Head of Engineering & Data

Location: Glasgow, UK (hybrid – home working plus 3 days per week in our Glasgow hub) Are you a technology leader who knows how to get the best out of systems, data and development partners? Someone who understands that great technology isn't always about building something new, but about choosing the right solutions, connecting them effectively and making them work brilliantly? If you thrive in a fast-paced, scaling environment and want to shape how technology supports our next stage of growth, we'd love to hear from you. This is a fantastic opportunity to play a key role in shaping how technology and data support the future of Macs Adventure. We're a tech-enabled travel company, not a software house. We buy and integrate most of our technology, working with external development partners who build, maintain and support our systems. You'll be responsible for ensuring our technology works together, is secure and reliable, and can scale with our ambitions. Reporting to our Technology but we won’t succeed if we’re just the same as everyone else. We devise creative solutions to problems, find new ways of doing things, and trust colleagues who are doing so too. We are brave and feel empowered to take the initiative. We ask ourselves: is what I’m doing authentically Macs? · Tread thoughtfully: We are considerate, empathetic and try to put ourselves in our customers’, suppliers’ and each other’s shoes. We support local and find ways of having less negative impact on the planet. We find ways of having positive impact on people and communities. We are fair, and we do the right thing. · Go the extra mile: We know that creating a perfect #MacsMoment involves going that bit further. We imagine the best feedback we can get and set out to earn it. We take ownership and accountability – it’s yours, not someone else’s, problem. We step up and help our teammates when they need us. What you’ll do; We work with trusted development partners who build, maintain and support our applications, including the cloud infrastructure behind them. Alongside them, we have a deliberately small internal team of engineering and data specialists who bring technical expertise and a deep understanding of Macs. Together, they work as one team to make sure our technology delivers what the business needs. Our internal specialists work within cross-functional squads alongside colleagues from Product, UX and Marketing. The business defines the problem, and the squad works together to find the best solution. As Head of Engineering Experience as a senior engineering leader (Head of Engineering, VP Engineering or similar), comfortable being the most senior technologist in the business. A compose-not-build instinct: strong judgement in choosing and integrating third-party platforms, building only where it truly sets us apart. A track record with external development partners, including de-risking or replacing a critical system without breaking the business. Technical depth – hands‑on enough to challenge partners and get into the detail of cloud, integration and data architecture, without needing to write the code yourself. Personal ownership of a data platform and BI estate as well as engineering – for us, this is one job, not two. The drive to push AI forward across people, processes and product – with measurable results. Solid security, compliance and resilience fundamentals. A habit of writing things down, and the standing to hold architecture decisions and explain them to leaders, partners and investors alike. A coaching style: you build small, senior teams and help people grow, rather than building empires. Not essential, it would be a bonus if you; Worked in a consumer digital, e-commerce or travel scale-up. Delivered AI with measurable impact – for example AI agents, agent-ready APIs or AI built into a customer-facing product. Built or worked with a data platform that brings structured data (bookings, finance, operations) together with unstructured text (documents, reviews, emails), so people and AI agents can perform natural-language queries and get answers drawn from both. ERP, CRS or CRM platform evaluation. Supported an investor technical due diligence process. A genuine love of the outdoors, walking or cycling, and a passion for active travel The knowledge and skills we’ve listed represent “the perfect candidate”. No one’s perfect and we know the ‘confidence gap’ can stop brilliant people applying. If you love the sound of this opportunity please apply, we’d love to hear from you. You could belong here; To deliver adventures for more than 40,000 customers we need to build a company that’s reflective of their diversity. We’re building an inclusive workplace that promotes and values difference, where everyone, from any background, can do their best work and be proud to belong. What we’ll offer As well as your salary; ANNUAL LEAVE: We want you to be able to take holidays that matter to you, so 8 public holidays are included in your annual leave allowance of 33 days, which increases to 35 days after 5 years’ service. BIRTHDAY BOOSTER: An extra day off on your birthday! PENSION: We offer a contributory pension scheme. DISCOUNTS: Enjoy generous discounts on Macs Adventure trips — you'll get to experience the same self-guided adventures we create for our customers, at a price that makes it easy to say yes. It's a perk built around what we love doing most: getting outside and exploring! TRAVEL INSURANCE: We provide you and your spouse/partner/children with annual worldwide travel insurance. FLEXIBLE WORKING: A flexible work culture - you’ll be able to work from home as well as coming into our hub office in Glasgow 3 days per week to collaborate with colleagues. GETTING TOGETHER: Regular team, management and leadership meetings and retreats. CULTURE: An innovative, fast growth, international and solution focused culture, where we work hard to embed our values across the business. L