At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the rebuild of a web platform and unify engineering teams for growth.
- Company: Join a forward-thinking company shaping its technical and business future.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, leadership opportunities, and a chance to influence company strategy.
- Why this job: Be at the forefront of tech transformation and make a real impact.
- Qualifications: Proven experience in engineering leadership and web platform development.
- Other info: Dynamic role with potential to evolve into CTO-level leadership.
The predicted salary is between 72000 - 108000 £ per year.
Report to the CEO, influence company strategy, shape both technical and business direction!
The Role
We are seeking a hands-on technical leader who can do two things exceptionally well:
- Rebuild a mission-critical enterprise web platform from the ground up, using AI-accelerated development
- Build an engineering capability designed to scale rapidly over the next 12–18 months
This is a true player-coach role. For the first 6 months, you will personally lead architecture and delivery with a lean engineering team. A separate product-focused engineering pod currently driving mobile growth will transition under your leadership around month 6.
You will report directly to the divisional leadership team and operate as part of the senior leadership group.
The Challenge (and Opportunity)
The business currently operates:
- A modern mobile application acting as the primary growth engine
- A legacy monolithic web platform serving enterprise clients
Rather than incrementally modernising the legacy system, the organisation is investing in a new cloud-native, API-first web platform, designed for long-term scalability and deep synchronisation with its mobile products. This role owns that transformation end-to-end.
Your Missions
- Mission 1: Architect and deliver the web platform rebuild
- Personal accountability for architecture, critical technical decisions, and delivery
- Hands-on leadership with a small, high-impact team
- Mission 2: Maintain operational stability
- Ensure continuity of the legacy web platform for enterprise clients
- Mission 3: Consolidate engineering leadership
- Inherit an existing mobile-focused engineering pod (lead engineer + team)
- Unify web and mobile engineering under one leadership structure
- Balance platform completion with ongoing mobile delivery
- Mission 4: Strengthen security and compliance foundations
- Improve authentication, authorisation, and vulnerability management
- Build enterprise-grade security into all applications
The Technical Reality
Team size: 8 engineers (including QA), growing to ~12 within 6 months
Engineering practices: CI/CD, testing, observability, and incident response require modernisation
Architecture: Cloud-native, API-first, decoupled from mobile systems
AI acceleration: A core enabler — tools such as Cursor, Copilot, and Claude Code used to drive 2–3× productivity.
The first 6 months require high-intensity player-coach leadership, followed by broader engineering leadership as teams consolidate.
What You’ll Own
- Web Platform Rebuild (Months 1–12)
- Design and deliver a new cloud-native web platform
- Lead critical architecture decisions and code reviews
- Champion AI-accelerated engineering practices
- Embed security, compliance, and scalability from day one
- Plan and execute a zero-disruption migration from legacy systems
- Maintain stability of the existing web platform
- Manage technical debt pragmatically
- Engineering Leadership (Months 6–12)
- Consolidate web and mobile engineering teams
- Establish engineering standards, culture, and delivery practices
- Partner closely with product leadership on roadmap and delivery
- Strategic (Ongoing)
- Support investment cases through delivery outcomes
- Define the technical roadmap beyond the initial rebuild
- Build foundations for future team growth
- Naturally evolve toward CTO-level leadership as the organisation scales
If interested, please apply with your latest CV or email for more information.
Head of Engineering in Cardiff employer: Accelero
Contact Detail:
Accelero Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Engineering in Cardiff
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the industry, attend meetups, and engage in online forums. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by practising common questions and scenarios related to engineering leadership. Think about how you would approach rebuilding a web platform or leading a team through a transition. Confidence is key!
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your hands-on experience! Be ready to discuss specific projects where you've led architecture decisions or implemented AI-accelerated practices. Real examples will make you stand out as a candidate.
✨Tip Number 4
Don't forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are proactive about their job search.
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Engineering in Cardiff
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV speaks directly to the role of Head of Engineering. Highlight your experience with web platforms, AI-accelerated development, and any leadership roles you've held. We want to see how you can influence strategy and shape technical direction!
Showcase Your Technical Skills: Don’t just list your skills; demonstrate them! Include specific examples of projects where you’ve rebuilt platforms or led engineering teams. We’re looking for hands-on leaders who can back up their claims with real-world experience.
Be Clear and Concise: When writing your application, keep it straightforward. Use clear language and avoid jargon unless it’s relevant. We appreciate a well-structured application that gets straight to the point—show us what you can bring to the table!
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply through our website for the best chance of being noticed. It helps us keep track of applications and ensures you’re considered for this exciting opportunity. Don’t miss out on the chance to lead our engineering transformation!
How to prepare for a job interview at Accelero
✨Know Your Tech Inside Out
As a Head of Engineering, you’ll need to demonstrate your technical prowess. Brush up on cloud-native architectures, API-first design, and AI-accelerated development tools. Be ready to discuss how you've applied these in past projects and how they can be leveraged in the new web platform rebuild.
✨Showcase Leadership Experience
This role is all about player-coach leadership. Prepare examples that highlight your experience in leading teams through transformation. Discuss how you’ve unified engineering practices and maintained operational stability while driving innovation. They’ll want to see your ability to balance hands-on work with strategic oversight.
✨Understand the Business Context
It’s crucial to grasp how the engineering decisions impact the overall business strategy. Familiarise yourself with the company’s current challenges, especially regarding the legacy system and mobile growth. Be prepared to articulate how your vision aligns with their goals and how you can drive the transformation effectively.
✨Prepare for Scenario Questions
Expect scenario-based questions that test your problem-solving skills. Think about potential challenges in migrating from a legacy system to a new platform and how you would address them. Show your strategic thinking by discussing risk management, security compliance, and maintaining continuity during transitions.