Head of Software Engineering

Richmond Pharmacology; London; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Richmond Pharmacology seeks a Head of Software Engineering to lead software development that aligns with strategic objectives at their London Bridge location. The role involves managing software engineering projects, shaping the company's digitisation roadmap, and fostering a high-performance team culture while adhering to regulatory standards. With significant responsibilities in strategic planning and team leadership, this is an exciting opportunity for experienced candidates to advance in a dynamic clinical research organization.

Benefits

Private Medical

Private Dental

Pension

25 days Annual leave plus bank holidays

Many more benefits

Qualifications

• Experience in leading software engineering teams in a regulated environment.
• Proven project management and change leadership skills.
• Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines and cloud platforms.

Responsibilities

• Lead complex software and infrastructure change programmes from scoping to delivery.
• Develop and lead the end-to-end software engineering strategy aligned to Richmond’s long-term objectives.
• Inspire and coach a high-performing software engineering team.

Skills

Strategic Thinking

Accountability

Collaboration

Continuous Improvement

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Systems or a related field

Tools

Agile delivery frameworks and tools (Scrum, Kanban, SAFe; Jira, Confluence, Azure DevOps)

Change management methodologies (e.g., Prosci, ADKAR)

Job description

Join to apply for the Head of Software Engineering role at Richmond Pharmacology

Join to apply for the Head of Software Engineering role at Richmond Pharmacology

Job Title: Head of Software Engineering

Location: London Bridge, London (4 Days on-site)

Term: Permanent, Full-time

Salary: Competitive + Benefits (Private Medical, Private Dental, Pension, 25 days Annual leave plus bank holidays & Many more)

Richmond Pharmacology are an early phase Clinical Research Organisation (CRO), where we are conducting pioneering early phase healthy participants and patient participant trials. Our experienced and world-renowned team, our central London location and our global reach contribute to making Richmond Pharmacology an exciting and dynamic place to work.

Purpose Of The Job

The Head of Software Engineering leads the design, development, and delivery of high-quality software solutions that align with the organisation’s strategic goals. This role ensures the effective planning, execution, and governance of software engineering projects, while fostering a culture of innovation, quality, and continuous improvement.

The role is instrumental in shaping our digitisation roadmap, managing a transformation programme, and building a high-performing team — all within a regulated, innovation-led environment.

The job will work closely with senior stakeholders, requiring a balance of technical depth, people leadership, and business acumen to ensure that software initiatives are delivered on time, within budget, and to the highest standards—while managing the human and cultural aspects of ongoing change.

Main Duties And Responsibilities

Project Management & Change Leadership

• Lead complex software and infrastructure change programmes from scoping to delivery.
• Implement structured change management processes to support adoption, communication, and business readiness.
• Evaluate, prioritise, and sequence projects based on business-critical needs assessments.
• Use structured project delivery methodologies (e.g., Agile, Hybrid) to manage time, scope, and risk.
• Create and maintain delivery visuals (project funnel, roadmaps, Gantt charts, dashboards) to support visibility and governance.
• Track progress, risks, dependencies, and outcomes using modern tools (e.g., Jira, Azure DevOps, or similar).
• End-to-end Software Delivery Expertise.
  
  

Agile & Scrum Mastery

• Facilitate Agile ceremonies (sprint planning, retrospectives, stand-ups) and act as a mentor to Scrum teams.
• Foster a culture of iterative delivery, feedback loops, and continuous improvement.
• Embed Agile at scale across functions, ensuring technical and non-technical teams stay aligned.
  
  

Team Leadership & Culture

• Lead, inspire, and coach a high-performing software engineering team.
• Build a culture of accountability, excellence, and innovation.
• Invest in talent development, career progression, and capability-building.
  
  

Stakeholder Engagement & Business Partnership

• Be the bridge between technology and business — translating strategic needs into deliverable outcomes.
• Collaborate with subject matter experts, product owners, and clinical leaders to drive solution design.
• Communicate complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders with clarity and confidence.
  
  

Technology Strategy & Architecture

• Develop and lead the end-to-end software engineering strategy aligned to Richmond’s long-term objectives.
• Own and evolve the technical architecture across systems, platforms, and integrations.
• Define and prioritise the Digitisation Transformation Roadmap with clear, measurable outcomes.
  
  

Engineering, Infrastructure & DevOps

• Build and scale modern, secure, and scalable infrastructure and development environments.
• Drive adoption of CI/CD pipelines, automation, and observability to ensure reliability and resilience.
• Champion best practices in infrastructure-as-code, cloud platforms, and security-by-design.
  
  

Skills And Experience

• Strategic Thinking: Sees the big picture and aligns technology decisions with long-term business goals.
• Accountability: Takes full ownership for outcomes, follows through, and drives projects to completion.
• Collaboration: Works cross-functionally with humility and openness, building trusted relationships.
• Continuous Improvement: Constantly seeks better ways of working, delivering, and evolving systems.
• Communication: Presents technical information in a clear, executive-friendly way to support reporting and strategic decision-making
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Systems or a related field
• Change management methodologies (e.g., Prosci, ADKAR, or equivalent frameworks)
• Certified Scrum Master (CSM), SAFe Agilist, or equivalent Agile certification
• Agile delivery frameworks and tools (Scrum, Kanban, SAFe; Jira, Confluence, Azure DevOps)
• Security, privacy, and compliance in regulated environments (e.g., GxP, GDPR, ISO 27001)
  
  

Application

If you are interested in the role, please register your details, including a copy of your CV. Please note, while we try to respond to every candidate, the high volume of applications anticipated may make this impossible and we ask for your patience and understanding.

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Executive

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Engineering and Information Technology

• Industries

  Research Services

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