Head of Engineering & Architecture in Leeds

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Hi, we're PEXA! We know you'll Google us before applying, so let's keep this brief. PEXA revolutionised the way that property is settled in Australia, turning a paper-based process into a digital one. Our solution is a world-first, with over 500 people across Australia and an expanding international team, we're helping 20,000+ families into their homes each week. We're passionate about solving problems for our customers - always striving to set the standard for how property is bought and sold. Being awarded as one of the best places to work in Australia is a recognition of our culture and commitment to innovation, customers and our community. We're growing fast, that is where you come in. We believe our success in Australia is worth sharing and that our proven technology will advance how the UK buys and sells homes. Establishing ourselves within the UK in late 2020, we are committed to collaborating with lawyers, conveyancers, lenders, government and the property industry, to set the new standard for both remortgages and buying and selling property.

Why become a PEXArian? Great question! Being a PEXArian is so much more than just a job. We're a passionate, motivated and unashamedly enthusiastic bunch at PEXA - we love what we do and we're proud to admit it! Creating brilliant experiences for our members and their clients wouldn't be possible without ensuring we deliver an exceptional employee experience.

Here's a snapshot of what your life at PEXA could look like:

• Your growth: We encourage you to hit your personal and professional learning and development goals with our tailored programs and tools.
• Your wellness: We care about your holistic wellbeing.
• Your work/life blend: We know that work is just one aspect of your life - we want to help you create your ideal work/life blend, rather than squeezing in life around work.

Role Overview

As Head of Engineering and Architecture at PEXA UK, you will own the engineering function and technical vision across our UK technology organisation. Working directly with the CTO, you'll define and execute technical strategy, lead engineering teams to deliver scalable solutions, and build the engineering capability that powers PEXA's growth. This role combines strategic technical direction with operational excellence - from hands-on architectural guidance to talent development and stakeholder collaboration.

Our Ethos

We believe in autonomous engineering teams where every engineer owns quality from development through production. As Head of Engineering and Architecture, you will shape this culture of ownership and build the engineering capability that enables PEXA UK's growth. You'll champion shift-left testing practices and promote T-shaped skill development. This role offers significant autonomy and the opportunity to shape the technical direction of a transformative property technology company.

Key Responsibilities

• Technical Strategy & Architecture: Define and drive the engineering vision, architecture principles, and technical roadmap for PEXA UK. Own product and solution architecture with focus on quality, scalability, and operational resilience in a highly integrated ecosystem. Establish engineering best practices, coding standards, and architectural governance across all teams. Evaluate and adopt emerging technologies and AI capabilities to maintain competitive advantage.
• Engineering Leadership & Delivery: Lead and scale engineering teams, driving delivery of complex programmes with significant business impact. Build, mentor, and inspire high-performing teams, fostering innovation and continuous learning. Define and drive OKRs for engineering quality, delivery velocity, and platform reliability. Drive operational excellence with strong focus on SLOs and data-driven decision making.
• People Leadership & Talent Development: Hire and grow the next generation of engineering leadership through coaching and performance management. Attract, retain, and develop top engineering talent, setting a high bar and leading by example. Conduct effective 1:1s with direct reports, providing career guidance and actionable feedback.
• Strategic Partnership: Partner with Product, Design, and Operations to shape and deliver strategic product roadmaps. Translate business requirements into technical solutions that deliver measurable customer value. Manage engineering budgets, resources, and vendor relationships.

Essential Skills & Experience

• Technical Background: Deep technical background with hands-on experience in backend systems, microservices, and distributed architectures. Strong full-stack foundation: .NET Core, Node.js, Python, Kotlin, cloud platforms (AWS, Azure), containerisation (Kubernetes, Docker). Track record of delivering high-scale, reliable, and secure platforms for enterprise customers. Knowledge of modern engineering practices: TDD, DDD, CI/CD, infrastructure as code.
• Leadership Skills: Proven experience leading and scaling engineering teams in high-growth technology environments. Experience leading and scaling 4-5 teams, 30-50 people, ideally including offshore partners. Exceptional leadership skills to inspire and retain high-performing teams. Excellent communication with ability to influence across teams and seniority levels. Strategic thinker comfortable in fast-paced, ambiguous environments.

Nice To Have

• Experience in financial services, property technology, or regulated industries.
• Experience leading distributed teams across multiple locations and time zones.
• Knowledge of AI/ML frameworks: LangChain, Anthropic Claude, AWS Bedrock, GitHub Copilot.
• Experience with modern data platforms: Databricks, Snowflake, dbt.
• Background in DevSecOps or platform engineering.

£120,000 - £130,000 a year. Sounds like you? We at PEXA are ready so if this role sounds like you apply today.