Head of Software Engineering in Brighton

Location: Brighton Hybrid (3 days a week)

Reports to: CPTO

About Boundless

Boundless is a member organisation with over 100 years of heritage, supporting people who work in the public sector. Today, Boundless combines digital subscription services with hotels and entertainment properties, creating experiences that extend well beyond digital alone. The digital subscription business is now the largest and fastest-growing part of the organisation, and technology plays a critical role in how members engage with Boundless and the value they receive. We are intentionally changing how we build technology — moving away from a predominantly outsourced delivery model towards a strong in-house engineering capability, built around product thinking, short iterations and real ownership of outcomes.

The Role

We are looking for a Head of Engineering to help build that future. This is a builder role, not a custodial one. You won’t inherit a finished engineering function — you’ll help create it. The role is hands-on, practical and evolutionary, suited to someone who wants to grow their leadership impact while staying close to the work. You will lead the transition from outsourced engineering to an in-house model, shaping teams, practices and technology choices along the way. You’ll work closely with product, design and business stakeholders to ensure engineering moves from being a delivery function to a true partner in solving business problems. The role spans front end, back end and DevOps, and also includes responsibility for security and compliance. While we operate within an established Microsoft-based environment today, you will be expected to challenge, evolve and improve technology choices over time.

AI as a First-Class Part of How We Build

We are building our in-house engineering capability from the ground up, and we expect AI-enabled tooling and techniques to be part of that foundation, not an add-on. The Head of Engineering will bring a clear, practical point of view on how AI can be used to materially improve how software is designed, built, tested, deployed and operated. This role will not own a company-wide AI strategy, but it will be responsible for embedding responsible, effective use of AI within engineering — both as part of our product capabilities and as a force multiplier for development speed, quality and scalability. We are looking for someone who actively experiments, makes deliberate choices, and helps create a development culture where AI meaningfully changes how work gets done.

What You’ll Do:

• Build an In-House Engineering Capability
  • Lead the transition from outsourced delivery to a sustainable in-house engineering model.
  • Decide what work should be brought in-house, what remains with partners, and how the transition happens safely.
  • Recruit, develop and support engineers who care about quality, learning and impact.
  • Create a culture of ownership where teams feel responsible for outcomes, not just outputs.
• Shift Engineering Towards Product Thinking
  • Help move engineering away from task-based delivery towards problem-solving.
  • Ensure engineers are involved in discovery, experimentation and shaping solutions.
  • Champion short iterations, frequent feedback and learning from real users.
  • Encourage teams to measure success in terms of customer experience and business metrics.
• Stay Close to Delivery and Technology
  • Be close enough to the code, architecture and delivery to make informed decisions.
  • Get hands-on when needed — whether that’s reviewing designs, unblocking teams or contributing directly.
  • Establish pragmatic engineering standards and ways of working that enable speed without sacrificing quality.
  • Work across front end, back end and DevOps to improve reliability, performance and developer experience.
• Own Platforms and Security
  • Ensure security, compliance and risk are managed sensibly and proportionately.
  • Improve operational resilience while supporting fast, iterative delivery.
  • Balance immediate needs with longer-term sustainability.
  • Take ownership of technology decisions across the stack.
  • Evaluate the current Microsoft-based environment and decide where it supports our goals — and where change is needed.
  • Lead pragmatic discussions around architecture, tooling, build vs buy and platform choices.
  • Introduce new technologies where they clearly improve outcomes, not because they are fashionable.
• Grow as a Leader
  • Communicate clearly with senior stakeholders and contribute to strategic conversations.
  • Translate business goals into clear, achievable engineering priorities.
  • Grow your influence and leadership over time — this role is expected to evolve with you.

What We’re Looking For

The Kind of Leader We Want

• Someone who wants to build and improve, not just maintain.
• Comfortable leading through change, ambiguity and transition.
• Happy operating at different levels — from strategy discussions to technical detail.
• Curious about customers and how technology can improve their experience.

Experience & Approach

• Experience leading or strongly influencing engineering teams.
• Exposure to product-led or agile ways of working (even if imperfect).
• Experience working with outsourced teams and a desire to bring capability in-house.
• A belief that engineers can solve meaningful business problems by leaning into the business.

Technical Background

• A strong foundation in modern software engineering.
• Experience with some or all of: Java, .NET, React.
• Understanding of DevOps practices, cloud infrastructure and modern deployment approaches.
• Experience working within established technology estates, including Microsoft-based environments.
• Confidence to challenge and evolve technology choices where it makes sense.

Personal Qualities

• Pragmatic, thoughtful and hands-on.
• Comfortable making decisions and owning them.
• Not afraid to ask questions or challenge assumptions.
• Motivated by impact, learning and building something better.

Why This Role

A rare opportunity to shape how engineering works in an organisation with real history and real ambition. The chance to build an in-house team and see the impact of your decisions quickly. A role that blends leadership, technology and hands-on problem-solving. A business with a clear purpose and a genuine appetite for change.