Head of engineering

Head of Engineering

Bristol (Hybrid)

From £90k

Certified B Corp

We’re at a particularly exciting point in our journey. We’re a strong, established business now placing increased focus on building out a product suite that helps organisations make critical decisions about their packaging - improving sustainability while reducing costs.

At the centre of this is a platform that brings together fragmented packaging data, applies complex regulatory logic, and enables customers to model packaging decisions across multiple markets.

Technology is a critical, funded investment area for the business, with backing already in place and a clear mandate from leadership. What we’re looking for now is the engineering leadership to define how this is built, scaled, and delivered.

About Ecosurety

Ecosurety is an industry-leading packaging data company on a mission to rid the world of unnecessary packaging, and we’re scaling fast. More than 500 brands and retailers, including some of the UK’s biggest household names, rely on us to navigate complex packaging decisions.

We're evolving from a compliance-focused organisation into a data-first product company, building the digital infrastructure that will shape the future of packaging at scale. At the centre of this is a next-generation platform, powering intelligent tools that help businesses make smarter, faster, and more profitable decisions.

We're a commercially strong, mission-driven, certified B Corp, using technology to solve complex problems with a direct impact on sustainability.

The Role

This is a foundational engineering leadership role, focused on building the platform, systems, and team from the ground up.

You’ll define and own how a product is built that:

• Ingests and structures packaging data from multiple sources, including suppliers, ERP systems and forecasts
• Applies complex, evolving regulatory logic across multiple geographies, translating legislation into scalable, testable systems
• Powers workflows for compliance, reporting and submissions
• Enables customers to model packaging decisions, balancing cost, carbon and risk
• Integrates into customer systems, including ERP platforms, to automate reporting and decision‑making workflows

You’ll be responsible for:

• Defining the application architecture across frontend, backend, APIs and integrations
• Shaping how engineering and product work together to deliver a product‑led platform
• Building and scaling the engineering function from the ground up

You’ll take ownership of how the platform is built end‑to‑end, ensuring it’s scalable, maintainable and capable of handling complex data, rules and modelling requirements.

You’ll also play a key role in moving us from a project‑led approach to a product‑led engineering model.

What You’ll Be Doing

Day to day, this is a blend of leadership, decision‑making and delivery.

You’ll be:

• Translating product vision into scalable, well‑architected systems
• Designing how core components – data ingestion, calculation engines, workflows and integrations – fit together
• Leading delivery across a mix of internal engineers and external partners
• Making pragmatic technical decisions in an environment where not everything is fully defined yet
• Introducing the right level of engineering standards, ways of working and delivery discipline
• Working closely with Data and Product to ensure the platform delivers meaningful, real‑world outcomes

You’ll stay close to the detail, but your impact comes from making the right technical and product decisions at the right time.

What Success Looks Like

In 12 months’ time, you will have:

• Defined and embedded a clear, scalable application architecture
• Built an engineering function that can reliably deliver product outcomes
• Established how Engineering, Product and Data work together as a cohesive unit
• Delivered core platform capabilities that customers actively use to manage packaging decisions

In short: you’ll have turned a set of evolving capabilities into a structured, scalable product and engineering function.

Why This Role Is Different

This is a rare opportunity to join Ecosurety at the exact point we are building a new product and technology capability.

You’ll define how engineering works, from architecture and systems through to delivery and team structure, as we transition to a product‑led organisation. It’s a genuinely greenfield opportunity, backed by an established, commercially successful business with a clear mandate to invest.

Growth & Progression

This is one of the first senior technology hires in this new phase of the business.

Which means:

• You’ll define how engineering works, from architecture through to delivery
• You’ll shape the structure, standards and culture of the engineering function
• You’ll play a key role in building a product‑led organisation

As we scale, the scope and impact of the role will grow with it.

What We’re Looking For

You’ve likely:

• Built and scaled B2B SaaS or platform products
• Led engineering teams in evolving, ambiguous or scaling environments
• Delivered systems that handle complex data, business rules or integrations
• Worked closely with Product to turn ideas into real, usable software
• Balanced speed, quality and scalability in imperfect conditions

Alongside this, you:

• Are comfortable defining architecture while staying close to delivery
• Can operate across strategy, hands‑on problem solving and leadership
• Have experience building teams and capabilities from scratch
• Are comfortable working with both internal teams and external partners

Most importantly, you’re someone who can bring clarity where things aren’t fully defined yet.

What’s On Offer

• From £90,000 salary
• Hybrid working, Bristol, 50% office
• High ownership and autonomy
• Backed investment in technology as a core business priority
• Opportunity to build a platform and engineering function from the ground up
• Long‑term progression as we scale

If you’re looking for the chance to build a product, shape how engineering works, and create something meaningful with real backing from the business, this is a genuinely exciting opportunity.