Salary: £65,000 - 85,000 per year Requirements: Proven experience leading engineering teams in a product-led or digital business Track record of transforming underperforming or immature engineering functions Experience improving delivery, structure, and engineering standards at scale Strong understanding of modern engineering environments, including cloud-based architectures such as AWS Background in backend-heavy systems and scalable platforms is highly beneficial Strong focus on execution and outcomes, not just process Comfortable introducing structure and discipline where it is lacking Data-driven approach to managing performance and improvement Able to balance speed, quality, and pragmatism in a growing business Comfortable operating in ambiguity and change, typical of a scaling business Resilient and pragmatic, with the ability to navigate shifting priorities and stakeholder demands Builds credibility quickly and can reset expectations where needed Strong sense of ownership and accountability Experienced in hiring, developing, and, where necessary, restructuring teams Confident managing performance and raising standards Able to build trust and improve culture in environments with low morale or misalignment Strong communicator who can bridge technical and non-technical stakeholders Able to challenge constructively and influence at senior level Comfortable working with founders or leadership teams where direction may evolve frequently Responsibilities: Lead the transformation, performance, and evolution of the engineering function Define and implement the target engineering operating model, including team structure, ownership, and ways of working Lead the transition from legacy delivery challenges to consistent, predictable, high-quality output Establish and embed engineering standards, governance, and best practices Play a central role in rebuilding trust between engineering, product, and leadership Drive significant improvements in delivery discipline, planning, and execution Ensure teams focus on prioritised outcomes rather than fragmented workloads Improve release predictability, scope control, and throughput Introduce and mature delivery processes that enable scalable, repeatable execution Provide oversight of a platform undergoing architectural evolution and technical uplift, including backend and database improvements, AWS migration, and infrastructure scaling Strengthen core capabilities in backend engineering, DevOps, monitoring, observability, incident management, and operational excellence Ensure the platform is fit for scale and future growth, not just short-term delivery Introduce and leverage engineering metrics such as delivery, quality, and DORA indicators to drive improvement Build visibility into engineering performance and use data to inform decisions Establish a culture of continuous improvement and measurable outcomes Lead, develop, and performance manage engineering leaders and teams Build a culture of accountability and ownership, pragmatism and delivery focus, and high standards and continuous improvement Address capability gaps through hiring, coaching, and where necessary, change of personnel Improve morale, engagement, and trust within the team Act as a key interface between engineering, product, and executive leadership Operate effectively in a business where priorities may shift and direction can change Translate technical challenges into clear business context and trade-offs Technologies: AWS Backend Cloud DevOps Support Mobile More: We are an established, product-led technology business headquartered in Gateshead, operating within the digital consumer space. Our core mobile platform is already live in the market and experiencing strong growth, and we are undergoing a major transformation across product and engineering as we move away from legacy, outsourced foundations toward a modern, scalable architecture, including an ongoing AWS migration. This is a high-impact, transformation environment rather than a steady-state role, and the successful candidate will join at a pivotal moment to help rebuild engineering foundations, strengthen culture and accountability, and shape the future of our engineering organisation. The role is Gateshead-based, and we expect meaningful office presence to support alignment, culture, and stakeholder engagement. last updated 24 week of 2026