Development Manager
Position Description
Overview
Hanson, an integrated marketing agency focused on technology-enabled solutions, is seeking a Development Manager to provide technical leadership for complex website and digital projects while helping lead and grow a team of developers.
This is a hands-on leadership role, but not primarily a coding role. The Development Manager serves as the technical/build lead on assigned projects, helping teams define the right technical approach, break complex work into actionable plans, establish clear expectations and deliver high-quality work within project commitments. This person will work closely with project managers to drive development progress, identify and resolve technical challenges, and help the team stay accountable to process, timelines and budgets.
The Development Manager will also play an important client-facing role, contributing to discovery, solution architecture, estimation and statements of work, serving as a trusted technical advisor throughout project delivery. They will directly manage a small team of developers while providing technical guidance and leadership to additional internal and contract developers based on project needs.
The ideal candidate combines strong .NET and web-development expertise with the communication, judgment and leadership skills to make the developers around them more effective. This position reports to our Managing Director of Development.
Responsibilities & Expectations
Technical & Build Leadership
- Serve as technical/build lead for complex website and digital projects, taking responsibility for the overall technical approach and development execution.
- Lead technical planning by breaking down complex work, defining requirements and dependencies, estimating effort, assigning work and establishing clear definitions of done.
- Direct and support developers throughout delivery, ensuring they understand priorities, expectations and project commitments.
- Monitor development progress and proactively identify risks, blockers and gaps before they affect project timelines or budgets.
- Troubleshoot alongside developers when needed, helping teams work through technical challenges and make sound decisions without becoming a bottleneck.
- Establish appropriate technical quality controls, including code review, testing and release-readiness practices, either directly or by ensuring the right team members are accountable for them.
- Make architecture and implementation decisions for assigned projects, collaborating with senior technical leaders when appropriate.
- Maintain enough hands-on technical depth to review solutions, evaluate code and step into development work when necessary, while focusing primarily on making the broader team more effective.
Project Delivery & Collaboration
- Partner closely with Project Managers to deliver development work on time, on budget and within scope.
- Provide the technical leadership and authority necessary to establish clear expectations with developers and hold them accountable to project commitments.
- Work with Project Managers to surface risks early, evaluate options and develop practical mitigation strategies.
- Help determine how development work should be structured, sequenced and staffed based on project needs, team capacity and individual capabilities.
- Coordinate effectively with project management, design, strategy, account management and other disciplines to ensure technical execution supports the broader project and client objectives.
- Direct the work of contractors and external development partners when appropriate, setting expectations and ensuring their work meets Hanson standards.
Client, Discovery & Pre-Sales Leadership
- Serve as a senior technical presence with clients, communicating complex technology considerations clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.
- Lead or participate in technical discovery, helping teams understand client needs, existing technology environments, constraints and opportunities.
- Develop and recommend technical approaches and architectures that balance client objectives, user needs, project scope, budget and long-term maintainability.
- Partner with Account Management, Project Management and agency leadership to scope and estimate development work and contribute technical requirements, assumptions and dependencies to statements of work.
- Participate in business development conversations and presentations when senior technical expertise is needed.
- Build credibility and trusted relationships with client technology stakeholders and confidently guide conversations around technical decisions and tradeoffs.
Team Leadership & People Management
- Directly manage a small team of developers, with responsibility for regular 1:1s, coaching, feedback and professional development.
- Lead quarterly and annual performance-management activities for direct reports and help identify meaningful opportunities for growth.
- Set clear expectations and goals for direct reports and actively address performance issues and development needs in real time.
- Participate in recruiting, interviewing, hiring and onboarding development team members.
- Help foster a development culture built around collaboration, accountability, continuous learning and proactive communication.
- Partner with development leadership to establish and evolve technical standards, processes and best practices that improve quality, consistency and efficiency.
- Proactively evaluate and adopt AI tools and workflows that improve development efficiency, quality and team effectiveness.
Experience & Qualifications
- Demonstrated experience providing technical leadership for web development teams, including planning work, directing developers and driving technical delivery.
- Strong professional experience with .NET technologies and modern web application development.
- Experience architecting, building and supporting complex websites and web applications.
- Experience with enterprise content management systems; experience with platforms such as Optimizely and Sitefinity is a strong plus.
- Broad understanding of modern front-end, back-end, API, integration, data and hosting considerations, with particular strength in back-end/.NET development.
- Demonstrated people-management or team-leadership experience, including coaching, feedback, accountability and professional development.
- Ability to lead multiple projects and priorities simultaneously while maintaining visibility into progress, risks and team needs.
- Agency, consulting or professional-services experience is strongly preferred; candidates from development firms or enterprise organizations with comparable client, delivery and leadership experience will also be considered.
- Experience directing contractors, external development partners or distributed development teams is a plus.
- Willingness to travel for client meetings, team collaboration and other business needs as required.
We value demonstrated technical leadership, judgment and the ability to make teams successful over a specific number of years of experience or particular degree.
What We Offer
- Hybrid work environment, with a preference for candidates within commuting distance of Toledo, OH
- Competitive salary
- Medical, dental and vision coverage
- Group life insurance
- Short-term and long-term disability insurance
- 401(k) + Employer Match
- Paid holidays, including paid time off between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day
- Paid birthday day off
- Flexible spending account (FSA) and Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA)
Hanson is an equal opportunity employer. We hire qualified professionals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, age or any other status protected by applicable law.
