Overview
This is a newly created position in the organisation: You will be the owner of all technology solutions for the business and in particular the custodian of the Square Mile Relay website from a development perspective. Launched in 2018, the WordPress site was built by a partner agency whom we still work with but we are now ready to bring the ongoing work to manage and evolve the site in-house. The role will start with a handover from the agency to make sure you are supported in getting to know the site and onboarding, and they will be available for ongoing consultation.
You will lead the digital strategy and innovation for the business, working closely with the in-house marketing team and our partner agencies to maintain, develop, and build-out the technology solutions. Square Mile Sport is also part of the Benchmark Group of companies, and there may be future opportunities to get involved with the other brands in the group in time.
You’ll be competent at creating beautiful, bespoke pixel-perfect front-end code as well as managing and delivering complex back-end database solutions. The website is feature rich and includes functionality such as:
● Multiple languages, currencies and language specific content
● Online transactions for ticket purchases relative to our events
● Team management process, allowing captains to create teams and invite runners
● SAML integration with partner services, powering our exciting Virtual Race Series
You will play a role in helping to manage our incumbent agency as well as coming up with new ideas for enhancements to the site, and you’ll naturally keep your finger on the pulse of the rapidly changing digital world to hunt out new technologies we can use, thus making a direct contribution to the continued development of the business.
This role reports into the Managing Director.
Key Responsibilities
● Be the strategic lead for digital innovation and development within the business
● Be the product owner of the Square Mile Relay website and all other technology solutions, e.g. Virtual Club
● Maintaining the website functionality and fixing bugs as they arise
● Building new pages and functionality in line with the company objectives
● Maintain a deep understanding of all core technologies used and make suggestions for future evolution and enhancements
● Interrogate briefs for new functionality and change requests
● Fully planning product development and associated timelines
● Carry out testing and quality control such that all reasonable failure cases are satisfied and meet business standards
● Provide feedback and reporting to our internal teams
● Maintain up to date product documentation
Knowledge, Skills & Attributes
You’ll be an excellent communicator with great attention to detail and able to quickly build rapport with internal and external stakeholders. Someone who is a great listener, highly organised and able to balance the need to produce beautiful code with delivering projects on time and to budget.
● Minimum 4 years’ experience and/or proven commercial experience
● Have a solid track record of full stack web and web app development
● Exceptional front-end skills (HTML5 / CSS3 / JS / SCSS / ES6+)
● Excellent PHP and MySQL knowledge
● Experience developing to PHP MVC principles
● Experience with WordPress (custom plugins, themes – not sitebuilders!)
● Exceptional attention to detail
● GIT version control (essential for partner agency collaboration)
● Great at problem solving with a solutions-focused mindset
● Strong troubleshooting skills
● Strong written and verbal communicator, able to explain technical things to non-technical people
● Able to translate business needs into technical specifications
Preferable skills, but not required:
● Experience with PHP template engines such as TWIG and/or Blade
● Familiar with POSTMAN collections and building bespoke REST APIs
● Good awareness of user experience and design execution
● Experience working on multilingual websites (Chinese a great benefit)
Basis, Salary & Benefits
Permanent, full-time; Mon-Fri inclusive.
The role will be based in the London office. However, we are currently operating a working from home policy and the role will begin remotely. When permitted, we will require the successful candidate to be able to travel to the Holborn, London office.
Competitive salary, company bonus, pension, option of private healthcare and additional benefits.
What it’s like to work with us
It’s all about the team at Square Mile Sport. We enjoy working together to deliver a world-class experience for our clients and we place a high value on bonding as a team over shared experiences.
We are energetic and enthusiastic, dedicated to performing at our best, supporting others to do the same and, as a result, we continue to push the boundaries of what our event experiences and our products can offer. We want people to work with us who find the fast-paced environment exciting and meaningful, who see opportunities where others might not, and who challenge us rethink what and how we do things.
At Square Mile Sport, we value diversity and strive to foster a working environment that is inclusive, supportive and ensures that everyone is heard and valued for their contributions. We know that a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace is one that is competitive and resilient. We are an equal opportunity employer and welcome people from all backgrounds, cultures, and experiences.
About Square Mile Sport
Square Mile Sport (SMS) is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of all through shared memorable experiences that leave lasting positive social impact. Through its flagship global corporate event series, the Bloomberg Square Mile Relay, and its uniquely developed Bloomberg Square Mile Virtual Club, Square Mile Sport uses the power of exercise and social development to empower individuals, build teams and connect businesses in cities all across the world.
SMS is the owner and operator of the Bloomberg Square Mile Relay (BSMR), a global series of 12 events that brings corporate communities on to the streets for an immersive, collaborative and competitive experience right in the heart of the world’s largest financial districts including London, Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Dubai, Sydney, New York, Tokyo, San Francisco, Sao Paulo, and Mumbai. With over 14,000 participants from 900+ companies each year, our aim is to connect businesses in the most engaging experiences that deliver on our commitment to improving wellbeing and improving local communities.
In 2020, in response to the pandemic, we launched our free-to-access Bloomberg Square Mile Virtual Club (BSMVC), which has over 4,000 members drawn from over 300 prestigious global companies, primarily in the Financial Services sector. Our aim was to be able to continue offering our community experiences to stay connected, engaged and also motivated to be active during the difficult and isolated times caused by the pandemic. Now with over 15 different activity types including running, cycling, yoga and meditation, members can earn points for themselves and their company by undertaking these activities, to move up city and global ranking leader boards, as well as unlock donations to go to a charity partner in their city as part of The Extra Mile charity programme.
Our mission is to improve health and well-being through shared meaningful experiences that leave lasting positive social impact.
We are now at an extremely exciting phase of being able to once again start planning for the return of live events later this year following postponement during the COVID pandemic, as well as continuing to grow and develop our Virtual Club offering to run alongside our live event experiences, which is accelerating the growth of our team.
About Benchmark
Square Mile Sport is part of Benchmark, a business investing in people and ideas that inspire and deliver experiences, connections, and impact. Benchmark is an open and inclusive environment. We embrace our talent's personal and professional ambitions, we provide a launchpad for our people's careers and work together to bring a fulfilling experience to our teams. We will only meet our goals if we are a place where people thrive, develop and lead. Just like the communities and networks we create, ‘Togetherness’ lies at the heart of the way we operate. We’re looking for people who share our values:
Earned Trust - We are experienced and come prepared. We deliver world-class work. We exceed expectations. We do what we say.
Healthy Restlessness - We are captivated by our work. We ask the necessary questions. We push beyond the present and hope to create a better future. We infuse energy and invention into everything we do.
Human Connection - We thrive on collaboration, we share, we support, and we are honest about our successes and challenges
