Dir of Next Generation Engineering

Sprint Reply UK; Manchester; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Opportunity to shape future engineering

Collaborative environment

Job summary

A forward-thinking IT consultancy in Manchester is seeking a Director of Next Generation Engineering to shape their software delivery capabilities. The role involves integrating AI functionalities into engineering practices, scaling teams, and enhancing productivity through innovative tooling. Candidates should have over 10 years of experience in software engineering and a proven track record of leading teams and driving measurable improvements. The position offers a competitive salary and the opportunity to work with global clients and technology partners.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in software engineering, with experience scaling teams.
• Experience implementing AI/ML-enabled tooling into practices at scale.
• Strong understanding of DevOps, SRE, IaC, and composable architecture.

Responsibilities

• Lead the engineering vision and roadmap for scalable delivery.
• Integrate AI-native engineering tools to enhance productivity.
• Coach engineering teams and build an internal engineering chapter.

Skills

Scaling engineering teams

AI/ML-enabled tooling implementation

Modern software engineering practices

Driving measurable improvements

Building product-led delivery models

Tools

Windsurf

GitHub Copilot

CI/CD accelerators

Cloud-native design

Job description

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Managing Director / Partner @ Sprint Reply

Sprint Reply is an AI tech innovation consultancy that delivers experience-led, value-focused solutions for some of the world’s most forward-thinking organisations. We specialise in designing and delivering AI-powered, data-driven products that help businesses work smarter and unlock measurable impact. Our mission is simple: don’t waste humans. We use intelligent technology to remove friction, automate the mundane, and empower people to focus on the work that matters most - unlocking human potential, not replacing it.

The Opportunity

As Director of Next Generation Engineering, you will lead the charge in scaling our software engineering capability into an AI-native, performance-focused powerhouse. This isn’t just about great engineering - it’s about shaping how AI is embedded across the full software delivery lifecycle to make engineering faster, smarter, more secure, and more impactful.

You will define the standards, tools, and ways of working that drive the evolution of our engineering function into a scalable product engine fit for the generative AI era. From developer experience to DevOps pipelines, testing to telemetry, you will own the playbook that makes intelligent engineering the norm.

You’ll be a strategic leader and hands-on enabler - equally comfortable setting engineering vision with the C-suite, as you are guiding teams through platform design decisions, code automation patterns, or proof-of-value evaluations.

Your Responsibilities

As Director of Next Generation Engineering, you will lead the future of engineering at Sprint Reply setting the vision, standards, and roadmap for scalable, AI-augmented software delivery. You will define and track engineering KPIs, focusing on productivity, quality, stability, and efficiency.

You’ll embed repeatable practices that drive consistent excellence across build, deploy, and feedback cycles. Leading on AI-native engineering, you’ll integrate tools like code co-pilots, test generators, and design assistants to enhance speed and innovation across the SDLC. You’ll also curate and evolve our AI/ML tool stack to maximise value delivery.

You will oversee the maturity of our cloud-native platforms including secure DevSecOps, automated testing, and observability and drive adoption of modular, composable architecture and infrastructure-as-code for scalable delivery.

A key part of your role will be enabling teams. You’ll coach engineers, architects, and technical leads, build a strong internal engineering chapter, and embed best practices and reusable patterns to uplift engineering capability across the business.

You will be a visible technical leader in client and partner engagementsfrom early conversations to post-implementation. Acting as a technical ambassador, you will represent Sprint Reply with partners like Microsoft, AWS, Google, and OpenAI, helping to align our engineering strategy to the latest innovations.

What We Expect

You will lead with a clear and compelling engineering vision, setting direction as a visionary technologist who can see what’s next and make it real. You’ll be a performance-driven leader who thrives on measurable outcomes and optimised delivery systems. As a toolsmith and builder, you’ll enjoy designing reusable frameworks and engineering enablers that uplift teams. You’ll act as an integrator - aligning people, process, platforms, and AI into seamless delivery excellence - while empowering others by fostering technical growth, unlocking potential, and building strong, vibrant engineering communities.

We're looking for someone who has:

• 10+ years in software engineering, with deep experience scaling engineering teams and platforms in fast-paced environments.
• Proven experience implementing AI/ML-enabled tooling into engineering practices at scale (e.g. Windsurf, GitHub Copilot, test generation, anomaly detection, CI/CD accelerators).
• A strong understanding of modern software engineering practices, including DevOps, SRE, IaC, composable architecture, cloud-native design (Azure/AWS/GCP).
• Demonstrable track record of driving measurable improvements in engineering velocity, quality, and scalability.
• Background in building and scaling product-led or consultancy-based delivery models. Clear evidence of thought leadership in engineering strategy and next-gen software practices.

What We Offer

At Sprint Reply, you’ll join a bold, fast-growing consultancy that puts people and purpose at the heart of everything we do. We offer the autonomy to lead, the support to grow, and the opportunity to shape the future of engineering in an AI-first world. You’ll work on cutting-edge projects with global clients and technology partners, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with intelligent systems. Alongside a competitive salary and benefits package, we provide a collaborative, innovation-driven environment where your ideas are valued, your impact is visible, and your career can thrive.

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Director

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Engineering and Information Technology

• Industries

  IT Services and IT Consulting

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