Lead Engineer - Shape Strategy, Drive Change - £140k - £160k

ZipRecruiter; London; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in London is seeking a Lead Engineer to drive strategic architecture and tech transformation. This role focuses on simplifying systems, scaling cloud adoption, and working on innovative AI initiatives. Ideal candidates will have robust experience in cloud practices and leadership within complex environments.

Qualifications

• Experience driving tech strategy at scale across platform and application layers.
• Strong hands-on grounding in cloud and software development.
• Background in financial services is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Leading strategic architecture decisions for a large, distributed environment.
• Influencing engineering, architecture, and delivery functions.
• Partnering with senior leaders to shape tech roadmaps.

Skills

Cloud

Microservices

CI/CD

Software Development Practices

Leadership

Job description

Job Description

Lead Engineer - Shape Strategy, Drive Change
London | Hybrid | Leadership without line management

Are you an engineering leader who still enjoys being close to the tech? We're looking for someone who combines big-picture thinking with hands-on expertise as well as being comfortable shaping architecture across a complex estate while collaborating closely with delivery teams.

You'll work at the heart of a major transformation programme: simplifying systems, scaling cloud adoption (GCP), and building the foundations for the future which includes early-stage work in AI.

You'll guide platform and application teams on engineering best practices, and help create smarter, more sustainable technology.

What you'll be doing:

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  Leading strategic architecture decisions for a large, distributed environment

  
  




• 
  

  Influencing across engineering, architecture, and delivery functions

  
  




• 
  

  Working on cloud-first platforms, distributed systems, and big data challenges

  
  




• 
  

  Partnering with senior leaders to shape and evolve tech roadmaps

  
  




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  Helping drive change without the need for direct people management-though mentoring a small senior team is possible

  
  

What you'll bring:

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  Experience driving tech strategy at scale, ideally across both platform and application layers

  
  




• 
  

  Strong hands-on grounding in cloud, microservices, CI/CD, and modern software development practices

  
  




• 
  

  A collaborative, practical mindset that balances innovation with delivery

  
  




• 
  

  Background in financial services is a plus, but not essential. Experience from tech-first companies is equally valued

  
  

If you're someone who enjoys solving meaningful problems and shaping future-ready platforms, this role offers space to lead, influence, and grow.