At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and scale a multidisciplinary engineering team in AI platform development.
- Company: Fast-growing London tech company focused on AI testing and monitoring.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, dynamic work environment, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: UK nationality required due to government client work.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in AI deployment while leading innovative engineering projects.
- Qualifications: Proven experience in leading engineering teams and delivering complex software systems.
The predicted salary is between 100000 - 150000 € per year.
The Company
Our client is a London-based technology company that’s in high growth mode. They have developed the independent pure play AI testing and monitoring platform that solves one of the most urgent and commercially valuable problems – helping organisations actually deploy AI that works, safely and compliantly.
The Role
The company is seeking a VP / Head of Engineering to lead and scale their engineering organisation across platform development, machine learning systems and research enablement. The role is responsible for ensuring that the technology operates as a cohesive system enabling research innovation to translate into production-ready capabilities and ensuring customer deployments continuously inform platform evolution. You will lead a multidisciplinary team spanning software engineers, ML engineers and research-supporting engineers, balancing long term platform development with the practical demands of deploying and supporting systems in complex environments. This is a hands-on leadership role, requiring close involvement in architecture and technical decision-making while scaling teams, systems and delivery.
Responsibilities
- Lead and scale engineering
- Build and grow a multidisciplinary team across platform, ML, and research support
- Define team structures, ownership and ways of working
- Foster a culture of accountability, quality, and continuous improvement
- Own technical direction
- Define and evolve platform architecture for scalability, reliability and flexibility
- Guide critical technical decisions and maintain system coherence
- Ensure consistency across APIs, data models, and services
- Enable ML and research in production
- Establish effective pathways from research to production systems
- Ensure ML systems are reliable, observable, and maintainable
- Align research, ML, and platform into a unified engineering approach
- Drive effective delivery
- Evolve delivery practices across platform and customer-driven work
- Ensure consistent execution, clear priorities, and realistic planning
- Identify and resolve systemic bottlenecks
- Connect platform and real-world use
- Align platform development with customer deployments
- Establish feedback loops from usage into product evolution
- Balance reusable product capabilities with flexibility for complex environments
- Scale engineering systems
- Improve standards across CI/CD, testing, observability, and security
- Ensure systems meet requirements for regulated environments
- Prepare tooling, workflows, and processes for team and platform growth
- Collaborate across the business
- Partner with Product to align engineering with roadmap and priorities
- Work with research leadership to align innovation with platform capabilities
- Engage stakeholders to ensure technical direction supports customer needs
Requirements
- Proven experience leading engineering teams delivering complex software systems
- Strong background in software engineering, system architecture and scalable platforms
- Experience working with data-intensive or ML-enabled systems
- Ability to coordinate multiple technical disciplines (e.g. software, ML, research workflows)
- Experience delivering systems into customer or operational environments
- Strong understanding of cloud infrastructure, APIs, and distributed systems (AWS or equivalent)
- Experience establishing engineering processes and best practices
- Excellent leadership, communication and stakeholder management skills
Because our client works with regulated and government customers in the UK, UK nationality is required for this role. Please only apply if you are a UK national.
VP / Head of Engineering in London employer: Legion
As a rapidly growing technology company based in London, our client offers an exceptional work environment for the VP / Head of Engineering role, where innovation meets practicality. Employees benefit from a culture that prioritises accountability and continuous improvement, alongside opportunities for professional growth within a multidisciplinary team dedicated to advancing AI deployment. With a focus on collaboration and technical excellence, this position not only allows for hands-on leadership but also ensures that your contributions directly impact the evolution of cutting-edge AI solutions.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land VP / Head of Engineering in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the tech industry, especially those who work with AI or engineering. A personal introduction can make all the difference when you're aiming for that VP role.
✨Tip Number 2
Showcase your expertise! Prepare a portfolio or case studies that highlight your experience in leading engineering teams and delivering complex systems. This will help you stand out during interviews and discussions.
✨Tip Number 3
Be ready to discuss your vision! When you get the chance to chat with potential employers, articulate how you would scale their engineering organisation and improve delivery practices. They want to see your strategic thinking!
✨Tip Number 4
Apply through our website! We’ve got a streamlined process that makes it easy for you to showcase your skills and experience. Plus, it shows you’re serious about joining the team!
We think you need these skills to ace VP / Head of Engineering in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV:Make sure your CV speaks directly to the role of VP / Head of Engineering. Highlight your experience in leading engineering teams and delivering complex software systems, especially in AI or ML environments. We want to see how your background aligns with our client's needs!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're the perfect fit for this hands-on leadership role. Share specific examples of how you've scaled teams and improved engineering processes in the past. Let us know what excites you about this opportunity!
Showcase Your Technical Skills:Don’t forget to highlight your technical expertise! Mention your experience with cloud infrastructure, APIs, and distributed systems. We’re looking for someone who can guide critical technical decisions, so make sure we see that in your application.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply through our website for a smoother process. It helps us keep track of applications and ensures you don’t miss any important updates. Plus, it’s super easy – just follow the prompts and let us see your amazing skills!
How to prepare for a job interview at Legion
✨Know the Company Inside Out
Before your interview, make sure you understand the company's AI testing and monitoring platform. Familiarise yourself with their mission, values, and recent developments. This will not only help you answer questions more effectively but also show your genuine interest in the role.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Style
As a VP / Head of Engineering, your leadership approach is crucial. Be prepared to discuss your experience in building and scaling teams, especially in multidisciplinary environments. Share specific examples of how you've fostered a culture of accountability and continuous improvement in past roles.
✨Demonstrate Technical Acumen
This role requires a strong technical background. Brush up on your knowledge of software engineering, system architecture, and ML systems. Be ready to discuss your experience with cloud infrastructure and how you've made critical technical decisions that align with business goals.
✨Prepare for Scenario-Based Questions
Expect questions that assess your problem-solving skills in real-world scenarios. Think about challenges you've faced in previous roles, particularly around deploying complex systems or managing stakeholder expectations. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your responses.