At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and innovate UK Payments technology strategy at ClearBank.
- Company: Join ClearBank, a forward-thinking bank focused on diversity and inclusion.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, flexible working, and a supportive culture.
- Other info: Dynamic environment with a commitment to diversity and career growth.
- Why this job: Shape the future of payments and make a real impact in banking.
- Qualifications: Senior tech leadership experience in payments or financial services required.
The predicted salary is between 100000 - 130000 £ per year.
The Director of Engineering – UK Payments will provide senior technology leadership for ClearBank’s UK-focused payments capabilities, owning the technical strategy, delivery oversight, and evolution of this domain, providing a highly utilised and relied upon set of capabilities for clients.
This role will lead an established set of teams as they evolve payments capabilities to scale and meet developing client needs. The Director will collaborate closely with Product partners to shape the long‑term roadmap, ensure robust technical foundations, and guide ClearBank’s progression in this vital domain.
Key Responsibilities- Strategic Leadership
- Own the technology strategy for UK Payments, ensuring alignment with ClearBank’s wider platform and technology strategy.
- Partner with the Head of Product for UK to define and evolve a clear, credible roadmap covering near‑term delivery and longer‑term technical direction.
- Provide domain leadership and technical challenge, supporting informed decisions on build, buy, and partner options as the capability matures.
- Delivery & Execution
- Provide senior oversight of an existing UK Payments engineering teams, ensuring delivery remains on track as the products evolve and new products are introduced.
- Ensure strong engineering fundamentals, including resilience, scalability, security, and operational readiness, appropriate for a regulated bank.
- Support the evolution of a highly utilised set of capabilities as they scale to meet future client needs.
- Technology & Architecture
- Guide architectural decisions for payments capabilities while maintaining ClearBank standards.
- Define the technical direction of travel for payments, including how the platform could evolve to support additional capabilities and ease of further expansion.
- Ensure payments services integrate effectively with ClearBank’s other services.
- People & Leadership
- Lead and develop engineers and engineering managers within the UK Payments domain.
- Set clear expectations, provide coaching, and build a culture of ownership, learning, and delivery.
- Contribute to the wider Director community, strengthening domain specialism while maintaining consistency across the technology organisation.
- Risk, Regulation & Stakeholder Management
- Work closely with Risk, Compliance, and Legal teams to ensure UK Payments capabilities operate within applicable regulatory frameworks.
- Communicate clearly with senior stakeholders on progress, risks, and trade‑offs in a complex and evolving domain.
- Ensure appropriate controls, documentation, and operational processes are in place as the product scales.
- Essential Experience
- Senior technology leadership experience (Director or equivalent) within payments, financial services, or adjacent regulated domains.
- Demonstrable experience owning and evolving complex platforms, preferably in a high throughput environment.
- Strong domain understanding of payments, sufficient to develop strategy and challenge technical decisions (deep blockchain specialism is not required).
- Proven ability to partner effectively with Product leadership to shape and deliver long‑term strategy.
- Desirable Experience
- Experience integrating with third‑party schemes and platforms.
- Exposure to regulatory environments for payments.
- Experience scaling teams and platforms as product maturity and customer adoption increase.
- Pragmatic and outcome‑focused, with sound judgement to balance speed, risk, and long‑term value.
- Comfortable operating in ambiguity and guiding teams through an evolving domain.
- Clear communicator who can explain complex concepts to both technical and non‑technical audiences.
- Role‑model for ClearBank’s expectations around ownership, delivery, and collaboration.
Director of Engineering - Payments employer: ClearBank
ClearBank is an exceptional employer that prioritises diversity, equity, and inclusion, fostering a supportive work environment where every employee can thrive. With a strong commitment to professional development and a culture that encourages ownership and collaboration, employees are empowered to lead innovative projects in the rapidly evolving payments sector. Located in the heart of the UK, ClearBank offers unique opportunities to shape the future of banking while enjoying enhanced family leave policies and a focus on employee well-being.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Director of Engineering - Payments
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the payments and financial services sectors. Attend industry events or webinars, and don’t be shy about introducing yourself. 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 those interviews! Research ClearBank’s values and recent projects in the payments domain. Think about how your experience aligns with their needs and be ready to discuss specific examples that showcase your leadership and technical skills.
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your passion for payments! During interviews, express your enthusiasm for evolving payment technologies and how you can contribute to ClearBank’s mission. This will help you stand out as a candidate who’s not just qualified but genuinely excited about the role.
✨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, it shows you’re serious about joining the ClearBank team and ready to make an impact in the payments space.
We think you need these skills to ace Director of Engineering - Payments
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV:Make sure your CV is tailored to the Director of Engineering role. Highlight your senior technology leadership experience in payments and financial services, and don’t forget to showcase your ability to partner with product teams!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you’re passionate about payments and how your experience aligns with our vision at ClearBank. Keep it concise but impactful!
Showcase Your Leadership Style:We want to know how you lead and develop teams. Share examples of how you've built a culture of ownership and learning in your previous roles. This will help us see if you’re a good fit for our team!
Apply Through Our Website:Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, we love seeing candidates who follow our process!
How to prepare for a job interview at ClearBank
✨Know Your Payments Inside Out
Make sure you have a solid understanding of the payments landscape, especially in the UK. Brush up on current trends, regulatory requirements, and the technical aspects of payment systems. This will help you speak confidently about how you can lead ClearBank's payments capabilities.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Style
Prepare to discuss your leadership approach and how you've successfully managed engineering teams in the past. Think of specific examples where you've fostered a culture of ownership and learning, as this aligns with what ClearBank values in their leaders.
✨Align with Product Strategy
Be ready to talk about how you would partner with product leadership to shape and deliver a long-term strategy for payments. Consider how you can contribute to defining a credible roadmap that meets both immediate and future client needs.
✨Communicate Clearly and Effectively
Practice explaining complex technical concepts in simple terms. You'll need to communicate with both technical and non-technical stakeholders, so being able to bridge that gap is crucial. Prepare some examples of how you've done this in previous roles.
