At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a global team to innovate and enhance SaaS platforms with AI-driven solutions.
- Company: Join Elsevier, a leader in science and healthcare analytics.
- Benefits: Enjoy generous holidays, health perks, flexible hours, and professional development opportunities.
- Other info: Be part of a supportive culture that values work-life balance and personal growth.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on global research and healthcare through cutting-edge technology.
- Qualifications: 15+ years in software engineering with leadership experience in SaaS platforms.
The predicted salary is between 100000 - 150000 £ per year.
About the Team
Elsevier, part of the RELX Group, is a global leader in information and analytics for science and healthcare. Our mission is to partner with the research and healthcare communities we serve to advance knowledge and drive human progress. Within the Academic Leaders & Funders (AL&F) Solutions group, we deliver data-driven insights, workflow solutions, and platforms that strengthen strategy, performance, collaboration, and operational efficiency for university leaders and research funders worldwide.
About the Role
This is a portfolio-wide engineering leadership role responsible for strategy, delivery, and operations across a global suite of SaaS platforms. Reporting to the CTO and leading ~120 engineers, you will drive a shift toward an AI-enabled, automated engineering and product model, improving how we build software and how our products deliver value to customers. You will work closely with product leadership to translate strategy into scalable, secure, and high-performing platforms used by institutions worldwide.
Key Deliverables & Success Metrics
- Define and execute an engineering strategy aligned to portfolio and product priorities
- Evolve the organisation toward an AI-first operating model, improving developer effectiveness and delivery speed
- Deliver data-centric solutions with embedded intelligence that enhance workflows and decision-making
- Improve scalability, reliability, and integration across the portfolio
- Build a high-performing, globally distributed engineering organisation
Responsibilities
- Set and deliver the multi-year engineering roadmap in partnership with product and technology leadership
- Lead the development of cloud-native SaaS platforms supporting complex, workflow-driven use cases
- Introduce AI-assisted development practices and tooling to improve speed, quality, and efficiency
- Drive integration of products, platforms, and data, including post-acquisition alignment and simplification
- Establish scalable data and platform foundations to support analytics, automation, and future AI use cases
- Standardize engineering practices, architecture, and tooling across teams to reduce fragmentation
- Ensure strong governance, security, and regulatory compliance across global markets
- Partner with product, UX, and commercial teams to deliver end-to-end customer outcomes
- Build and develop a global engineering organisation, strengthening leadership capability and technical depth
- Operate effectively in a matrixed environment, influencing senior stakeholders and driving execution
Requirements
- 15+ years’ experience in software engineering, including senior leadership roles
- Proven track record delivering complex SaaS platforms at scale
- Experience embedding AI, data, or automation capabilities into products or engineering workflows
- Strong background in cloud-native architectures and modern engineering practices
- Demonstrated success leading large, global engineering teams (100+)
- Ability to translate technical strategy into measurable business and customer outcomes
- Strong stakeholder leadership across product, data, and commercial functions
- Experience integrating products, platforms, and data, including through acquisition is desirable
What Success Looks Like
- Engineering teams deliver faster, with higher quality and less friction
- Platforms are simpler, better integrated, and built on shared data foundations
- Products increasingly deliver automation, insight, and intelligent support to users
- The organisation adopts a modern, AI-enabled way of building and operating software
Work in a way that works for you
We promote a healthy work/life balance across the organisation. We offer an appealing working prospect for our people. With numerous wellbeing initiatives, shared parental leave, study assistance and sabbaticals, we will help you meet your immediate responsibilities and your long-term goals. Working flexible hours - flexing the times when you work in the day to help you fit everything in and work when you are the most productive.
Working for you
We know that your wellbeing and happiness are key to a long and successful career. These are some of the benefits we are delighted to offer:
- Generous holiday allowance with the option to buy additional days
- Health screening, eye care vouchers and private medical benefits
- Wellbeing programs
- Life assurance
- Access to a competitive contributory pension scheme
- Save As You Earn share option scheme
- Travel Season ticket loan
- Electric Vehicle Scheme
- Optional Dental Insurance
- Maternity, paternity and shared parental leave
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Access to emergency care for both the elderly and children
- RECARES days, giving you time to support the charities and causes that matter to you
- Access to employee resource groups with dedicated time to volunteer
- Access to extensive learning and development resources
- Access to employee discounts scheme via Perks at Work
About the Business
A global leader in information and analytics, we help researchers and healthcare professionals advance science and improve health outcomes for the benefit of society. Building on our publishing heritage, we combine quality information and vast data sets with analytics to support visionary science and research, health education and interactive learning, as well as exceptional healthcare and clinical practice. At Elsevier, your work contributes to the world’s grand challenges and a more sustainable future.
We know your well-being and happiness are key to a long and successful career. We are delighted to offer country specific benefits. We are committed to providing a fair and accessible hiring process. If you have a disability or other need that requires accommodation or adjustment, please let us know by completing our Applicant Request Support Form or please contact 1-855-833-5120.
We are an equal opportunity employer: qualified applicants are considered for and treated during employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, citizenship status, disability status, protected veteran status, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.
VP Technology - Software Engineering in London employer: RELX
At Elsevier, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer that champions innovation and employee well-being. Our commitment to a healthy work/life balance is reflected in our generous benefits package, which includes flexible working hours, extensive learning opportunities, and wellbeing initiatives designed to support your personal and professional growth. Join us in a collaborative and inclusive environment where your contributions directly impact the advancement of science and healthcare globally.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land VP Technology - Software Engineering in London
✨Join Local Tech Meetups
Get out there and mingle with fellow developers by joining local tech meetups. It’s a fantastic way to meet people who might be working at RELX or know someone who does. Plus, you can pick up some trendy tech skills and trends while you're at it!
✨Contribute to Open Source Projects
Show off your coding chops by jumping into open-source projects. Not only does this give you practical experience, but it also gets you noticed in the dev community. You'll create a killer portfolio that speaks volumes about your skills to RELX.
✨Tap into Online Developer Communities
Don’t underestimate the power of online developer communities like GitHub, Stack Overflow, and even Reddit. Participate in discussions, share your projects, and build your visibility. We can often find opportunities through these channels that can lead to a full-time gig at companies like RELX.
✨Explore Job Boards Specifically for Tech Roles
Keep your eyes peeled on job boards that focus on tech roles. Sites like TechCareers or Stack Overflow Jobs can often have listings for companies like RELX that might not show up on broader job sites. Make it a habit to check these regularly, and don’t hesitate to apply directly through our website!
We think you need these skills to ace VP Technology - Software Engineering in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show off your coding skills:When applying for a software engineering role, it's super important to showcase your coding skills. Make sure your CV includes your tech stack, any relevant programming languages you’re comfortable with, and examples of projects you've worked on. If you have a GitHub profile, link it up! We love to see code in action.
Tailor your portfolio:For a full-time role, we’d expect to see some solid examples of your work in your portfolio. Make sure to include at least two or three projects that highlight your problem-solving skills and your ability to work with different technologies. Focus on the projects that are most relevant to the position at RELX.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at RELX and how your skills align with the role. Show us your passion for software development. We dig enthusiastic candidates who understand the value of collaboration and continuous learning!
Be clear and concise:When it comes to writing your CV and cover letter, clarity is key. Avoid jargon that could confuse us and stick to simple, direct language. Highlight your achievements with quantifiable results where possible, and keep everything easy to read. A well-organised application goes a long way!
How to prepare for a job interview at RELX
✨Brush Up on Your Coding Skills
For a full-time software engineering role, it's crucial that we stay sharp with our coding abilities. Expect technical questions that might involve solving problems on the spot or discussing algorithms. Practise on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to get comfortable with the types of questions that often come up.
✨Know Your Tools and Frameworks
Make sure we’re well-acquainted with the tools and technologies listed in the job description. Familiarise ourselves with any specific frameworks or programming languages mentioned. If RELX uses React or Node.js, for instance, be ready to discuss how we’ve used them in previous projects or coursework.
✨Showcase Your Projects
Bring along a portfolio that highlights our best work. This could be code samples, GitHub repositories, or any side projects we’ve built. Make sure we can talk through our thought process for each project, especially the challenges we faced and how we solved them—this shows our problem-solving skills in action.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
While technical skills are key, full-time positions also require cultural fit. Be ready to discuss our previous experiences and how we handle teamwork, conflict, and deadlines. Brush up on the STAR method—Situation, Task, Action, Result—to clearly articulate our past experiences when discussing how we've contributed to a team.
