Head of Engineering

Much Better Adventures; United Kingdom; Remote; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Much Better Adventures is seeking a Head of Engineering to lead and grow their remote engineering team. This role involves shaping team culture, managing processes, and providing strategic direction while ensuring a high-trust environment. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in leadership within a technology-focused environment, with a passion for outdoor adventures that align with the company’s mission.

Benefits

38 days holiday per year

Competitive salary based on experience

Fully remote and flexible working

Free MBA trip in first year + £500 annual travel voucher

30% employee discount on trips

Generous pension scheme

Free private GP access

16 weeks fully paid parental leave

Regular team meetups

Qualifications

• Experience in leading engineering teams from 5 to 15+ people.
• Strong management skills for hiring and growing engineers.
• Proficiency with Python/Django and React/Next.js for technical understanding.

Responsibilities

• Lead and support engineers across multiple squads.
• Shape strategy in collaboration with the CTO and CPO.
• Manage the hiring process and onboarding for new engineers.

Skills

Team Leadership

Process Improvement

Technical Guidance

Remote Team Management

Effective Communication

Job description

Hey there - we're Much Better Adventures. If you're an experienced engineering leader who loves building great teams, cares about craftsmanship, and believes that business should leave the world better than it found it, we'd love to talk.

We're a fully remote, mission-driven B-Corp on a mission to make it easy to book the world's best adventure holidays - and protect the planet while we're at it.

We've grown our engineering team to 8 people across 3 cross-functional squads. Now we're ready for our first Head of Engineering - someone who'll take the reins on people, process, and delivery, and help us scale the team and the way we work.

You'll report directly to the CTO and be our most senior engineering leader. We're looking for someone who can grow a high-trust, high-performance culture, help engineers do their best work, and make sure we're set up to deliver the things that matter.

What you'll be doing

Leading and supporting the team

• Line manage and support engineers across multiple squads
• Help people grow with clear goals, feedback, and development opportunities
• Create the conditions for engineers to feel empowered, included, and motivated
• Support our senior ICs and future engineering managers with coaching and structure

Improving how we work

• Help us raise the bar in how we plan, build, test, ship, and learn
• Keep us aligned and moving fast as we grow — balancing autonomy and consistency
• Bring clarity to how we work across teams, without adding unnecessary process

Growing the team

• Help us grow from 8 to 10 engineers in the short term, and more as needed
• Lead the hiring process from end to end
• Make sure new joiners are onboarded well and feel part of the team from day one

Providing technical guidance

• You won’t need to write code — but you should be confident helping engineers think through architecture and unblock technical challenges
• Encourage smart use of AI and tooling to help us build better, faster, and with less toil

Shaping strategy

• Partner with the CTO and CPO to shape our product and tech direction
• Make sure engineering has a seat at the table in company planning and prioritisation
• Spot opportunities to level up our systems, tooling, and culture

What we’re looking for

• You’ve led engineering teams at startups or scale-ups, ideally growing from ~5 to 15+ people
• You’re a thoughtful people manager who’s hired and grown engineers at different levels
• You know how to help cross-functional product teams work smoothly
• You bring enough technical experience (we use Python/Django and React/Next.js) to challenge assumptions and support great decision-making
• You’re proactive, organised, and communicate with clarity and care
• You’re based in the UK and happy working remotely

It’s a bonus if you…

• Have worked in travel, marketplaces, or operationally complex businesses
• Have shaped engineering culture or progression frameworks before
• Are curious about how AI is changing the craft of software engineering
• Love spending time in the mountains or outdoors — and want to help others do the same

What success looks like in your first 6 months

• Clear improvements in how much we ship, and how confidently we ship it
• Two new engineers hired and onboarded successfully
• A noticeable lift in how we collaborate, learn, and use AI to augment our work
• Engineers feeling supported, motivated, and clear on where they’re heading

What we offer

• 38 days holiday per year (including public holidays)
• Competitive salary based on your experience and UK benchmarks
• Fully remote and flexible working, with core hours 10:00–15:00 GMT
• A free MBA trip in your first year + £500 annual travel voucher
• 30% employee discount + 15% friends & family discount on trips
• Generous pension scheme (UK only)
• Free private GP access and unlimited mental health support via BHSF
• Budget for home office setup or co-working space
• 16 weeks fully paid parental leave (primary caregiver) or 4 weeks (secondary caregiver)
• Regular team meetups and adventures

Interview process

1. Initial application + short Q&A
2. Intro chat (30–45 mins)
3. Second interview focused on your leadership style and experience
4. Final interview with the MBA leadership team (60–90 mins)

We’re an equal opportunities employer and we welcome applicants from all backgrounds. We support flexible working to help you balance work and life in a way that works for you.

Cover letter: Please detail how you match the JD above, why MBA excites you, which trip you would like to go on as your new joiner trip and why. Keep it brief (under 1 page).