Henderson Scott
Director of Software Engineering
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Director of Software Engineering
London – hybrid, three days per week
£150,000 base + 10% bonus, flexible holidays and private healthcare
We are supporting a fast-growing international organisation with the appointment of a highly technical Director of Software Engineering.
This is an opportunity to take ownership of an established software function and shape its next stage of development. You will assess the current team, architecture, and ways of working before recommending how the function should evolve and scale.
This is not a role for someone who wants to operate at arm’s length from the technology. It is a predominantly technical leadership position—approximately 75% technical and 25% people, stakeholder, and commercial leadership.
The opportunity
During your first six months, you will review the existing software function and recommend how its structure, processes, and technical capabilities should develop.
A major priority will be establishing a clearer and better-documented software development lifecycle, improving engineering standards, and identifying how AI-assisted development can accelerate delivery without compromising quality, security, or control.
You will work across consumer-facing applications, content platforms, cloud architecture, core software, and data-driven products.
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Key responsibilities
- Lead, mentor, and develop a multidisciplinary software engineering team
- Assess the current function and recommend how the team and operating model should evolve
- Define technical direction across customer-facing applications, core software, and cloud architecture
- Establish a consistent software development lifecycle covering architecture, documentation, testing, code reviews, CI/CD, and releases
- Improve engineering quality, delivery speed, scalability, and production reliability
- Introduce practical and controlled use of AI across software-development workflows
- Remain close to architecture, technical decisions, and high-level code reviews
- Work closely with product, design, data, and senior business stakeholders
- Manage specialist consultancies, technology partners, and software vendors
- Balance technical investment and debt against commercial priorities and speed to market
About you
You will have started your career in software development and progressed into engineering leadership while retaining strong technical credibility.
We are looking for:
- Significant software-engineering experience with leadership of multidisciplinary development teams
- Strong knowledge of modern cloud architecture and production software
- Experience with customer-facing websites, applications, or digital products
- The ability to assess architecture, challenge technical decisions, and support engineers with complex problems
- Experience improving software-development processes, engineering standards, and delivery practices
- Knowledge of modern front-end architecture; the current environment predominantly uses React alongside.NET
- A practical understanding of AI-assisted software development
- Strong communication and stakeholder-management skills
- Commercial awareness and the ability to balance quality, cost, and delivery speed
- The personality and adaptability to thrive in a fast-paced, evolving environment
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Experience with CMS or headless-content platforms, high-volume data, real-time systems, or data visualisation would be beneficial but is not essential. We are open on industry background and are primarily interested in the quality and relevance of your engineering leadership.
The role is based in Central London, close to Gloucester Road and Earl’s Court Underground stations, with an expectation of three days per week in the office.
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