Head of Software Engineering

Pearson; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Pearson is seeking a Head of Software Engineering to lead technology strategy, delivery and operations across Qualifications and government services, with globally distributed teams and a focus on resilience and compliance.

You will translate business objectives into a technology roadmap, ensure secure and reliable live services, and drive modernization within Pearson Qualifications Platform Transformation while maintaining service continuity.

Qualifications

• Leadership experience at senior level in software engineering, DevOps and service teams.
• Experience delivering in regulated or contractually controlled environments.
• Strong executive communication and stakeholder management.

Responsibilities

• Own technology strategy, roadmaps and delivery outcomes across qualifications and government service portfolios.
• Lead globally distributed software engineering, DevOps, quality engineering and operations teams.
• Ensure live services are secure, accurate, reliable and on time.
• Drive resilience, performance, incidents, business continuity and disaster recovery.

Job description

Job Title - Head of Software Engineering

(Hybrid - 2/3 Days per week in London)

Description

Lead the technology, engineering and operational resilience of Pearson's critical qualifications, assessment and government services. This role may also be known in the market as Qualifications Technology Director, Assessment Technology Director, Director of Qualifications Platforms, Director of Assessment Platforms, Head of Qualifications Technology or Head of Assessment Technology.

About Pearson

At Pearson, our purpose is simple: to add life to a lifetime of learning.

Pearson Qualifications provides qualifications and assessment services used by schools, colleges, educators and learners across the UK. Our technology supports every stage of the qualifications lifecycle, from entries and assessment delivery through to marking, awarding, results and certification.

About the Role

Pearson is seeking an experienced Head of Software Engineering to lead technology strategy, delivery and operations across our General Qualifications, Vocational Qualifications and government contract portfolios.

This is a senior technology leadership role with accountability for globally distributed software engineering, DevOps, quality engineering, application operations and technology service teams. You will provide leadership through direct teams, matrix structures and strategic partners, ensuring alignment between technology investment, business priorities, customer needs and regulatory requirements.

You will translate business, product and contractual objectives into a clear technology roadmap while maintaining responsibility for the secure, accurate and reliable operation of Pearson's live qualifications services.

Our services support critical activities including:

• Entries and registrations
• Scanning and marking
• Awarding and grading
• Certification
• Post-results services

The role requires strong expertise in operational resilience, production readiness, incident management, service performance, business continuity and disaster recovery.

Alongside responsibility for live services, you will play a key role in Pearson's Qualifications Platform Transformation programme, helping modernise legacy and cloud-based platforms, reduce technical debt and introduce new digital capabilities while protecting service continuity, data integrity and regulatory compliance.

You will also provide technology leadership for a major government contract, ensuring delivery against contractual commitments, service levels, controls, reporting and risk requirements. Acting as a senior technology representative with clients and regulators, you will provide clear assurance on readiness, performance and risk management.

Key Responsibilities

• Own technology strategy, roadmaps and delivery outcomes across qualifications and government service portfolios.
• Align investment, resources and execution with business priorities, product roadmaps and contractual commitments.
• Lead globally distributed software engineering, DevOps, quality engineering, application operations and technology service teams.
• Ensure critical qualifications services are delivered securely, accurately, reliably and on time.
• Drive operational excellence across service performance, resilience, change management, major incidents, business continuity and disaster recovery.
• Lead technology delivery for regulated and contractually controlled services, ensuring compliance with service levels, controls and governance requirements.
• Support modernisation of legacy and cloud-based platforms while maintaining live service continuity and data integrity.
• Champion modern engineering practices including Agile, DevSecOps, automation, observability, secure-by-design architecture and API-led integration.
• Govern software quality, architecture standards, engineering practices and technology lifecycle management.
• Build leadership capability through coaching, succession planning and talent development.
• Manage strategic supplier relationships, driving accountability, performance and value for money.
• Partner with Product, Programme Delivery, Operations, Security, Architecture, Finance, Regulatory and Transformation teams.
• Own significant capital and operating budgets, investment planning and forecasting.
• Provide executive-level reporting on delivery, service health, risks, supplier performance and budget management.

About You

You are an established technology leader with experience setting strategy, leading organisational change and operating complex business-critical services.

You understand how to balance technology transformation with operational stability, bringing together strong engineering leadership, risk management, stakeholder engagement and commercial awareness.

You will have experience simplifying complex technology environments, creating clear priorities and building confidence with executives, customers, regulators, suppliers and delivery teams.

Experience in qualifications, assessment or education technology would be advantageous but is not essential.

We welcome candidates from organisations operating within regulated, large-scale or mission-critical environments including education, government, financial services, healthcare, utilities, telecommunications, transport, enterprise software and digital platforms.

• Leadership of large-scale software engineering, DevOps and technology service organisations at senior leadership level.
• Experience leading managers and leaders across global, matrix or partner-led structures.
• Accountability for complex digital products, platforms or services operating at scale.
• Strong operational leadership across resilience, performance, major incidents, problem management, continuity and disaster recovery.
• Experience delivering within regulated or contractually controlled environments.
• Track record of improving service reliability, performance and security.
• Experience modernising complex legacy estates while maintaining operational continuity.
• Strong understanding of modern software engineering, cloud technologies, DevSecOps, APIs, application security, observability and quality engineering.
• Experience managing suppliers, commercial relationships and outsourced delivery partners.
• Budget ownership, investment planning and business case development.
• Outstanding executive communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Government services or public-sector technology delivery.
• Services with immovable deadlines and critical operational events.
• AI, automation and agentic software development within enterprise environments.

What Success Looks Like

Success in this role will be demonstrated through:

• Reliable delivery of critical qualifications and government technology services.
• Strong operational readiness during examination, marking, awarding and results periods.
• Improved platform reliability, resilience, performance and security.
• Successful delivery of transformation and modernisation objectives.
• Clear alignment between engineering investment and business priorities.
• Effective management of risk, technical debt and supplier performance.
• Strong engineering leadership, succession planning and organisational capability.
• Trusted relationships with executives, clients, regulators and delivery partners.

Why Join Pearson?

This is an opportunity to lead one of the most significant technology portfolios within Pearson Qualifications.

You will shape technology strategy across critical assessment services, strengthen engineering capability, lead major transformation initiatives and influence outcomes at executive, client and regulatory level.

If you are motivated by leading technology where reliability, security, trust and customer outcomes truly matter, we would love to hear from you.