IWSR is the world's leading source of data and intelligence on the alcoholic beverage market. Our technology team builds and maintains the internal tooling that powers our research cycle, the client platform through which our data reaches the market, and the data pipelines that connect the two. We're also at an early but significant point of embedding AI into how we work, both as a product capability and as an engineering discipline.
About the role
The Engineering Director leads IWSR's technology function. You'll own the technology roadmap, be responsible for its delivery, and work closely with the Chief Product Officer and internal stakeholders to shape what gets built and why. You'll bring strong technical judgement, enough to make good architectural decisions, hold the team to a high standard, and speak credibly with engineers and non-engineers alike.
This isn't a pure people management role. The team has strong engineering management in place already. What it needs from its director is technical leadership, strategic clarity, and the ability to build trusted relationships with a demanding set of stakeholders.
What you'll be responsible for
Technology strategy and roadmap
- Own the technology roadmap in partnership with the Chief Product Officer, working through the implications of commercial priorities, research cycle requirements, and platform capability.
- Contribute to roadmap thinking beyond the immediate horizon, identifying where technology can create new product opportunities or unlock efficiencies that aren't yet visible to the business.
- Represent the technology function in leadership discussions, translating between commercial ambition and delivery reality.
Delivery
- Hold overall accountability for technology delivery across IWSR's product portfolio: the client platform, internal researcher tooling, data pipelines, and emerging data products.
- Work closely with the programme management and product functions to keep delivery well planned, dependencies visible, and risks surfaced early.
Stakeholder relationships
- Maintain a close working relationship with the CPO on client platform requirements. This involves a genuine degree of product management, not just execution.
- Work with the internal product manager for internal tooling to make sure the research team's needs are heard and prioritised appropriately.
- Build direct relationships with the research team, particularly senior researchers, to understand how the research process works and where technology can support it.
AI and engineering practice
- Champion the adoption of AI within the engineering organisation, not as a side project but as a core change to how the team works. This includes AI-assisted development, code review, documentation, and testing.
- Drive IWSR's broader AI enablement programme, helping the business take practical advantage of AI tools in research, data processing, and client-facing workflows.
- Stay close to the evolving AI landscape and make informed bets on where investment will have the most impact.
Team and culture
- Support the engineering lead in maintaining a high-performing, well-supported team.
- Set and communicate clear engineering standards, and make sure architectural decisions are made deliberately and documented.
- Contribute to hiring and team development as the function evolves.
What we're looking for
- A strong technical background. You should be comfortable discussing architecture, infrastructure, and engineering trade-offs with the team, even if you're not writing production code day to day.
- Experience leading technology delivery in a data-heavy or research-heavy environment, and an understanding of the challenges of products where data quality is the product.
- Excellent stakeholder management. This role sits at the intersection of research, product, and engineering, and you'll need to navigate that without losing credibility in any direction.
- A genuine interest in AI, not as a buzzword but as a set of practical tools that can change how a team works. Experience applying AI in an engineering context is strongly preferred.
- Comfort operating in a relatively small team, where you'll need to be hands‑on in some areas even as you lead strategically.
Useful context
IWSR is part of the WGSN group. The engineering function has a close relationship with WGSN's technology organisation, and part of this role involves navigating that relationship effectively, understanding what IWSR needs to build itself versus what it can draw from shared group capability.
What we offer
- 25 days annual leave, with the option to buy or sell five extra days
- A flexible, hybrid working environment, plus 3 weeks a year to work from anywhere
- Up to 5% matched pension, with sustainable options as the default
- Private Medical Insurance through Vitality, with the option to add Dental Insurance and eyecare vouchers
- Life assurance up to 4x basic salary
- A 24-hour Employee Assistance Programme, plus in-house Mental Health First Aiders
- Cycle to Work scheme, and paid volunteering opportunities
- The chance to lead technology for a global market leader at a genuinely early stage of its AI journey
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