Head of Engineering

Navys; Greater London; On-site; GBP 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A venture-backed legal tech company in London is seeking a Head of Engineering to establish and lead engineering operations. This hands-on position requires a leader who can drive architectural directions and manage a high-performance team. Ideal candidates will have experience in managing engineering teams, strong SaaS understanding, and hands-on full-stack web development. Competitive salary and equity are offered for this pivotal role in building streamlined legal processes.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Equity participation

Leadership development opportunities

Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience managing software engineering teams.
• Strong understanding of SaaS engineering management processes.
• Hands-on experience in modern full-stack web development.

Responsibilities

• Lead engineering operations and team culture.
• Define the technical direction and drive architectural decisions.
• Oversee sprint planning and ensure predictable delivery of features.

Skills

Software engineering management

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication skills

Full-stack web development

Tools

Python

Docker

PostgreSQL

Job description

Position: Head of Engineering

Location: London (4–5 days per week on site)

Compensation: Competitive salary + equity

Reports to: CEO

Company Overview

About Navys

Navys is a venture backed legal technology company building enterprise workflow software for private capital markets.

The platform replaces manual, email driven legal processes with a structured system that enables funds lawyers, GPs and LPs to execute complex transactions more efficiently. Navys is focused on real legal workflows, not generic AI tools or document summarisation, and is designed to support production grade, enterprise use cases.

Navys is building core infrastructure for how funds legal work is done, with a strong emphasis on execution, clarity and real-world impact.

Role Summary

Navys is seeking a Head of Engineering who will take ownership of day-to-day engineering operations and play a pivotal role in building the engineering function from its early foundations. This is not just a delivery role, it is a hands-on technical leadership position responsible for defining engineering processes, shaping architecture, hiring talent and fostering a high-performance team culture.

The ideal candidate is an experienced engineering leader who can operate close to the codebase while also driving technical decision-making, implementing scalable processes and ensuring accountability across the team.

Technology Environment

The platform is built on a modern full-stack architecture optimised for workflow orchestration and rapid iteration. The Head of Engineering will own development strategy and execution and lead the architectural evolution as scale increases.

Current Stack

• Frontend: Next.js, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS
• Backend & APIs: Python (Quart / Flask)
• Infrastructure: PostgreSQL, Docker containerisation, Azure
• Delivery Operations: CI / CD automation, Git-based workflow, Agile execution

Responsibilities

Build and Lead the Engineering Function

• Establish engineering processes, standards and ways of working suitable for an early-stage organisation
• Create a culture of accountability, ownership and high performance
• Recruit, develop and mentor engineering talent as the team expands

Technical Leadership & Architectural Ownership

• Drive architectural decisions and define the technical direction of the platform
• Provide hands-on guidance, reviewing code and shaping solution design
• Ensure the system remains scalable, secure and maintainable as it evolves

Delivery Management & Operational Excellence

• Own sprint planning, prioritisation and release cadence
• Ensure predictable, high-quality delivery of product features
• Identify and remove blockers quickly, maintaining delivery velocity
• Improve and optimise development workflows, CI / CD practices and QA processes

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Product Alignment

• Translate product requirements into technical plans and release scopes
• Partner closely with product, design and commercial teams to ensure alignment on priorities
• Support early customer deployments and communicate risks, trade-offs and progress clearly to stakeholders

Candidate Profile

Essential Requirements

• At least 3 years’ experience managing software engineering teams
• Strong understanding of software engineering management processes in a SaaS environment
• Firsthand experience in modern full-stack web development
• Has successfully delivered production grade Enterprise software using a SaaS model
• Solid understanding of software architecture, with the ability to assess options and explain trade-offs to top management
• Strong personal network of technologists and engineering talent
• Highly organised and able to prioritise effectively and deliver at pace
• Strong communication skills across technical and non-technical teams
• Comfortable working on-site in London (4–5 days per week)

Desirable Requirements

• Exposure to legal tech or fintech
• Experience with workflow or transaction-heavy systems
• Understanding of security, compliance and resilience in software systems

What the Company Offers

• Competitive salary and meaningful equity participation at early-stage entry point
• Ownership of engineering processes, architecture and technical direction
• Potential for expanded leadership responsibilities as the organisation scales

Equal Opportunity Employer

We are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. As an equal opportunity employer, we do not discriminate on the basis of age, disability, sex, race, religion or belief, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, or sexual orientation. All qualified applicants will receive consideration based on individual merit and business needs.