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- Tasks: Lead a dynamic engineering team to innovate and enhance our Home Finance platform.
- Company: Join Canada Life UK, a leader in securing financial futures for over 120 years.
- Benefits: Enjoy a competitive salary, generous pension, private medical insurance, and flexible working options.
- Why this job: Shape the future of finance with cutting-edge technology and a people-first culture.
- Qualifications: Experience in web-based applications and a passion for modern engineering leadership.
- Other info: Diversity and inclusion are at our core; we value unique perspectives and backgrounds.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 £ per year.
Canada Life UK has helped individuals, families and businesses secure their financial futures for over 120 years. Today, we are transforming our technology, culture and ways of working to become a more modern, customer centric and engineering led organisation. As we modernise our IT estate and shift toward cloud, SaaS/PaaS and product centric delivery, we are investing heavily in engineering excellence, empowered teams and great leadership.
You will lead the evolution of our bespoke Ruby on Rails-based mortgage origination and servicing platform, architecting modern, resilient and scalable solutions.
We operate stream-aligned product teams where Engineering Managers have real authority over technology decisions, people development, engineering standards and team culture.
You will drive cloud adoption, DevSecOps, automation, data-driven decision making and continuous improvement across the lifecycle.
We are building a place where engineers can do their best work - curious, collaborative, inclusive, and always improving.
The role involves leading a multidisciplinary engineering team responsible for the Home Finance application stack. You will act as a servant leader and coach, improving engineering practices, nurturing talent and enabling the team to deliver high-quality outcomes that support our customers and regulatory obligations. This is a hands-on leadership role where you will influence architecture, delivery, operational excellence and culture across the product. You will work closely with Product Owners, Engineering Managers and operational teams to optimise flow, deliver customer value and modernise our platforms.
Key responsibilities include:
- Lead, coach and inspire a stream-aligned product engineering team, fostering a culture of continuous improvement, psychological safety and high performance.
- Drive adoption of agile, DevSecOps and modern engineering practices, optimising the flow of change and reducing time-to-value.
- Collaborate cross-functionally to deliver secure, stable and scalable solutions that support Home Finance operations and customer outcomes.
- Ensure regulatory compliance (including FCA MCOB) and operational excellence across the platform.
- Shape the technology roadmap, contributing to architectural decisions and cloud migration strategies.
- Manage operational risk, security posture, monitoring, alerting and incident response for Home Finance systems.
- Use data and insights to guide prioritisation, engineering improvements and product decisions.
- Support talent development, succession planning and recruitment to build a high-performing engineering capability.
- Manage budgets responsibly, improving cost efficiency and value delivery.
- Define and track team and departmental OKRs, ensuring alignment with Canada Life's strategy.
- Build strong relationships with third-party suppliers to maximise value and service quality.
About you:
Technical expertise includes a strong understanding of mortgage origination/administration systems or comparable regulated financial platforms, experience delivering and operating web-based MVC applications (e.g., Ruby on Rails, React) and APIs, and hands-on knowledge of cloud platforms (Azure or GCP) and cloud-native architectures.
Leadership & delivery requires a people-first engineering leader who builds high-performing, motivated and curious teams, confident working with OKRs and outcome-driven delivery, and skilled at navigating ambiguity, prioritising effectively and influencing senior stakeholders.
What you will bring includes a degree or equivalent professional experience, and a passion for modern, inclusive engineering leadership and the ability to inspire and develop others.
Benefits of working at Canada Life include a competitive salary and benefits package that is regularly reviewed, including a generous pension and bonus scheme, income protection, private medical insurance and life assurance.
Our culture is unique and incredibly important to us. We care about doing the right thing for our people, customers and community and helping others to build better futures. Our blueprint behaviours shape and influence how we work, and are central to the relationships we have with others.
Diversity and inclusion is a key commitment for us. We are proud of the progress we are making in DEI, and we continue for it to be a significant focus.
We appreciate that everyone has different work and life responsibilities. We are happy to discuss flexible working arrangements, including part time, for any of our roles should this be a requirement for you.
Engineering Manager in Watford employer: Canada Life UK
Contact Detail:
Canada Life UK Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Engineering Manager in Watford
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the industry, attend meetups, and engage with online communities. 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 researching the company and its culture. Understand their products and services, especially in Home Finance, so you can speak confidently about how your skills align with their needs.
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your leadership style! Be ready to discuss how you've inspired teams and driven engineering excellence in past roles. Use examples that highlight your ability to foster a collaborative and high-performing environment.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in joining our team at Canada Life.
We think you need these skills to ace Engineering Manager in Watford
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the Engineering Manager role. Highlight your experience with Ruby on Rails, cloud platforms, and leading teams. We want to see how your skills align with our mission at Canada Life!
Showcase Your Leadership Style: As a people-first leader, it's important to convey your approach to team management. Share examples of how you've inspired and developed your teams in the past. We love hearing about your coaching experiences and how you foster a culture of continuous improvement.
Be Clear and Concise: When writing your application, keep it straightforward and to the point. Use clear language to describe your achievements and technical expertise. We appreciate a well-structured application that makes it easy for us to see your qualifications.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to submit your application directly through our website. This ensures that your application gets to the right people quickly. Plus, it’s the best way to stay updated on your application status!
How to prepare for a job interview at Canada Life UK
✨Know Your Tech Inside Out
Make sure you brush up on your knowledge of Ruby on Rails, MySQL, and cloud platforms like Azure or GCP. Be ready to discuss how you've used these technologies in past projects, especially in relation to mortgage origination systems.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Style
As an Engineering Manager, you'll need to demonstrate your people-first leadership approach. Prepare examples of how you've built high-performing teams and fostered a culture of continuous improvement and psychological safety.
✨Understand the Business Context
Familiarise yourself with Canada Life's mission and values, particularly their focus on customer-centric solutions. Be prepared to discuss how your engineering decisions can align with their goals and improve customer outcomes.
✨Prepare for Scenario-Based Questions
Expect questions that assess your problem-solving skills and ability to navigate ambiguity. Think of specific scenarios where you've had to influence stakeholders or manage operational risks, and be ready to share those experiences.
