Engineering Manager Review

I work as an Engineering Manager within a digital engineering function. My role involves leading and supporting a software engineering team responsible for developing, maintaining and improving digital products and platforms.
On a day-to-day basis, I work with software engineers, technical leads, QA, platform engineers, product managers and other stakeholders to help plan work, manage priorities, remove blockers and support delivery. I am responsible for helping the team balance new development with ongoing maintenance, technical improvement, stability and security.
A key part of my role is people leadership. This includes regular one-to-one meetings, coaching, development planning, performance support and helping team members grow in their roles. I am also involved in recruitment, cross-team collaboration, stakeholder communication, risk management and continuous improvement activities.
Overall, my role requires both day-to-day operational oversight and longer-term strategic thinking to help ensure the team delivers effectively and continues to improve over time.

Yes, I am given a good level of responsibility in my current role. I help oversee day-to-day engineering activity, support delivery, manage priorities and work with a range of stakeholders across the business. I also have people management responsibilities, including coaching, development and performance support for team members.
In addition, I contribute to planning, recruitment, risk management and continuous improvement work, so the role involves both operational responsibility and longer-term leadership.

Yes, I have developed a range of new and existing skills in my current role. In particular, I have strengthened my leadership, communication, stakeholder management and people development skills, while also improving my ability to manage priorities, solve problems and balance operational delivery with longer-term improvement work. The role has helped me grow in confidence, responsibility and professional capability.

I was given responsibility in my role, but I was also supported appropriately by colleagues and managers when needed. This included guidance on priorities, regular communication, opportunities to ask questions, and support with understanding processes, expectations and wider organisational context.
The support I received helped me build confidence while still allowing me to work independently and develop my own judgement. Overall, there was a good balance between being trusted to take ownership and having access to advice and guidance when required.

The company culture was professional, collaborative and supportive. The atmosphere was generally positive, although the work could sometimes be fast-paced and challenging due to priorities, deadlines and the need to coordinate across different teams. However, this also created good opportunities to learn, develop resilience and strengthen communication and problem-solving skills. Colleagues were approachable and willing to support one another, which helped create a strong sense of teamwork.

I enjoyed my placement to a large extent.
It gave me the opportunity to take on meaningful responsibility, develop my skills and gain valuable experience in a professional working environment. I particularly appreciated the chance to work with different people across the organisation, contribute to real work and build my confidence in handling responsibilities and challenges.
Although there were naturally some demanding and challenging aspects, these also helped me learn and develop. Overall, I found the experience rewarding and worthwhile, both professionally and personally.

Yes