At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead engineering teams to modernise platforms and enhance customer journeys in retirement finance.
- Company: Join Just Group, a fast-growing company dedicated to helping customers enjoy their retirement.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, generous leave, private medical cover, and career progression opportunities.
- Other info: Exciting growth journey with a diverse team committed to delivering award-winning products.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a collaborative environment focused on innovation and customer satisfaction.
- Qualifications: Proven senior engineering leadership experience in Financial Services and knowledge of modern engineering practices.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 100000 £ per year.
Just Group’s Retail division develops and delivers retirement‑finance products through financial advisers and intermediaries. As part of an ongoing technology modernisation programme, we are evolving our platforms and customer journeys to ensure they remain secure, resilient, and fit for the future.
The Head of Engineering – Retail will lead the Retail engineering organisation, setting clear technical direction and ensuring high‑quality delivery across platforms and applications. The role plays a key part in adopting modern engineering practices, including AI‑enabled approaches, to support scalable and reliable delivery.
Reporting to the Retail IT Director, you will lead multiple Engineering Managers and help foster a collaborative, high‑performing engineering culture, focused on secure, efficient, and sustainable delivery.
About Just
We help people achieve a better later life. That’s our purpose and it’s the reason we exist. We are a fast-growing company helping customers enjoy the retirement they deserve. We do this through a variety of market leading, award-winning products and services, delivered by a diverse team of over 1,400 purpose-led colleagues who genuinely put the customer at the heart of everything we do. This is a brilliant time to join our business. We are on an exciting growth journey to become the UK’s most loved retirement expert.
Key Accountabilities
- Define and deliver the Retail engineering roadmap, aligned to Group technology strategy and agreed modern engineering practices.
- Lead the adoption of AI‑enabled, context‑driven, and agent‑based approaches where they add practical value.
- Provide technical leadership across architecture, solution design, and the management of technical debt.
- Ensure the secure, reliable, and scalable delivery of Retail platforms and applications.
- Oversee delivery planning, execution, and risk management, including ownership of P1 and P2 incident response and resolution.
- Build and develop engineering capability through strong leadership of Engineering Managers and senior engineers.
- Promote consistent engineering standards across automation, DevOps, cloud‑native development, and observability.
- Partner closely with senior stakeholders, providing clear, transparent communication on delivery progress, risks, and priorities.
Examples of Key Activities
- Chair Retail engineering governance forums to ensure alignment with Group standards and principles.
- Maintain and review the technical debt and end‑of‑life roadmap, feeding priorities into delivery plans.
- Review and challenge significant technical design decisions to ensure solutions are scalable, secure, and maintainable.
- Act as an escalation point for major incidents, coordinating resolution and leading post‑incident reviews.
- Work with Engineering Managers to track delivery progress, dependencies, and risks.
- Coach and mentor engineering leaders, supporting capability and leadership development.
- Represent Retail Engineering in cross‑business forums, ensuring Retail requirements and priorities are well understood.
What We’re Looking For
- Proven experience in senior engineering leadership roles, leading multi‑team delivery at scale (50+ FTE including partners), within Financial Services.
- Strong knowledge of modern engineering practices, including software engineering, architecture, cloud platforms, CI/CD, DevSecOps, observability, and security‑focused design.
- Practical experience delivering large‑scale technology change and modernising legacy platforms, preferably within a Microsoft ecosystem.
- The ability to build high‑performing engineering teams, embed standards, and foster a positive, inclusive engineering culture.
- Experience working with a mix of in‑house teams, vendors, and delivery partners.
- Confidence operating in regulated environments with an emphasis on resilience, performance, and security.
- Strong stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to translate technical topics into clear business outcomes.
- Experience leading major incident response and continuous improvement following service issues.
What’s in it for you
- A competitive salary, pension scheme and life assurance.
- 25 days annual leave plus an additional day on us for your birthday.
- Private medical cover and income protection, just in case.
- A generous and highly achievable bonus scheme.
- Opportunities to progress your career in-role and within the company.
- Free access to the Headspace app, 24/7 employee assistance helpline and trained physical and mental health first aiders.
- A variety of employee funded benefits available via our online benefits portal.
- Plus, several additional purchase options available for you and your loved ones.
Explore our full range of benefits on our dedicated benefits page.
Head of Engineering - Retail Technology in London employer: Just Group plc
Just Group is an exceptional employer, dedicated to fostering a collaborative and high-performing engineering culture within the Retail division. With a focus on modern engineering practices and a commitment to employee growth, we offer competitive salaries, generous benefits, and opportunities for career progression in a purpose-driven environment that prioritises customer satisfaction and innovation.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Engineering - Retail Technology in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the industry, especially those who work at Just Group or similar companies. A friendly chat can sometimes lead to insider info about job openings that aren't even advertised yet.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by brushing up on modern engineering practices and AI-enabled approaches. We want to see you shine when discussing how you can lead teams and deliver secure, scalable solutions. Practice makes perfect!
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your leadership skills! Be ready to share examples of how you've built high-performing teams and fostered a positive culture. We love hearing about your experiences in managing multi-team delivery at scale.
✨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 mission to help people achieve a better later life.
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Engineering - Retail Technology in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV:Make sure your CV reflects the skills and experiences that align with the Head of Engineering role. Highlight your leadership in engineering, especially in financial services, and any experience with modern engineering practices.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Use your cover letter to tell us why you're passionate about leading engineering teams and how you can contribute to our mission of helping people achieve a better later life. Be specific about your achievements and how they relate to the role.
Showcase Your Technical Expertise:In your application, don’t shy away from discussing your technical knowledge. Mention your experience with cloud platforms, CI/CD, and DevSecOps, as these are key for the role. We want to see how you can lead modern engineering practices.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for this exciting opportunity. Plus, it’s super easy!
How to prepare for a job interview at Just Group plc
✨Know Your Tech Inside Out
Make sure you’re well-versed in modern engineering practices, especially those relevant to the financial services sector. Brush up on your knowledge of cloud platforms, CI/CD, and DevSecOps, as these will likely come up during the interview.
✨Showcase Leadership Experience
Prepare examples that highlight your experience in leading multi-team delivery at scale. Be ready to discuss how you've built high-performing teams and fostered a positive engineering culture, as this is crucial for the Head of Engineering role.
✨Communicate Clearly with Stakeholders
Practice translating complex technical topics into clear business outcomes. You’ll need to demonstrate your ability to engage with senior stakeholders effectively, so think of scenarios where you’ve successfully communicated project progress or risks.
✨Prepare for Incident Management Questions
Expect questions about your experience with major incident response and continuous improvement. Have specific examples ready that showcase your ability to coordinate resolution efforts and lead post-incident reviews, as this is key to ensuring secure and reliable delivery.
