Director of Engineering & Software Development

We are seeking a Director of Engineering & Software Development to lead engineering strategy, oversee software development and build high-performing technical teams. This individual will be responsible for driving engineering excellence, delivering scalable software solutions and aligning technical execution with wider business objectives.

The successful candidate will combine strong technical leadership with proven people management experience, having built, developed and scaled engineering teams. They will be comfortable setting technical direction, improving development processes and working closely with executive leadership, product and other business stakeholders to deliver business-critical technology initiatives.

A proven track record of building and scaling engineering teams is an absolute must-have for this role. We are looking for someone who has actively recruited, developed and structured teams, not simply managed an established engineering function.

Key Responsibilities
Engineering Leadership: Define and execute the engineering strategy, ensuring software development aligns with business priorities, product objectives and long-term technology goals.
Team Building & Development: Build, recruit and scale high-performing software engineering teams, establishing the right structures, capabilities and leadership to support continued growth.
People Management: Lead and mentor engineering managers, technical leads and software developers, fostering accountability, collaboration and continuous professional development.
Software Development: Oversee the full software development lifecycle, from architecture and design through development, testing, deployment and ongoing optimisation.
Technical Strategy: Guide architectural decisions, technology selection, engineering standards and development practices to ensure scalable, secure and maintainable software.
Delivery & Execution: Establish effective development processes, improve delivery predictability and ensure engineering projects are completed to a high standard.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with product, operations, security and executive stakeholders to translate business requirements into technical solutions.
Engineering Culture: Build a culture of technical excellence, ownership, innovation and continuous improvement.
Performance & Quality: Introduce and monitor engineering KPIs, development standards and quality assurance practices to improve productivity, reliability and software performance.
Resource Planning: Manage engineering capacity, recruitment priorities, team structures and budgets in line with business growth.

Required Experience
Significant experience in software engineering, software development or technology leadership, with a track record of increasing responsibility.
Previous experience leading an engineering function, department or multiple software development teams.
Demonstrable experience building and scaling engineering teams, including hiring, developing talent and establishing effective team structures.
Strong understanding of software architecture, modern development methodologies and the software development lifecycle.
Experience managing engineering managers, technical leads and individual contributors.
Proven ability to translate business objectives into engineering strategy and deliver measurable outcomes.
Experience improving development processes, engineering productivity, software quality and delivery standards.
Strong stakeholder management and communication skills, including the ability to engage with senior executives.
Experience managing competing priorities, technical roadmaps and engineering resources.

Desirable Experience
Experience scaling an engineering organisation through a period of business growth or transformation.
Exposure to cloud-native architecture, distributed systems, APIs and modern software development platforms.
Familiarity with Agile delivery, DevOps, CI/CD and automated testing practices.
Experience with technical hiring strategies, succession planning and leadership development.
Experience establishing engineering KPIs and improving delivery performance across multiple teams.

What Success Looks Like
Building and retaining a high-performing engineering organisation.
Establishing a strong engineering leadership structure and clear team responsibilities.
Improving software delivery, engineering quality and development efficiency.
Aligning technical investment with business priorities.
Creating a scalable engineering function capable of supporting future growth.

What's in it for you
- Competitive base salary and performance-based bonus
- Comprehensive health, dental and vision insurance
- 401(k) retirement plan with employer matching
- Generous paid time off and company holidays
- Flexible working arrangements, including hybrid or remote options where applicable
- Professional development and executive leadership opportunities
- Budget for technical training, certifications and industry events
- Opportunity to build, recruit and scale high-performing engineering teams
- Significant influence over engineering strategy, technical direction and organisational design
- Collaborative leadership team with direct involvement in wider business decisions
- Opportunity to drive meaningful technical transformation and long-term business growth