Head of Engineering Operations

817 GPS Consumer Direct, Inc.; Greater London; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading technology firm in Greater London is seeking a Senior Director of Engineering Operations. In this role, you will drive enterprise-wide engineering excellence, lead cross-functional teams, and ensure alignment with technology goals. Key responsibilities include overseeing high-impact programs, managing operational strategies, and preparing executive communications. Ideal candidates will have over 18 years of experience and deep technical fluency in infrastructure, security, and agile methodologies. This position offers an opportunity to shape operational strategy and foster innovation.

Qualifications

• 18+ years of experience in engineering operations, technology strategy, or enterprise program leadership.
• Proven track record of leading large-scale operational transformations in complex environments.
• Deep technical fluency in infrastructure, security, compliance, and agile delivery.

Responsibilities

• Define and drive the strategic roadmap for engineering operations.
• Oversee execution of high-impact programs and ensure delivery excellence.
• Prepare executive briefings and drive alignment on resource allocation.

Skills

Leadership presence

Strategic thinking

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Technical fluency in infrastructure

Agile delivery

Tools

Jira

ServiceNow

Confluence

Job description

About the Role

As the Senior Director of Engineering Operations, you will serve as a key strategic advisor and operational leader to the Head of Engineering. This role is responsible for driving enterprise-wide engineering operational excellence across a diverse portfolio of initiatives—including platform modernization, compliance, infrastructure transformation, and agile delivery enablement. You will lead Engineering Technical Operations with a focus on system resilience, scalability, and continuous improvement, while shaping the operational strategy and governance frameworks that support long‑term technology evolution.

You will also be accountable for cross‑functional alignment, executive‑level decision support, and transformation leadership across Engineering, Product, Infosec, and Architecture. This role demands a high level of technical fluency, organizational influence, and leadership maturity to guide the engineering organization through transformation and growth.

What You’ll Do

Enterprise Strategy & Portfolio Leadership

Define and drive the strategic roadmap for engineering operations in alignment with enterprise technology goals.

Oversee execution of high-impact programs across infrastructure, tooling, and compliance, ensuring delivery excellence and measurable outcomes.

Lead cross‑functional governance forums to manage dependencies, risks, and escalations across Engineering, Product, Infosec, and Architecture.

Influence vendor strategy and external partnerships to support transformation and operational maturity.

Engineering Operations & Technical Excellence

Provide executive oversight of Engineering Technical Operations, including systems architecture, infrastructure health, and service delivery.

Establish and evolve operational KPIs, SLAs, and continuous improvement frameworks across engineering teams.

Champion technical hygiene initiatives including tech debt reduction, PCI compliance, and vulnerability remediation.

Build and scale communities of practice for Scrum Masters and TPMs to elevate agile maturity and delivery velocity.

Organizational Design & Talent Strategy

Partner with HR, Finance, and Engineering leadership on org design, workforce planning, and talent development.

Lead succession planning and strategic hiring across engineering operations as well as driving alignment on performance calibration principles across engineering in partnership with HR and leadership.

Foster a culture of accountability, innovation, and operational excellence.

Executive Engagement & Decision Enablement

Prepare executive briefings, strategic recommendations, and board-level updates.

Drive alignment on resource allocation, budget planning, and investment prioritization.

Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leadership on operational risk, transformation readiness, and organizational health.

Transformation & Change Leadership

Lead change management efforts for SDLC transformation, agile adoption, and tooling modernization.

Develop and execute communication strategies to drive stakeholder engagement and transparency.

Align engineering operations with enterprise transformation goals, ensuring seamless execution and adoption.

Who You Are

18+ years of experience in engineering operations, technology strategy, or enterprise program leadership.

Proven track record of leading large‑scale operational transformations in complex, matrixed environments.

Deep technical fluency in infrastructure, security, compliance, and agile delivery.

Exceptional leadership presence with the ability to influence at all levels of the organization.

Strong analytical, strategic thinking, and communication skills.

Expertise in tools such as Jira, ServiceNow, Confluence, and enterprise portfolio management platforms.