Company: Planet Education Networks (PEN Group)

Job Role: Software Project Manager

Salary Range: £43,000 - £48,000 Per Annum

Employment Type: Full-Time

Working Days & Hours: Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm

Location: On-Site, Canary Wharf, London

About the Role

Planet Education Networks (PEN Group) is looking for an experienced Software Project Manager who began their career as a software developer before moving into project delivery, product management, or technical leadership.

This is not a traditional Project Manager role. We are looking for someone who genuinely understands software engineering, can communicate effectively with developers, discuss architecture and technical decisions, understand code, and confidently bridge the gap between business and technology.

Unlike many organisations, the vast majority of our work focuses on building and continuously improving our own in-house software platforms, rather than delivering projects for external clients.

You will take ownership of a growing portfolio of internal software products across multiple business sectors, managing several projects simultaneously while leading a small overseas development team from our Canary Wharf office.

We are looking for someone who has previous experience managing multiple in-house software development projects, where priorities change frequently, requirements evolve rapidly, and products are continuously enhanced long after the initial release.

Career Profile We Are Looking For

We are specifically seeking candidates who have followed a career path similar to:

• Minimum 2 years working as a Software Developer, Full Stack Developer, Backend Developer, Frontend Developer or Technical Lead writing production code.
• Progression into a Software Project Manager, Technical Product Manager, Delivery Manager, Engineering Lead or similar technical management role.
• Experience managing several internally developed software products through their full lifecycle—from idea and MVP through production, continuous development, maintenance and future enhancements.

Applicants who have only worked as Project Managers without a previous software development background will not be considered.

Your technical background is essential to being successful in this role.

About the Projects

You will oversee the delivery and continuous improvement of a diverse portfolio of software products, including:

• Education Management Systems (EdTech)
• Student Portals
• AI-powered Learning Platforms
• Moodle Integrations
• AI Assessment & Marking Systems
• HR & Recruitment Platforms
• CRM Platforms
• Hospitality & Operations Systems
• Travel & Booking Platforms
• Property Management Systems
• Website Builder Platforms
• Internal Business Applications
• Compliance & Governance Platforms

Almost every product within our organisation is currently undergoing AI transformation. You will play a key role in delivering AI-driven solutions including:

• Intelligent workflow automation
• AI chatbots
• AI document processing
• AI-assisted reporting
• Large Language Model (LLM) integrations
• Business intelligence solutions
• Predictive analytics
• Internal AI productivity tools

Key Responsibilities

• Manage multiple in-house software development projects simultaneously.
• Own the full software delivery lifecycle from planning through to production.
• Lead and support a small overseas software development team.
• Translate business requirements into technical specifications, user stories and development tasks.
• Work closely with internal stakeholders to define product roadmaps.
• Prioritise competing business requirements across multiple products.
• Ensure projects are delivered on time and within agreed milestones.
• Identify project risks early and implement mitigation strategies.
• Support developers with technical discussions and architectural decisions.
• Participate in technical reviews where appropriate.
• Help define software development standards and best practices.
• Ensure solutions are scalable, secure and maintainable.
• Balance new feature development with technical debt reduction.
• Maintain project documentation and reporting.
• Communicate effectively with both senior management and technical teams.

Essential Requirements

Software Development Experience (Required)

• Minimum 2 years of commercial software development experience.
• Experience building production software applications.
• Strong understanding of software architecture and software engineering principles.
• Experience with one or more modern technology stacks such as:
• JavaScript / TypeScript
• React / Next.js
• Node.js
• PHP / Laravel
• .NET
• Java
• Good understanding of APIs and system integrations.
• Experience working with relational databases such as PostgreSQL or MySQL.
• Understanding of Git version control and modern development workflows.

Project Management Experience (Required)

• Proven experience managing software delivery from requirements through to production.
• Experience managing software engineers.
• Experience coordinating remote or offshore development teams.
• Strong stakeholder management skills.
• Excellent planning and organisational skills.
• Experience using Jira, GitHub Projects, Linear, Azure DevOps, Notion or similar tools.
• Excellent communication skills.

In-House Software Product Experience (Highly Desirable)

We are particularly interested in candidates who have previously managed multiple internally developed software products, rather than solely delivering software projects for external clients.

The successful candidate will have experience:

• Managing several concurrent in-house software projects.
• Working with evolving business requirements.
• Owning long-term product roadmaps.
• Balancing feature development with maintenance and technical debt.
• Working directly with internal business stakeholders.
• Managing software products beyond their initial release into continuous improvement.

Experience gained solely within software agencies or consultancies delivering client projects may not provide the level of product ownership required for this role.

Desirable Skills

• Experience delivering AI-enabled software solutions.
• Knowledge of LLM integrations.
• Cloud experience (Azure, AWS or GCP).
• SaaS platform experience.
• CRM platform experience.
• DevOps understanding.
• Database optimisation.
• Agile or Scrum experience.
• CI/CD pipelines.
• Security-first software design.
• Experience taking products from MVP to enterprise-scale production.

Why Join PEN Group?

This is a unique opportunity to join an organisation where software is central to everything we do.

Instead of managing one-off client implementations, you will own a growing portfolio of products that support thousands of users across multiple industries.

You will have genuine influence over product direction, technical strategy and delivery while working alongside a highly collaborative technical team.

You’ll also have the opportunity to shape the future of AI across our organisation as we continue integrating intelligent technologies into our platforms.

Benefits

• Annual leave (7.2 weeks)
• Workplace pension scheme.
• Company Sick Pay.
• Statutory maternity and paternity pay.
• Employee Assistance Programme (HA Wisdom Wellbeing)
• Virtual GP access (Livi)
• 'Speak Up Service' - confidential support service to report any workplace concerns
• Specialist physical and mental wellbeing support services with 24/7 confidential counselling support (Wisdom)
• Specialist menopause support, including online CBT (Wisdom)
• Financial, legal and medical advice services provided (Wisdom)
• Life & Leadership coaching (Wisdom)
• Financial coaching (MUNNY)
• Discounts and perks, offering savings on shopping, activities and more (Bright Exchange)
• Career development and training opportunities.
• Training and self-development opportunities.