Chroma Recruitment
Head of Software Engineering
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About the Role
We’re working with a large, established high street retailer looking to appoint a Head of Digital (Software Engineering) to lead its digital engineering function and play a key role in shaping the organisation’s wider technology strategy.
This is a highly visible leadership position, working closely with the C-suite and senior leadership team while leading an engineering function of just under 20 people across varying levels of experience.
We’re looking for someone who can balance people, technology and strategy.
You’ll need enough technical depth to challenge decisions, understand what good engineering looks like and help set the direction of the digital estate. Just as importantly, you’ll be someone who genuinely enjoys developing people, building strong teams and creating an environment where people feel comfortable approaching you.
What you'll be doing
- Leading, mentoring and developing an engineering team of just under 20, encompassing different levels of experience and seniority.
- Setting the technical and strategic direction for digital engineering, ensuring technology decisions support the wider commercial ambitions of the business.
- Working closely with the C-suite, translating between technical teams and senior business stakeholders.
- Taking ownership of engineering standards, delivery and the continued development of the digital technology estate.
- Creating a culture centred around collaboration, accountability and continuous improvement.
- Maintaining a visible, accessible leadership style with a genuine open-door approach to the engineering team.
- Supporting senior and experienced engineers while identifying opportunities to develop and progress less experienced members of the team.
- Balancing longer-term technology strategy with the realities of delivering within a fast-moving retail environment.
- Helping the organisation make sensible decisions around technical investment, priorities, capability and future roadmap.
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What we're looking for
You’ll already have experience leading a sizeable software or digital engineering function, ideally within retail, eCommerce or another high-volume consumer-facing environment.
We're particularly interested in someone who combines:
- Strong people leadership and a genuine interest in coaching and developing technical teams.
- A solid software engineering / digital technology background, with enough technical knowledge to earn the respect of experienced engineers and confidently contribute to technical discussions.
- Experience managing teams containing a mix of junior, mid-level, senior and lead-level engineers.
- The ability to operate strategically while remaining close enough to the technology and team to understand what's actually happening.
- Experience working with C-suite or executive-level stakeholders and influencing technology decisions at senior level.
- Strong commercial awareness and an understanding that technology decisions ultimately need to support customers and business performance.
- A collaborative, approachable leadership style rather than a traditional top-down approach.
- The ability to communicate complex technical subjects clearly to non-technical audiences.
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The opportunity
This isn't about someone coming in and simply managing a development function.
The business wants a Head of Digital who can shape direction, influence at board level and build a genuinely strong engineering culture, while remaining accessible to the people they're responsible for.
You'll have the autonomy to influence how the function develops and the opportunity to work alongside senior leadership within a major high street retail environment, where digital and technology are central to the future of the business.
If you're an experienced technology leader who still enjoys being close to engineering, but gets just as much satisfaction from developing people and building great teams, we'd be keen to speak with you.
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