Lead Engineer (Salesforce Marketing Automation)

The Open University; England; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading UK educational institution seeks a Lead Engineer (Salesforce Marketing Automation) to drive technical innovation. You will lead engineering teams, mentor junior staff, and ensure the delivery of high-quality projects on time. The successful candidate will have deep expertise in software architecture, cloud services, and a passion for fostering a continuous improvement culture. This role offers the opportunity to influence and build a significant social impact through technology.

Benefits

Flexible working arrangements

Work-life balance policies

Qualifications

• Strong technical leadership in software and systems development.
• Excellent people management and mentoring skills.
• Proven software engineering expertise.
• Expertise in systems architecture and designing scalable solutions.
• Advanced programming and software development experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage engineering teams to ensure successful project delivery.
• Develop and mentor your team members.
• Architect technical solutions for complex systems.
• Ensure security and compliance across all systems.
• Drive innovation by evaluating new tools and trends.

Skills

Technical leadership

People management

Software engineering

Systems architecture

Cloud services expertise

Data design expertise

Information security awareness

Stakeholder relationship management

Job description

As a Lead Engineer (Salesforce Marketing Automation) at The Open University, you will spearhead technical innovation and excellence within our engineering teams. You’ll take ownership of complex projects, guiding them from concept to completion while ensuring they align with university objectives and technical standards. In this strategic role within the newly formed marketing automation capability, you will help shape the technical roadmap, make key architectural decisions, and integrate existing and emerging technologies into our chosen marketing automation platform (Salesforce Marketing Cloud) and associated communications systems to ensure robust, secure, and efficient delivery of strategic outcomes. You’ll mentor and inspire your team, advancing a DevOps culture by promoting automation, integrating practical AI, and fostering a continuous improvement mindset to enhance workflow efficiency, accelerate feedback loops, and support ongoing learning. This role offers a unique opportunity to showcase your leadership and engineering expertise in using technology to solve complex challenges with a significant social impact.

About Digital Services Digital Services is at the heart of delivering life‑changing learning experiences that enrich society. We combine trusted design, data expertise, and cutting‑edge technology to support lifelong learning.

Objectives

• Enhance the student and staff experience through simple, evidence‑based solutions.
• Deliver value iteratively, securely, and at speed.
• Foster a vibrant, supportive workplace that embraces continuous learning and growth, empowering everyone to succeed.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage engineering teams: Take charge of performance management, team motivation, and setting clear objectives to ensure successful delivery of high‑quality projects.
• Develop and mentor your team: Support the professional development of team members, mentoring junior engineers and helping them grow their skills.
• Contribute to the wider engineering community: Lead process improvements (aligned to Agile & DevOps), lead technology management, promote best practices, and inspire future technology standards.
• Resource and supplier management: Allocate project resources and manage relationships with external suppliers for smooth project execution.
• Architect technical solutions: Lead the design and development of complex systems, conducting in‑depth analysis of potential solutions considering cost, performance, scalability, and maintainability.
• Oversee the full development lifecycle: Ensure seamless systems integration, configuration management, and rigorous testing practices throughout the entire software lifecycle.
• Data and database design: Oversee data modelling and design processes with Data Architects to ensure optimal performance and scalability.
• Ensure security and compliance: Lead robust security implementation and ensure compliance with information assurance standards across all systems.
• Drive innovation: Stay ahead of emerging technologies and evaluate new tools and trends that can improve our technology stack.
• Manage analysis and feasibility assessments: Collaborate with stakeholders to analyse needs, define requirements, and assess feasibility of technical solutions.
• Ensure service and application support: Oversee service level management and support applications and infrastructure, including out‑of‑hours as required.
• Capacity and problem management: Lead capacity management efforts and problem resolution to ensure scalability and efficiency.
• Collaborate with the Product Lead and Design Lead: Work closely with Product and Design leads to balance the product roadmap and technical priorities, ensuring clear communication of the technology agenda.

Benefits

At The Open University, we offer a range of benefits to recognise and reward great work, alongside policies and flexible working that contribute to a great work‑life balance.

Flexible Working

We are open to discussions about flexible working, including job share, part time, compressed hours, or other arrangements. It is anticipated that a hybrid working pattern can be adopted, with some attendance at the Milton Keynes office on a monthly basis.

Next Steps

We anticipate a two‑stage interview process, with the first stage taking place online via Microsoft Teams during the week commencing 24 November 2025.

Qualifications

• Strong technical leadership in software and systems development, with a proven track record of delivering high‑quality solutions on time.
• Excellent people management and mentoring skills , with the ability to inspire and grow engineering teams.
• Proven Software Engineering Expertise : Extensive experience in software development, reviewing others’ work, and deep understanding of programming, system design, and testing.
• Expertise in systems architecture and designing scalable, reliable software solutions with deep expertise in cloud services, microservices, and distributed systems.
• Advanced programming and software development experience with proficiency in modern development practices and tools.
• In‑depth knowledge of testing and configuration management , especially TDD and automated testing processes.
• Data and database design expertise , ensuring efficient data structures and performance.
• Information security and compliance awareness , with the ability to implement and monitor security protocols.
• Experience in non‑functional testing to ensure systems meet performance, security, and scalability requirements.
• Stakeholder relationship management , with strong communication skills to convey technical concepts to non‑technical stakeholders.

Behaviours

• Leadership and Ownership : Take full ownership and lead by example.
• Collaboration : Foster a collaborative environment and share knowledge across functions.
• Problem‑Solving : Diagnose complex problems and offer innovative solutions.
• Adaptability : Thrive in a rapidly changing environment.
• Strategic Thinking : Continuously improve processes, systems, and technology.