and coaching of team members
- Implementing design plans and reviewing test units
- Offering technical. support to the software development team and other office employees
- Working closely with product owners and stakeholders and writing, reviewing, and revising product requirements based on their needs
- Ensuring that the software development team adheres to all the set processes and procedures during software development
- Representing the software development team in executive meetings
- Monitoring performance metrics and performing routine maintenance activities
- Staying updated on new software technologies and advancements
- Overseeing the development, deployment, and configuration of different solutions
Software Development Manager Required Knowledge and Skills
- In-depth knowledge and understanding of the software development lifecycle
- Excellent people management skills
- Ability to design different software architectures for reliability, performance, and scalability
- Product knowledge and expertise
- Ability to maintain/modernize existing products
- Ability to drive critical architecture decisions
- Ability to build new software products from scratch
- Ability and readiness to improve the development process
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Familiarity with different programming languages, e.g., C, Python, and .NET languages
- Ability to quickly assess and fix complex programming issues
- Excellent interpersonal skills
- Ability to work well.under pressure
- Excellent team-working skills
- Knowledge of data encryption and cybersecurity best practices
- Ability to collaborate with different project stakeholders
- Familiarity with documenting processes
- Ability to monitor performance metrics
- Ability to mentor upcoming software developers
- Excellent project management skills
- Strong leadership skills
- Excellent analytical skills
- Attention to details
- High degrees of professionalism
- Software Development skills
- Ability to resolve conflicts fast
- Stress management skills
- Ability to work with a diverse group of people
- Ability to handle several competing priorities
- Ability to deliver software products and solutions on time
- Passion for mentorship
Software Development Manager Education and Experience
- Experience designing scalable, reliably, and highly-performing software architectures
- Experience working with different software development teams
- Hands-on experience writing code
- Bachelor’s degrees in Software Engineering, Computer Science, Information Technology, or any related field
- Extensive experience in software development
- Experience working as a software developer/ supervisor or in a lower management role
- Higher education, probably a Master’s in STEM or related field
Software Development Manager Salary
Software development managers are some of the most paid members of the IT department. Glassdoor estimates that the average base pay for these professionals is roughly $140,000. Companies such as Amazon and Cisco pay up to $200,000+, showing just how lucrative this position is.
Software Development Manager CV Example 1
Lee Jin
Physical address: 22 Heishman’s Park, Toms Brook, Virginia, 23380
Email adress: jinlee30@gmail.com
Phone number: (850) 789-0346
Personal Profile
Certified web development professional and computer scientist with 9+ years of experience working in software development teams to design, troubleshoot, and optimize programs. Expert computer programmer with in-depth knowledge and understanding of the software development cycle, ready to improve and create new company products. Qualified development manager with a track record of 45 successful multi-departmental projects.
Work Experience
06/2019- 09/2022, Software Development Manager, Albright Tech Holdings, Alexandria, VA
- Managed a team of 6 software development engineers mandated with building technical solutions for a multi-million dollar company
- Quicky earned the team’s trust and confidence by advocating for empathy, collaboration, and openness, boosting their morale by 60%
- Decreased project failure rates by 60% through well-designed analysis software and software tools
- Facilitated the recruitment, training, and orientation of 5 software development engineers with varied experience levels
- Worked closely with 15 external customers and ensured that their requirements were met
- Spearheaded and oversaw the company’s transition from Waterfall to Agile Software Development methodology
- Mentored seven junior software development staff on company policies and software development techniques and best practices
- Promoted to Director of ICT services on 09/2022
03/2016- 04/2019, Software Developer, Bright Technology Solutions, Stanford, CA
- Worked with a team of 3 junior developers to design algorithms and flowcharts for the organization
- Created 100% accurate technical documentation for reference and reporting purposes
- Verified and deployed 200+ programs in liaison with the company’s IT team
- Documented common technical issues and made them public to staff members, decreasing the number of technical support inquiries by 35%
- Accurately and continuously tracked and recorded client queries
- Used simple language to communicate technical information to staff members and clients, capturing all technical experience levels
- Closely monitored and fixed potential breakdowns for proper web services maintenance
02/2013- 02/2016, Software Developer, Rose & Ellen Software Solutions, Zurich Switzerland
- Facilitated information transfer between organizational departments and branches by developing and maintaining ten web and desktop document transfer applications
- Offered technical support to 56+ office employees, avoiding any inconvenience arising from programs-related issues
- Mentored five junior software developers on procedures, policies, and best practices
- Addressed issues regarding software system design and maintenance
- Offered technical project support across three company departments
- Evaluated software-hardware interfaces in consultation with the 5-member engineering team
- Named the best IT employee in 2015 for outstanding coding practices
Education
- 04/2017- 11/2019, Masters of Science in Computer Science, Stanford, Stanford, CA
- 05/2008- 11/2012, Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- 05/2005- 08/2007, High School Diploma, Seoul International School, Seoul, Korea
Skills
- Languages
- Korean
- French
- English
Hard Skills
- Project Management
- Software Development Lifecycle
- Computer programming
- Cryptography
- Scrum
- Data encryption
- Cybersecurity
- Debugging
- Process documentation
- Troubleshooting
- Text editing
Soft Skills
- Customer service
- Collaboration
- Verbal and written communication
- Problem-solving
- Leadership
- Flexibility
- Decision-making
- Persuasion
- Mentoring
- Time management
- Organizational
Certifications
- 06/2018, Software Engineering Master Certification, IEEE Computer Society
- 03/2014, CIW Web Development Professional
Software Development Manager CV Example 2
Lilian Chou
Physical address: 12 Carson Drive, Spout Spring, Virginia, 26789
Email address: choulilian17@gmail.com
Phone number: (342) 289-3738
Personal Profile
Software development professional with 10+ years of coding and software programming experience. Qualified software engineer ready to oversee the design of software architectures for reliability, performance, and scalability, positively impacting the performance of the organization’s IT team. A team leader interested in motivating and working with software development teams to achieve outstanding performance.
Work Experience
07/2019- 09/2022, Software Development Manager, Kryptic Tech Solutions, Manhattan, New York
- Increased development efficiency, product reliability, and overall responsiveness to feature requests by spearheading software architecture improvements
- Maintained output quality by introducing well-researched and designed process changes
- Improved software development efficiency by 50% through the continuous adjustment of priorities and timely solution of issues
- Created and implemented an improved software development life cycle for large-scale projects worth $100,000+, achieving 100% success
- Led the 15-member software development team in transitioning from Waterfall to Agile development methodology, promoting the timely delivery of projects
- Developed and reviewed coding standards and test plans for the software development team
03/2016- 06/2019, Senior Software Engineer, Guru IT Solutions, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Supplemented and directed the efforts of 2 development teams made up of 10-15 members
- Participated in the hiring, training, and onboarding process of 6 software engineers with different levels of experience
- Conducted root performance analysis for complex software issues and developed permanent solutions
- Offered assistance in 3 main software project planning areas required for optimal productivity, i.e., planning, scheduling, and estimation
- Organized training and coaching opportunities for 20+ software developers and engineers for skill development
- Worked closely with five cross-functional teams for the successful development, modification, and implementation of software components
- Attended at least five software engineering conferences and seminars yearly for continuous professional development
- Networked with various industry professionals to stay current on technologies and vendor packages
08/2012- 11/2015, Software Engineer, River Tech Solutions, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Developed and directed software system validation and testing for the $10M tech firm
- Directed the software programming initiatives for the company in collaboration with 25 IT staff members
- Analyzed and modified 25 existing company software, increasing productivity by 68%
- Reduced redundancy and improved overall workflow by developing and implementing automated tools, saving software development teams 30 hours a week
- Awarded the outstanding employee of the year award in 2013 for value addition by implementing effective coding practices
- Coordinated the development, release, and maintenance of 48 new company applications
- Coordinated the installation of 30+ new systems through extensive data analysis and teamwork
- Combined different disciplines, including statistics and mathematics, for successful problem solution
- Mentored five junior software engineers on software development practices and techniques
- Continuously monitored and fixed system performance in collaboration with the two system administrators
Education
- 03/2007- 05/2012, Bachelor of Engineering in Software Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- 06/2004- 08/2006, High School Diploma, Shanghai Community International School, Shanghai, China
Skills
- Languages
- Chinese
- Korean
- English
Technical Skills
- Software development
- Project Management
- SDLC
- Software architecture design
- Source control management
- Product maintenance
- Cryptography
- Process documentation
- Computer programming
- Troubleshooting
- Text editing
- Cybersecurity
Soft Skills
- Ability to thrive under pressure
- Organizational
- Customer service
- Collaboration
- Teamwork
- Problem-solving
- Leadership
- Time management
- Creativity
- Decision making
- Negotiation
Certifications
- 05/2019, Software Engineering Master Certification, IEEE Computer Society
- 03/2015, Certified Software Development Professional, IEEE Computer Society
Software Development Manager Resume Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Which Technical Skills Should I Include in My Resume?
Hiring managers are always interested in finding out whether an applicant has the specialized knowledge and expertise required for task execution, which are reffered to as technical skills. Since software development is heavily technical, strive to possess as many of these skills as possible. Here are some worth mentioning:
- Excellent project management skills
- Extensive knowledge of the software development life cycle
- Knowledge of data encryption and cybersecurity best practices
- Excellent analytical skills
- Programming languages, e.g., Java, C, Python
- Ability to maintain existing products
- Excellent computer programming skills
- Oustanding debugging skills
- In-depth product knowledge
- Ability to design software architecture for reliability, performance, and scalability
- Data structure knowledge and skills
- Source control management skills
- Excellent text editing skills
- Excellent coding skills
- Product maintenance skills
Additional skills that perfectly fit your resume include excellent process documentation skills, technical problem-solving skills, troubleshooting skills, cryptography, and software networking skills. Remember to list them separately from your soft skills when writing your resume, as we did in our article. Lastly, do not include skills you don’t possess to impress the hiring manager.
2. Which Keywords Should I Include in My Software Development Manager Resume?
A job posting will tell you what the hiring manager or employer needs on their new hire. These can be skills, special knowledge, or abilities central to job execution. After extensive research and checks, here are some of the common keywords in software development manager resumes: software development lifecycle data structuring, availability performance, data encryption, cyber security, data structure, database, source control management, cryptography, software networks, debugging, text editing, coding, programming languages, Java, .NET, mentoring, best practices and testing.
Additional keywords include requirements, specifications, product, product knowledge, requirements analysis, project, project management, delivery, software development, business analysis, integration, embedded software, JIRA, SQL, JavaScript, architecture design, troubleshooting, innovation, etc.
These keywords should be evenly spread in your skill and experience sections. However, first review the particular job posting to know the must-have skills. Also, avoid keyword stuffing, and you will be good.
3. Which Certifications Apply to My Software Development Manager Resume?
As you advance in your career, you will learn that landing some roles requires more than a degree. Certifications come in handy severally as they verify your legitimacy and competence in performing a given job, making you more trustworthy. Here are the best certifications for a software development manager:
- Software Engineering Master Certification– This detailed certification covers 12 key areas in software development, i.e., requirements, construction, design, project management, engineering management, processes, quality, configuration management, models and methods, economics, maintenance, and testing. It also requires the completion of two advanced applied modules. It is offered by IEEE Computer Society and Requires renewal every three years.
- Certified Secure Software Lifecycle Professional– This professional certification covers the application of cybersecurity skills in the development lifecycle’s authorization, authentication, and auditing processes. It helps in the application of security best practices on applications. It is offered by (ISC)
- Certified Software Development Professional– Like our first recommendation, this certification is offered by IEEE. It covers four main aspects of software engineering, i.e., construction, testing, design, and requirements.
Other certifications worth pursuing include CIW Web Development Professional, Amazon Web Services( AWS Certified Developer- Associate Level), Oracle Certified Master, Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Scrum Master, and Certified Scrum Product Owner( CSPO).
4. How Can I Become a Software Development Manager?
The secret to becoming a software development manager is getting the right academic qualification, certifications, and gaining extensive experience. Therefore, first pursue a Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Information Technology, or Software/ Computer engineering to gain the right foundation and learn about different aspects such as data loss security, cryptography, and user interfaces. Second, get your master’s degree in any technology subject, such as MSc in Software management, to easily qualify for a managerial role.
While doing that, focus on gaining extensive experience as a software engineer or developer by getting an internship or a part-time job. Once you finish school, apply for full-time positions and get the right certifications. You should also focus on obtaining the right skills. For example, you need to obtain excellent analysis skills to review computer codes and identify problems with software products, including their solutions.
5. What is the Typical Work Environment for Software Development Managers?
From the roles and responsibilities that we have discussed, it is evident that software development managers work in office settings. However, they can also choose to work remotely. They are mostly employed by tech manufacturers and software companies.
