Development Manager - Digital Platform & API

The role in a nutshell: The role in a nutshell: The Development Manager – Digital Platform and API is accountable for the product ownership, strategy (in conjunction with BTS management), delivery and life-cycle management of Toyota Financial Services UK’s Digital Platform and API (Integration Layer). The role ensures Digital applications and API’s/integrations are designed, governed, delivered and evolved to support business capabilities, enable digital transformation, and align with enterprise architecture, security and regulatory standards.

The role operates as a Product Owner across both API capabilities and Digital Platform; managing priorities, roadmaps, delivery outcomes, costs/budgets and stakeholder relationships. The role will manage a team of two Solutions Architects and external development partners.  It includes line management responsibility for the API and Digital Platform team, oversight of platform capability growth, and management of vendor relationships. The role will support the evolution of Digital Platforms from an initial customer portal replacement solution into a broader strategic application delivery capability within the organisation.

What you’ll be doing:

API & Digital Platform Product Ownership:

• Own the product vision, roadmap and delivery priorities for APIs, integrations and the Digital platform.
• Treat APIs, integrations and platform capabilities as products with defined consumers, value outcomes and lifecycle management.
• Prioritise the product backlog based on business value, risk, technical health and strategic alignment

Digital Platform Management:

• Lead the development, adoption and governance of the Digital platform
• Oversee delivery of applications and enhancements, ensuring alignment to business needs, architecture principles, security guidelines and quality standards
• Shape the evolution of Digital Platform as a strategic digital delivery platform

Standards & Architecture:

• Define and maintain API standards in collaboration with architects and vendors
• Support the evolution towards event-driven and platform-based integration models
• Submit/Present to the ARB and TDA (UK and Regional)
• Agile Delivery & Ways of Working
• Establish and run agile ceremonies including planning, refinement, reviews, and retrospectives

Delivery & Lifecycle Management:

• Own end-to-end delivery from discovery through design, build, release
• Project Manage delivery of small works
• Service Design, Transition and Operational support
• Establish agile delivery practices including planning, refinement, reviews and retrospectives
• Own and prioritise (in conjunction with business stakeholders) the API/Digital Platform backlog based on business value, risk, and technical health
• Coordinate dependencies across teams, vendors and business stakeholders
• Ensure operational readiness, including support and incident management processes

Governance, Risk & Compliance:

• Own and operate API/Digital Platform governance aligned to enterprise IT governance structures
• Ensure APIs/Digital Platforms comply with security, GDPR, GISG, ISO27001 and regulatory expectations
• Partner with Architecture, Information Security, Compliance and business stakeholders
• Manage remediation activities and governance through CAB, ARB and relevant technical forums
• Partner with Information Security, Legal, Compliance, and the Data Protection Officer
• Align with TFS project frameworks
• Balancing agile delivery with existing enterprise governance and controls
• Scaling API/Digital Platform governance without creating unnecessary bureaucracy

Vendor Management:

• Manage vendor relationships to ensure capability, delivery quality and value for money
• Align with internal TFS vendor management processes

Stakeholder & Vendor Management:

• Build strong relationships with business stakeholders, IT teams, and Group colleagues
• Manage Digital Platform and API vendor relationships and vendor assessment processes
• Represent the API function at governance and design forums

People Leadership:

• Provide line management and professional oversight for the Solutions Architects
• Potential increase in team size (over time) subject to the adoption of Digital Platform

Financial Management:

• Align with BTS finance team to mange cost control
• Manage Procurement (Purchase Orders and Invoices)
• Budgeting across API/Digital Platform

Key Experience & Skills:

• Experience working as a ‘Product Manager / Product Owner’ in an IT or digital environment
• Experience managing application delivery, platforms, APIs or integration capabilities
• Strong understanding of ‘API concepts, including SOAP, REST, synchronous vs asynchronous APIs, and integration patterns
• Experience working within ‘enterprise IT governance’ structures.
• Proven stakeholder management and communication skills
• Experience working with architecture, security, and engineering teams
• Familiarity with agile delivery frameworks and practices
• Proven experience in developing, implementing, maintaining and leading an effective information security control assurance programme
• Strong stakeholder management skills, including technical members of staff and senior executives, stakeholder negotiation and influencing
• Good analytical skills
• Strong understanding of GDPR & ISO27001
• Product Owner / Product Management certification (e.g. CSPO, PSPO, SAFe POPM) and advantage
• Agile certification (Scrum, SAFe, or equivalent)
• Experience with organisational governance forums (ARB, CAB, Technical Forums)

Attributes & Behaviours:

• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to interact professionally and influence and collaborate with technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Keen problem solver and critical thinker
• Strong multi-tasker, able to work effectively on multiple projects at one time in a busy and time-driven work environment
• Proactive and self-motivated
• Demonstrates leadership behaviours, coaching mindset and commitment to team development

At Toyota Financial Services (TFS) it is more than just an externally bench-marked salary and bonus, we also offer:

• Hybrid working pattern is 2 days in the office and 3 days from a location of your choice.
• Access to attractive car schemes for you (& your family) for Toyota & Lexus cars
• Excellent pension scheme (up to 6% employee contribution and 15% employer contribution).
• Generous annual leave of 25 days which increases with service and holiday purchase option
• Private Medical Healthcare (single, partner/spouse and dependent children) with Digital GP Service
• Group Income Protection cover with Aviva including physical, mental, and financial wellbeing services
• Employee Assistance Program
• Eye tests
• Onsite gym, Sports and Social Club, & flu jabs to keep you healthy
• Wellbeing hour each month and many more initiatives throughout the year to encourage a healthy mind and body, and to raise awareness and celebrate diversity, equity and inclusion.
• Dress for your day policy to make you feel comfortable at work
• Eco HQ, free parking & restaurant
• Two volunteering days per year
• Reward gateway voucher discounts
• Flexible working scheme and we welcome flexible working conversations at interview
• Regular 121s with your manager, a personal development review (PReview) each quarter
• A wide range of learning & development opportunities including Linked In Learning courses
• £250 contribution towards you learning something new outside of work
• Annual events (e.g., summer party, BBQ & Xmas party) including Countdown to Christmas events every December - it is so much fun!

Our Recruitment Process

At Toyota Financial Services (TFS) we value everyone and are pleased to be recognised as a Disability Confident Employer.

We are committed to supporting disabled applicants throughout the recruitment process. Should you meet the minimum criteria for this role and wish to apply under the DC scheme, you may be moved forward to the next stage. Please ensure to add this information into your application.

When it comes to recruitment, please do let us know if we can adjust our process to be meet your accessibility needs.

Some examples of how we might be able to help are listed below:

• Providing a copy of interview questions before the interview
• Organising a time and location that best suits you
• Allowing additional time for the assessment and interview

We are happy to review any adjustment on a case-by-case basis to support you to be your best self.