Innovation Engineering Leader — Remote

Pearson; United Kingdom; Hybrid; GBP 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Pearson seeks a Head of Software Engineering to lead a multidisciplinary Innovation Engineering capability. You will translate emerging technologies into scalable, enterprise-ready products and platforms, set strategic direction, and align prioritisation with business objectives, product strategy, and enterprise architecture.

You will drive technical excellence, accelerate experimentation-to-production cycles, and build capability across engineering, data science, and AI, delivering measurable

Qualifications

• Significant experience leading software engineering and innovation teams in complex enterprise environments.
• Proven track record delivering large-scale, cross-functional technical programmes.
• Deep expertise in software architecture, cloud-native systems, and emerging technologies (AI/ML platforms).
• Experience influencing and operating at senior leadership / executive level.
• Demonstrated ability to build and scale multidisciplinary technical teams globally.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute the innovation engineering strategy, aligning with ELS business priorities, product roadmaps, and enterprise technology standards.
• Lead delivery of complex, cross-functional innovation programmes from concept through scaled deployment.
• Build, lead, and develop a high-performing, cross-functional team (engineering, data science, AI, and specialists).
• Establish and uphold engineering best practices, including architecture, DevOps, CI/CD, and platform reliability.
• Partner with Product, Platform, and Business leadership to prioritise and deliver high-impact outcomes.

Skills

Collaboration

People Leadership

Software Architecture

Cloud Native

API & Platform

AI/ML Platforms

Innovation & Strategy

Problem Solving

Data Security

Governance & Regulation

Job description

Pearson seeks a Head of Software Engineering to lead a multidisciplinary Innovation Engineering capability. You will translate emerging technologies into scalable, enterprise-ready products and platforms, set strategic direction, and align prioritisation with business objectives, product strategy, and enterprise architecture.

You will drive technical excellence, accelerate experimentation-to-production cycles, and build capability across engineering, data science, and AI, delivering measurable