Director of Software Engineering

Henderson Scott; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 135,000 - 165,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private healthcare

Flexible holidays

Performance bonus

Job summary

Henderson Scott in London seeks a Director of Software Engineering to own and shape an established software function within an international organization. You will assess the team, architecture, and ways of working, then lead the function's evolution to scale while maintaining quality and security.

This role is predominantly technical leadership (about 75% technical, 25% people, stakeholder and commercial leadership).

Qualifications

• Significant software-engineering leadership of multidisciplinary teams
• Strong knowledge of modern cloud architecture and production software
• Experience with customer-facing websites or digital products
• Ability to assess architecture and challenge technical decisions
• Experience improving software-development processes and standards
• Knowledge of modern front-end architecture (React) and .NET
• Practical understanding of AI-assisted software development
• Strong communication and stakeholder-management skills
• Commercial awareness and ability to balance quality, cost and delivery speed

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor and develop a multidisciplinary software engineering team
• Assess the current function and evolve team and operating model
• Define technical direction across apps, core software and cloud architecture
• Establish a consistent SDLC covering architecture, documentation, testing, CI/CD and releases
• Improve engineering quality, delivery speed, scalability and production reliability
• Introduce practical AI across software-development workflows
• Remain close to architecture and high-level code decisions
• Collaborate with product, design, data and senior business stakeholders
• Manage specialist consultancies, technology partners and vendors
• Balance technical investment and debt against commercial priorities and speed to market

Skills

Leadership

Cloud architecture

React

.NET

AI-assisted development

Stakeholder management

Communication

Tools

React

.NET

CI/CD

Cloud platforms

Job description

£150,000 base + 10% bonus, flexible holidays and private healthcare

We are supporting a fast-growing international organisation with the appointment of a highly technical Director of Software Engineering.

This is an opportunity to take ownership of an established software function and shape its next stage of development. You will assess the current team, architecture and ways of working before recommending how the function should evolve and scale.

This is not a role for someone who wants to operate at arm’s length from the technology. It is a predominantly technical leadership position—approximately 75% technical and 25% people, stakeholder and commercial leadership.

The opportunity

During your first six months, you will review the existing software function and recommend how its structure, processes and technical capabilities should develop.

A major priority will be establishing a clearer and better-documented software development lifecycle, improving engineering standards and identifying how AI-assisted development can accelerate delivery without compromising quality, security or control.

You will work across consumer-facing applications, content platforms, cloud architecture, core software and data-driven products.

Key responsibilities

• Lead, mentor and develop a multidisciplinary software engineering team


• Assess the current function and recommend how the team and operating model should evolve


• Define technical direction across customer-facing applications, core software and cloud architecture


• Establish a consistent software development lifecycle covering architecture, documentation, testing, code reviews, CI/CD and releases


• Improve engineering quality, delivery speed, scalability and production reliability


• Introduce practical and controlled use of AI across software-development workflows


• Remain close to architecture, technical decisions and high-level code reviews


• Work closely with product, design, data and senior business stakeholders


• Manage specialist consultancies, technology partners and software vendors


• Balance technical investment and debt against commercial priorities and speed to market

About you

You will have started your career in software development and progressed into engineering leadership while retaining strong technical credibility.

We are looking for:

• Significant software-engineering experience with leadership of multidisciplinary development teams


• Strong knowledge of modern cloud architecture and production software


• Experience with customer-facing websites, applications or digital products


• The ability to assess architecture, challenge technical decisions and support engineers with complex problems


• Experience improving software-development processes, engineering standards and delivery practices


• Knowledge of modern front-end architecture; the current environment predominantly uses React alongside .NET


• A practical understanding of AI-assisted software development


• Strong communication and stakeholder-management skills


• Commercial awareness and the ability to balance quality, cost and delivery speed


• The personality and adaptability to thrive in a fast-paced, evolving environment

Experience with CMS or headless-content platforms, high-volume data, real-time systems or data visualisation would be beneficial but is not essential. We are open on industry background and are primarily interested in the quality and relevance of your engineering leadership.

The role is based in Central London, close to Gloucester Road and Earl’s Court Underground stations, with an expectation of three days per week in the office.