At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead engineering teams to modernise retail finance platforms and enhance customer journeys.
- Company: Join Just Group, a forward-thinking company in the financial services sector.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, generous leave, private medical cover, and career progression opportunities.
- Other info: Embrace diversity and foster a sense of belonging in a dynamic workplace.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a collaborative environment while shaping the future of finance.
- Qualifications: Proven senior engineering leadership experience in financial services and strong technical knowledge.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 100000 £ per year.
Location: London – hybrid 50%
Contract: Permanent
Purpose: 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.
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.
Our Behaviours
At Just you’ll have the opportunity to develop your career, whilst making a difference to the lives of those around you. You’ll be part of a company with a strong and distinctive culture – we’re ambitious, curious and collaborative – and every decision we make centres around being Just and delivering the best outcomes for our customers.
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.
Belonging at Just
Valuing diversity of thought and fostering a sense of belonging is critical to our business success, driving innovation and balanced decision making. Our work on DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging) aims to deliver a brilliant employee experience underpinned by a sense of belonging, where our people feel proud to work at Just. We remain committed to our publicly disclosed HM Treasury Women in Finance Charter and Race at Work Charter targets and support a wide range of employee network and events, championing issues including intergenerational working, social mobility and neurodiversity.
Head of Engineering - Retail employer: Just Group
Just Group is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work environment in London that fosters innovation and collaboration. With a strong commitment to employee growth, competitive benefits including a generous bonus scheme, and a culture that values diversity and inclusion, Just Group empowers its employees to make a meaningful impact in the financial services sector while enjoying a healthy work-life balance through hybrid working arrangements.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Engineering - Retail
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the industry, attend meetups, and engage on platforms like LinkedIn. We all know that sometimes it’s not just what you know, but who you know that can help you land that dream job.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for those interviews! Research the company, understand their products, and be ready to discuss how your experience aligns with their goals. We want you to shine, so practice common interview questions and have your own questions ready to show your interest.
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your skills! If you’ve got a portfolio or examples of your work, bring them along. We love seeing real-life applications of your expertise, especially when it comes to modern engineering practices and tech solutions.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to follow up! After an interview, drop a quick thank-you email to express your appreciation for the opportunity. It keeps you fresh in their minds and shows your enthusiasm for the role. And remember, apply through our website for the best chance!
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Engineering - Retail
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV:Make sure your CV reflects the key accountabilities and skills mentioned in the job description. Highlight your experience in leading engineering teams and delivering large-scale technology changes, especially within Financial Services.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Use your cover letter to tell us why you're the perfect fit for the Head of Engineering role. Share specific examples of how you've built high-performing teams and managed technical debt, and don’t forget to mention your passion for modern engineering practices!
Showcase Your Leadership Style:In your application, give us a glimpse into your leadership style. We want to know how you coach and mentor engineering leaders, and how you foster an inclusive culture. This is your chance to shine!
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
✨Know Your Engineering Roadmap
Before the interview, make sure you understand the engineering roadmap for the Retail division. Familiarise yourself with how it aligns with the overall technology strategy and be ready to discuss your vision for modern engineering practices.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Prepare examples of how you've successfully led multi-team delivery in previous roles. Highlight your experience in building high-performing teams and fostering an inclusive culture, as this is crucial for the Head of Engineering position.
✨Be Ready for Technical Discussions
Brush up on your knowledge of modern engineering practices, especially around cloud platforms, CI/CD, and security-focused design. Be prepared to discuss how you've tackled technical debt and delivered large-scale technology changes.
✨Engage with Stakeholders
Think about how you've effectively communicated technical topics to non-technical stakeholders in the past. Be ready to share strategies for ensuring alignment and transparency, as strong stakeholder engagement is key for this role.
