Director of Software Engineering

develop; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 160,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Develop is seeking a Director of Software Engineering to lead a large-scale engineering function in a hybrid London setting, guiding a strategic technology transformation.

You will oversee 60–80 engineers across several Scrum teams, drive platform modernization, AI adoption, risk management and engineering excellence with global stakeholders.

This influential role offers visibility across the organisation and opportunities to shape the future of a major platform estate.

Qualifications

• Experience leading large-scale software engineering organisations.
• Strong software engineering foundations and technical credibility.
• Ability to operate strategically whilst supporting technical decision making.
• Experience leading Engineering Managers and senior technical leaders.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop Engineering Managers, Architects and software engineering teams
• Own delivery across multiple product areas and engineering functions
• Drive engineering strategy, operational excellence and organisational capability
• Support major platform modernisation initiatives
• Expand and scale AI-driven capabilities across products and services
• Manage engineering risk, production incidents and stakeholder escalations
• Collaborate with senior stakeholders across multiple international regions
• Drive continuous improvement across software delivery and engineering practices

Job description

Director of Software Engineering | Hybrid in London (2 days per week in office)

We're partnered with a global technology organisation looking for an experienced engineering leader to take ownership of a large-scale software engineering function during a period of significant transformation and growth.

This is a leadership role with responsibility for multiple product areas, international engineering teams and a substantial technology modernisation programme. You'll inherit a mature organisation whilst helping shape its future direction, with a particular focus on AI adoption, platform evolution and engineering excellence.

The Opportunity

Reporting into international leadership, you'll lead an engineering organisation of approximately 60-80 engineers across multiple Scrum teams, managing Engineering Managers and senior technical leaders.

You'll be responsible for ensuring successful delivery across several product portfolios, balancing strategic leadership with the ability to engage in technical discussions when required.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and develop Engineering Managers, Architects and software engineering teams
• Own delivery across multiple product areas and engineering functions
• Drive engineering strategy, operational excellence and organisational capability
• Support major platform modernisation initiatives
• Expand and scale AI-driven capabilities across products and services
• Manage engineering risk, production incidents and stakeholder escalations
• Collaborate with senior stakeholders across multiple international regions
• Drive continuous improvement across software delivery and engineering practices

What We're Looking For

• Experience leading large-scale software engineering organisations
• Strong software engineering foundations and technical credibility
• Ability to operate strategically whilst remaining close enough to the detail to support technical decision making
• Experience leading Engineering Managers and senior technical leaders
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills
• Large-scale distributed engineering teams
• Platform modernisation and transformation programmes
• Cloud migration initiatives
• Infrastructure optimisation and operational efficiency programmes
• Security, risk or highly regulated environments

Why Consider It?

• Significant influence over technology and engineering strategy
• Opportunity to shape the future direction of a major platform estate
• High-profile leadership role with global visibility
• Major investment in AI and platform modernisation
• Potential for increased scope and remit as the organisation evolves

This role would suit a Director of Engineering, Head of Engineering or Senior Engineering Leader looking to make a significant impact within a technology-led organisation operating at scale.