Our client is a financial services institution seeking a Head of Software Development to join their Technology function in a senior leadership capacity. This is a high-impact role with a clear pathway to Deputy CTO
The Role
This is a strategic leadership position responsible for driving the software engineering function, owning the end-to-end development lifecycle, and shaping the organisation’s technology direction. The role combines hands-on technical expertise with senior stakeholder engagement and leadership of distributed engineering teams There is a defined progression path into a Deputy CTO position, making this an excellent opportunity for an ambitious leader looking to step into executive-level responsibility.
Key Responsibilities
* Define and execute the software development strategy aligned to business objectives
* Partner with senior leadership to shape the technology roadmap
* Own end-to-end software delivery across platforms and products
* Lead architectural decisions and ensure the scalability of systems
* Drive best practice across Agile, DevOps and engineering standards
* Manage and develop offshore and distributed engineering teams
* Build a high-performance, collaborative engineering culture
* Oversee vendor relationships and offshore resource planning
* Contribute to governance, risk and compliance initiatives
Skills and Experience
* Extensive experience in software development with strong Java expertise
* Proven leadership experience managing engineering teams
* Experience overseeing the full software delivery lifecycle
* Background within financial services, ideally capital markets
* Strong understanding of cloud, microservices and modern architectures
* Experience working with offshore or distributed teams
* Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills
* Ability to operate both strategically and hands-on
* (Desirable) Experience in a high-growth or scaling environment
* Exposure to AI or emerging technologies
* Knowledge of regulatory and security frameworks such as SOC2 or ISO
* Background in fintech, SaaS or enterprise platforms
Package
Competitive base salary and performance-related bonus
Equity participation aligned with seniority, Clear progression to Deputy CTO
Hybrid working model, comprehensive benefits package including healthcare and pension