At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the design and operation of our Financial Planning platform, ensuring top-notch engineering standards.
- Company: Join Rathbones, a leading UK wealth manager with a strong commitment to client success.
- Benefits: Enjoy a competitive salary, private medical insurance, flexible holidays, and a company pension.
- Other info: Be part of a diverse team that values inclusion and personal growth.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in financial planning while developing your technical leadership skills.
- Qualifications: Experience in software engineering and familiarity with financial services is a plus.
The predicted salary is between 63000 - 77000 £ per year.
At Rathbones, we help people invest their money well, so they can live well. That means more than financial returns – it’s about helping people feel confident in their decisions and supported in their future. We don’t just manage money, we guide people through life’s big moments, helping them stay on track and focus on what matters most.
We’re proud to be one of the UK’s leading wealth managers, with £113.6bn in assets under management (as of March 2026) and 20+ offices across the UK and Channel Islands. We’re a FTSE 250 company with national reach and a local feel – and we’re growing.
About the Role
Lead the design, build, and operation of our Financial Planning platform, acting as the senior technical authority for financial planning engineering. Own the balance between hands-on delivery and technical leadership setting engineering standards, mentoring the team, and ensuring Xplan integrates cleanly with the wider technology estate (Salesforce CRM/FSC, Snowflake, and supporting middleware).
What you’ll be responsible for
- General Engineering Skills & Responsibilities
- Technical Leadership
- Set and enforce engineering standards: code quality, testing, documentation, release management
- Own architectural decisions for the financial planning domain; ensure designs are scalable, secure, and maintainable
- Lead technical design reviews and provide constructive, rigorous critique of peers' work
- Balance technical debt reduction against delivery pressure; make and defend prioritisation calls
- Delivery & Engineering Practice
- Comfortable with modern SDLC practices: CI/CD, version control (Git), automated testing, code review culture
- Experience with Agile/Scrum or Kanban delivery models
- API design and integration patterns (REST, SOAP, event-driven/pub-sub)
- Understanding of iPaaS/middleware concepts (e.g. MuleSoft or AWS Lambda) for cross-system integration
- Data modelling and understanding of how operational systems feed into data platforms (e.g. Snowflake)
- Security-conscious development: data protection, access control, secure coding practices relevant to financial services
- Back end skills - development of serverless functions or web apps, APIs and microservices e.g. in Python or Java
- People & Team Leadership
- Developing engineers - coaching engineers, config specialists, and admins toward stronger engineering practice
- Experience upskilling non-engineering staff (e.g. platform administrators) into engineering-capable roles
- Stakeholder management with business, compliance, and other engineering leads across a "build it, run it" model
- Domain Context
- Experience in financial services, ideally wealth management, private banking, or investment platforms
- Understanding of regulatory constraints affecting client data, advice records, and financial planning tools - Consumer Duty
- iRess Xplan-Specific Skills & Responsibilities
- Platform Configuration & Customisation
- Hands-on configuration of Xplan workflows, campaigns, forms, and page layouts, with the ability to build and troubleshoot custom business logic
- Coding/scripting for CRM customisation — templates, document generation (suitability reports, fact finds), and business rule logic
- Deep understanding of IFA/adviser back-office processes and how they map to Xplan's configuration model
- Integration & Data
- Xplan API / web services experience — building and maintaining integrations with CRM (Salesforce FSC), portfolio/IBOR systems (e.g. Charles River/EXBO equivalents), and data platforms
- Understanding of Xplan's data model (client, plan, product, adviser relationships) and how it maps to golden-source client data
- Experience with Xplan data migrations — cleansing, mapping, and validating legacy financial planning data into Xplan
- Familiarity with Xplan's reporting layer and how planning data surfaces into BI/Snowflake
- Platform Operations
- Experience managing Xplan releases, patches, and vendor-supplied upgrades (iRess release cycle)
- Troubleshooting and root-cause analysis of platform issues spanning Xplan and integrated systems
- Working knowledge of Xplan's permissioning/security model in a multi-adviser, multi-entity firm
- About you
- Prior experience running Xplan alongside a Salesforce CRM (Sales Cloud/FSC) in a "two systems talking" architecture
- Exposure to iRess product roadmap engagement — providing feedback into vendor backlog, participating in user groups
- Experience building internal engineering capability to reduce reliance on Xplan implementation partners/vendors
- Exposure to agentic SDLC practices - using claude code or github copilot to accelerate throughput
- Experience of building agentic solutions for wealth management
- A company pension - 9% non-contributory or 10% if you contribute 5%
- Private medical insurance – Individual on joining, family after 1 year’s service
- Life assurance - 8 x salary
- Income protection – 75 % salary
- Company share scheme
- Discretionary bonus
- Flexible holidays – purchase up to 5 additional days
- Green Car Scheme
- Family friendly policies – enhanced family leave for parents & carers
- Study support – study days and funding for courses and qualifications
- Season travel ticket loans
- Volunteering days
- Gym discounts
- Other voluntary benefits you can choose to suit you
- We aim high
- We get it done
- We show we care
- We do the right thing
If you meet some of these criteria and are excited about the role, we encourage you to apply.
Nice to Have
Our offer to you
We want everyone at Rathbones to fulfil their potential, in an environment where you are proud to work and feel like you belong. We offer a comprehensive remuneration package, which we review regularly, and benefits include:
Our employees can choose to take part in various social groups and communities to support their wellbeing, growth, development and sense of community. These include: Sports & Social Committees, such as cricket, football, netball, running, yoga, quiz nights, charity bake sales and much more. Inclusion Networks that help us drive change within the organisation such as Gender Balance, Multicultural, Abilities Count, Pride, Social Mobility, Generations, Menopause Matters@Rathbones’ and Armed Forces. The NextGen IM Network, which brings together a community of trainees from across the UK, who are all at the early stages of their careers and offers development opportunities, exposure across the business as well as peer support and connection.
Life at Rathbones
We aim to become an employer of choice for the wealth management sector, to achieve this we are working hard to build a diverse, equal, and inclusive workplace that motivates, develops and embraces the strengths of all our colleagues. Being part of Rathbones means you will join a team of passionate professionals in a successful culture that cares for its people. At Rathbones, we provide meaningful work, opportunities, and a voice to all. We are committed to building a team that is made up of diverse skills, experiences and abilities and encourage applications from all backgrounds. We welcome individuals who share our values. We’re a Disability Confident Employer (level 2) under the UK Government scheme. This means we’ve signed up to a set of commitments around how we recruit, retain and develop people with disabilities. If you require adjustments to apply for a role at Rathbones, please contact us via recruit@rathbones.com to let us know what adjustments you may need.
Mission
We believe in playing the long game. That means building consistent results, earning trust and doing the right thing — for our clients, our colleagues and the communities we’re part of. Our values shape how we work:
These aren’t just words on a wall. They guide how we treat each other, how we make decisions and how we build relationships that last. We will close this advert once we have received enough applications for the next stage. Please submit your application as soon as possible to ensure you don’t miss out.
Engineering Lead (Financial Planning) in London employer: Rathbones
Rathbones is an excellent employer that fosters a collaborative and innovative work culture, particularly within our hybrid Business Delivery Change team. We offer a comprehensive remuneration package, including a pension, medical insurance, and discretionary bonuses, alongside ample opportunities for professional growth and development in the dynamic field of investment management.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Engineering Lead (Financial Planning) in London
✨Tip Number 1: Tap Into Professional Networks
The finance world loves a good connection, so jump into industry-specific groups on platforms like LinkedIn where you can find discussions on financial controlling. Engaging in these communities can expose you to hidden job leads that aren't openly advertised!
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We think you need these skills to ace Engineering Lead (Financial Planning) in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Numbers Game:In financial controlling, detail is everything! Make sure your CV showcases your proficiency with numbers—highlight any relevant experience in budgeting, forecasting, or working with financial software. Quantifying your past achievements will make you stand out, so don’t be shy about flaunting those impressive percentages or cost savings you've implemented.
Tailored Cover Letter is Key:Your cover letter is a chance to shine, especially for a full-time role. Use it to express your genuine interest in Rathbones and the specific impact you hope to make in financial controlling. Mention any relevant qualifications or experiences that align with the company’s goals, and don’t forget to show that you're ready for a long-term commitment!
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Don’t Overlook Soft Skills:While numbers are crucial, so are those soft skills! Financial controllers need strong communication and analytical reasoning abilities. We recommend embedding examples of these skills in your CV and cover letter, like how you’ve successfully delivered financial reports to stakeholders or collaborated with teams to improve processes. Let’s show Rathbones how you can be a team player!
How to prepare for a job interview at Rathbones
✨Brush Up on Technical Skills
Make sure you're comfortable with key financial concepts, especially around forecasting, budgeting, and variance analysis. Sometimes, interviewers may throw in technical questions or case studies, so practicing these types of scenarios will help you shine!
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If you've had experience with specific financial software like SAP or Oracle, make it known! Be ready to discuss how you used these tools to improve processes or reporting, as this hands-on knowledge can really set you apart in a full-time role with Rathbones.
✨Know Your Numbers
In full-time interviews, especially in financial controlling, be prepared for numerical reasoning tests or questions. Brush up on your mental maths and understand how to interpret and analyse financial statements on the spot, as this may come up during the assessment.
✨Connect with Company Goals
Familiarise yourself with Rathbones's financial objectives and any recent developments. During the interview, try to weave your understanding of their business model and challenges into your answers—this shows your genuine interest and alignment with their goals!
