Date: 9 Oct 2025
Location: Oxford, GB OX4 4DQ
Company: Nominet
Contract Type: Permanent
Location: Hybrid, minimum 20% in Oxford office per month
About Us
We’re Nominet – a world‑leading domain name registry operating at the heart of the UK internet. While best known for running .UK domains, our DNS expertise underpins critical internet infrastructure that government services, including the NHS, rely on. As a public benefit company, our work positively impacts society. We’ve donated millions to projects that use technology to improve people’s lives and have committed to delivering £60m worth of support over the next three years.
The Role
As Head of Software Engineering (Registry) at Nominet, you will lead a core technology engineering team to deliver industry‑leading Registry Systems for the internet. This critical role carries responsibility for engineering Nominet’s main line of business. You will manage a highly skilled team of experts in Registry Systems and full‑stack application development in Java.
* Transforming the Registry Engineering function and software development lifecycle and capabilities
* Measurable continuous improvement in Nominet’s platform and product reliability
* Realisation of economies of scale through automation and repeatable practices
* Support and increase awareness of Nominet as a thought leader and demonstrable engineering excellence within key stakeholders and networking groups
* Align the Registry Engineering team and key stakeholders toward a common goal that drives results and facilitates transformation and change
What You’ll Be Doing
* Ensuring all Registry services are robust, scalable, and aligned with best practices in the industry.
* Strategic Direction – Work closely with the CTO, Enterprise Architecture, and wider Technology Leadership Team to define the strategy for our Registry services.
* Software Design – Ensure that the design of our software meets current and future business needs, using loosely coupled micro‑ or milli‑services separated by APIs and aligned to domain‑driven design principles.
* Software Engineering – Optimise the software development lifecycle in all stages for full automation, transitioning to a continuous delivery model underpinned by world‑class DORA metrics for lead time, release frequency, mean time to recover and change failure rate.
* Project Delivery – Deliver Registry project work on time, within budget and to the highest standards of quality. Manage risks and ensure that all solutions are rigorously tested to our high standards of quality.
* Operational Excellence – Ensure that all Registry services meet or exceed SLAs for uptime and performance. Lead the team in proactive monitoring, maintenance, and optimisation of Registry services to ensure their ongoing reliability and efficiency.
* Stakeholder Collaboration – Work closely with other teams within the organisation, including Platforms, DNS, Site Reliability Engineering and Security to ensure Registry applications are fully integrated with our broader infrastructure and aligned with organisational goals.
About You
* Take an evidence‑based approach to technology delivery with a relentless focus on simplicity and working software.
* Take a data‑driven approach to inform your decision making and form a feedback loop to drive incremental improvements.
* You will be a natural problem solver with the mindset for excellence across the entire software development lifecycle – architecture, engineering and into operations.
Must Haves
* Demonstrable Engineering experience, 3+ years in senior leadership roles, ideally within a telecommunications or service‑provider environment.
* Proven track record in developing and commercialising technology solutions or products.
* Strong experience in data and analytics, with the ability to translate insights into strategic decisions.
* Demonstrated ability to operate in and support highly secure and regulated environments.
* Programming experience with more than one programming language, typically C, C++, C#, Scala, Java, Python.
* Experience of full‑stack application development and cloud platforms (AWS preferred, but not essential).
* Knowledge and practical experience of product development life cycle and Agile development methodology.
Leadership Competencies
* Being Human – Able to demonstrate empathy, authenticity and ethical behaviour, fostering a culture of trust, respect and inclusivity.
* Enabler – Facilitates the growth and success of others by providing resources, support and opportunities, creating an environment where individuals can thrive and achieve their full potential.
* Visionary – Demonstrates foresight and strategic thinking, inspiring others with a compelling vision of the future and guiding them towards Nominet’s long‑term success.
* Goal Oriented – Demonstrates a strong focus on setting, pursuing and achieving goals, ensuring alignment with Nominet’s strategy and driving performance through clear direction and accountability.
* Models the Way – Demonstrates exemplary behaviours and sets a standard for others to follow, embodying Nominet’s values through actions and decisions.
Working At Nominet
Nominet values proactive collaboration and a glass‑half‑full mindset. Our culture fosters simplicity and results, guiding daily work and building a supportive environment for success.
What We Offer
* Early Finish Friday – Working week of 34 hours with full‑time pay (finish at midday on Friday).
* 30 days of annual leave plus bank holidays, with the ability to purchase an additional 5 days.
* Bupa private healthcare + Employee Assistance Programme.
* Electric vehicle scheme with on‑site charging points.
* Rewards platform with access to discounts at hundreds of shops, restaurants and more.
* Medicash discounts on routine healthcare including optical, dental and much more.
* Company and individual performance‑based annual bonus.
Diversity Statement
We’re passionate about creating a workplace where every individual is valued, respected, and empowered. We welcome all forms of diversity and look forward to the true value in our differences. If there are any adjustments we could make to the recruitment and selection process to support you, please let us know.
Security Statement
Nominet is committed to the safeguarding and welfare of the internet and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment by participating in the relevant security and screening processes. All roles working for Nominet will be subject to a Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) check. Some roles due to the nature of their work will require additional security clearance. Please note Nominet is unable to provide visa, sponsorship or relocation support.
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