Senior Manager Software Development

SITA

At SITA, we keep airports moving, airlines flying smoothly, and borders open. Our technology and communication innovations power the success of the global air travel industry.

Overview

Welcome to SITA. At SITA, we keep airports moving, airlines flying smoothly, and borders open. Our technology and communication innovations power the success of the global air travel industry. You’ll find us in 95% of international airports, working closely with over 2,500 transportation and government clients. Each partnership brings unique challenges, and we thrive on delivering fresh solutions and cutting‑edge tech to keep operations running like clockwork. We don’t just move the world forward - we’re proud to be recognized as a Great Place To Work by our employees and certified in most of our growing locations. Here, we feel empowered, supported, and inspired to grow. Are you ready to love your job? The adventure begins right here, with you, at SITA.

About The Role & Team

Our department develops and maintains passenger self‑service and secure access solutions that help airlines and airports increase operational efficiency, improve passenger flow, and provide a smoother travel experience. Within this area, the Gates / Secure Access team is responsible for solutions that support secure, reliable, and efficient passenger processing at key airport touchpoints such as boarding gates, access control points, security areas, and border control environments. These solutions integrate with airport and airline systems, support different operational processes and customer requirements, and enable scalable use across SITA and partner environments.

As Gates / Secure Access Engineering Manager, you will lead a team of developers and co‑develop and implement the product roadmap with the product management team, always keeping operational reliability, security, and customer needs in mind. Furthermore, you will be the point of contact for other departments within SITA, for example, for operations and collaboratively creating scalable solutions for the future.

What You’ll Do

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of software engineers, creating an environment that supports ownership, collaboration, continuous learning, and high performance.
• Translate product priorities and customer needs into clear technical objectives, team goals, and actionable delivery plans.
• Drive planning, scope clarification, estimation, and prioritization together with Product Management, Architecture, QA, Operations, and other stakeholders.
• Ensure reliable delivery of Gates / Secure Access features, releases, patches, and production changes in line with agreed quality, security, and operational standards.
• Identify dependencies, risks, blockers, and resource needs early, and actively drive mitigation plans across teams and departments.
• Support the definition and continuous improvement of development, release, test, and support processes to strengthen efficiency and predictability.
• Take ownership of team capacity planning, skill development, knowledge sharing, and hiring needs to ensure the right capabilities are available for current and future work.
• Guide the team in applying sound engineering practices, including maintainability, testability, automation, documentation, and operational readiness.
• Manage performance, provide regular feedback, support individual development plans, and help team members grow in their roles.
• Act as a key point of contact for internal stakeholders, ensuring transparent communication on progress, risks, decisions, and delivery commitments.

Qualifications

• Strong background in software development, ideally with Java, full‑stack technologies, and enterprise‑grade applications.
• Experience in leading, coaching, and developing software engineering teams.
• Solid understanding of agile software development, delivery planning, and iterative product development.
• Good knowledge of test automation, software quality practices, and continuous improvement.
• Ability to translate product priorities and customer needs into clear technical objectives and team goals.
• Experience with stakeholder alignment across Product Management, Architecture, QA, Operations, and customer‑facing teams.
• Strong capacity planning, prioritization, and requirements management skills.
• Ability to identify risks, dependencies, and blockers early and drive pragmatic solutions.
• Experience in goal setting, progress monitoring, and providing constructive feedback.
• Strong communication skills, empathy, and emotional intelligence in a multicultural environment.

NICE-TO-HAVE

• Experience in software architecture and designing scalable, maintainable enterprise solutions.
• Hands‑on experience with cloud platforms, DevOps practices, and CI/CD pipelines.
• Practical experience using AI‑supported tools to improve engineering productivity, quality, or delivery processes.

What We Offer

We’re all about diversity. We operate in 200 countries and speak 60 different languages and cultures. We’re really proud of our inclusive environment. Our offices are comfortable and fun places to work, and we make sure you get to work from home too.

Flex Week: Work from home up to 2 days/week (depending on your team’s needs).

Flex Day: Make your workday suit your life and plans.

Flex Location: Take up to 30 days a year to work from any location in the world.

Employee Wellbeing: We’ve got you covered with our Employee Assistance Program (EAP), for you and your dependents 24/7, 365 days/year. We also offer Champion Health – a personalized platform that supports a range of wellbeing needs.

Professional Development: Level up your skills with our training platforms, including LinkedIn Learning.

Competitive Benefits: Competitive benefits that make sense with both your local market and employment status.

SITA is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We value a diverse workforce. In support of our Employment Equity Program, we encourage women, aboriginal people, members of visible minorities, and/or persons with disabilities to apply and self‑identify in the application process.