At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a high-impact team to shape platform engineering and drive strategic initiatives.
- Company: Join Wise, a global tech company revolutionising money management.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, inclusive culture, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Diverse and inclusive team environment with a focus on continuous development.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on how the world manages money with innovative technology.
- Qualifications: Proven leadership experience in platform or engineering roles.
The predicted salary is between 100000 - 130000 € per year.
Wise is a global technology company, building the best way to move and manage the world’s money. Min fees. Max ease. Full speed. Whether people and businesses are sending money to another country, spending abroad, or making and receiving international payments, Wise is on a mission to make their lives easier and save them money. As part of our team, you will be helping us create an entirely new network for the world's money. For everyone, everywhere.
The Platform Engineering tribe provides the core capabilities that enable Wise to build and run its products at scale. The scope is broad, covering compute and data infrastructure, build and release systems, ML and AI capabilities, and incident and resilience tooling, among others — all within a highly innovative and regulated environment. The platform drives mission-aligned outcomes across reliability, efficiency, productivity, and risk. Today, the tribe consists of 30+ teams. As Wise continues to grow and the technology landscape evolves, we need to continually adapt and strengthen our platform to support the next phase of scale. We are expanding our leadership team to help shape this evolution.
This role sits within our senior platform leadership group. We’re looking for a proven leader to join us and do things differently. This is a senior leadership role with line management responsibility, combined with a broader mandate to shape the direction of platform engineering at Wise. You’ll start by leading a focused team while taking ownership of a broader, cross-team priority, with scope expected to grow as the function evolves. While you’ll begin with a focused team, your impact will extend well beyond it through influence across the wider engineering organisation. The primary focus is shaping the next evolution of our platform as a cohesive system of capabilities that supports how engineering teams build, ship, and operate software. This includes responding to how emerging technologies, such as AI, are changing developer workflows and platform expectations. This includes improving how we ensure reliability, evolving platform capabilities, and introducing standards and practices where they create leverage — while enabling teams to operate with autonomy. You’ll work closely with teams across Wise to align priorities, introduce new ways of working, and help shape how this space evolves over time.
What you’ll do:
- Lead and develop a small, high-impact team
- Set clear direction and ensure delivery against key priorities
- Own and drive cross-engineering strategic initiatives focused on evolving platform capabilities
- Work across squads to align on priorities, standards, and ways of working
- Define and introduce platform standards and practices where they create leverage
- Improve engineering effectiveness by evolving platform capabilities, developer workflows, and feedback loops
- Translate emerging technologies and trends into practical applications
- Help shape operating models, team responsibilities, and ways of working that support scalable engineering
- Partner with senior stakeholders to shape strategy and influence decisions
- Use data and insight to guide direction and measure impact
Background and competencies needed:
- Proven experience operating at Director (or equivalent) level within platform or engineering, with strong experience across the software development lifecycle
- Strong track record of leading through influence, not just formal authority
- Experience owning and delivering cross-team or organisation-wide initiatives
- Comfortable working across multiple squads and aligning different priorities
- Ability to define and drive strategic themes (e.g. platform, developer experience, or technology shifts)
- Ability to think strategically while staying close to execution
- Hands‑on mindset; able to go deep when needed as well as set direction
- Strong problem‑solving skills; able to bring clarity to complex and ambiguous areas
- Excellent stakeholder management; able to influence senior leaders and peers
- Clear communicator; able to simplify complex ideas for different audiences
- Data‑driven approach; uses data to guide decisions and measure impact
- Experience introducing new technologies or evolving existing platforms
- Experience improving engineering systems through a combination of technology, process, and culture
- Ability to balance short‑term delivery with long‑term thinking
- Strong sense of ownership and accountability for outcomes
- Collaborative and low‑ego approach; builds trust across teams
- Experience leading leaders, with the ability to build and scale leadership layers over time
- Passion for staying close to industry trends and emerging technologies
- Alignment with Wise’s mission and values
Leading at Wise:
Our 4D leadership framework, defined by four key attributes, captures what it means to be an impactful leader at Wise. Our unique culture gives teams and individuals the autonomy to make impactful decisions for our customers. Leaders empower their teams to deliver this impact and champion our culture.
- Design: Our leaders design the strategic direction, empowering their teams to operate autonomously and make data-driven decisions that directly benefit our customers.
- Drive: They drive a high-performing culture by acting as a coach, nurturing an environment of continuous development and growth.
- Develop: Leaders actively develop resilience and emotional intelligence to lead authentically and by example.
- Disrupt: They disrupt the status quo by championing change and innovation, constantly seeking new ways to achieve our mission.
Additional Information:
For everyone, everywhere. We're people building money without borders — without judgement or prejudice, too. We believe teams are strongest when they are diverse, equitable and inclusive. We're proud to have a truly international team, and we celebrate our differences. Inclusive teams help us live our values and make sure every Wiser feels respected, empowered to contribute towards our mission and able to progress in their careers.
If you want to find out more about what it's like to work at Wise, visit Wise.Jobs. Keep up to date with life at Wise by following us on LinkedIn and Instagram.
Engineering Director - Platform employer: hackajob
Wise is an exceptional employer that fosters a culture of innovation and autonomy, empowering employees to make impactful decisions in a diverse and inclusive environment. With a strong focus on professional growth, Wise offers unique opportunities for leadership development and collaboration across teams, making it an ideal place for those looking to shape the future of platform engineering while contributing to a mission that transcends borders.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Engineering Director - Platform
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to current or former employees at Wise on LinkedIn. A friendly chat can give you insider info and maybe even a referral, which can really boost your chances.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for the interview by diving deep into Wise's mission and values. Show us how your experience aligns with what they’re all about. Tailor your stories to highlight your leadership skills and how you’ve driven change in past roles.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice makes perfect! Get a mate to do mock interviews with you. Focus on articulating your thoughts clearly and confidently, especially around complex topics like platform engineering and emerging tech.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to follow up after your interview! A quick thank-you email can leave a lasting impression. Mention something specific from your conversation to show you were engaged and are genuinely interested in the role.
We think you need these skills to ace Engineering Director - Platform
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the Engineering Director role. Highlight your experience in platform engineering and leadership, and show how your skills align with Wise's mission to innovate and improve financial services.
Showcase Your Impact:When detailing your past roles, focus on the impact you've made. Use specific examples of how you've led teams, driven strategic initiatives, or improved engineering processes. This will help us see your potential to shape the future at Wise.
Be Authentic:We value authenticity, so let your personality shine through in your application. Share your passion for technology and how it drives you to create better solutions. This helps us understand who you are beyond your qualifications.
Apply Through Our Website:For the best chance of success, apply directly through our website. This ensures your application gets to the right people and shows your enthusiasm for joining the Wise team. We can't wait to hear from you!
How to prepare for a job interview at hackajob
✨Know Your Stuff
Before the interview, dive deep into Wise's mission and values. Understand their platform engineering goals and how they align with your experience. Be ready to discuss specific technologies and methodologies you've used that can contribute to their objectives.
✨Showcase Leadership Skills
Prepare examples of how you've led teams and influenced cross-functional initiatives in the past. Highlight your ability to drive change and foster collaboration, as this role requires a strong leader who can inspire others and navigate complex environments.
✨Be Data-Driven
Wise values a data-driven approach, so come equipped with insights from your previous roles. Discuss how you've used data to guide decisions and measure impact, especially in evolving platform capabilities or improving engineering systems.
✨Embrace Innovation
Demonstrate your passion for emerging technologies and how you've integrated them into your work. Be prepared to discuss trends in AI and developer workflows, and how you envision these shaping the future of platform engineering at Wise.
