At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and mentor a tech team while driving innovative software solutions for enterprise clients.
- Company: Join Simple Machines, a forward-thinking tech consultancy shaping the future of technology in the UK.
- Benefits: Be part of the leadership team, enjoy growth opportunities, and influence cutting-edge projects.
- Other info: Dynamic role with the chance to shape the future of technology without corporate red tape.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on technology and client relationships while leading a talented team.
- Qualifications: 15+ years in software engineering with strong leadership and consultancy experience.
The predicted salary is between 81000 - 99000 £ per year.
- Description
- Role in One Breath
You'll join the Simple Machines UK leadership team as a senior technology and people leader with deep roots in software engineering.
You'll help ensure the success and growth of our existing enterprise clients while opening new relationships, shaping propositions and solutions, and helping us win significant new work.
You'll provide senior technology leadership to our clients, lead major pursuits and develop our technology people, with genuine influence over what we build, what we take to market and where Simple Machines goes next in the UK and Europe.
Help lead the UK business. Grow our strategic accounts. Win new clients. Build an exceptional technology team.
What This Role Actually Involves
This is a hands-on technology leadership role.
You'll be deep in the work, helping our teams and clients successfully deliver complex software engineering programmes, while leading across architecture, clients, growth and people.
You'll influence as much as direct: selling ideas, building alignment and bringing clients, teams and other business units on the journey.
- Engineering and delivery leadership
- Get close to our most complex software engineering engagements and help ensure they succeed
- Lead the engineering of modern software solutions, increasingly including AI-native and agentic applications and systems
- Work directly with engineers, technical leads and architects to solve difficult technical and delivery problems
- Review architecture and engineering approaches, challenge decisions and step in where senior technical leadership is needed
- Drive strong engineering practices and ensure emerging AI and agentic solutions are engineered with enterprise-grade rigour
- Own the technical quality of our work and ensure what we deliver is something we are proud to stand behind
- Architecture and technical leadership
- Shape software, solution and enterprise architecture across major client programmes
- Make pragmatic architecture decisions balancing engineering quality, enterprise constraints and delivery
- Provide technical assurance across our portfolio while remaining close to the engineering
- Stay technically current and credible with our most senior engineers and architects
- Clients, influence and strategic accounts
- Help ensure the continued success and growth of our strategic enterprise accounts
- Act as a trusted technology adviser to senior client stakeholders
- Sell ideas and approaches to clients and internal stakeholders, building alignment and bringing people with you
- Work across consulting, delivery, data and AI to shape joined-up solutions and propositions
- Lead difficult technology, architecture and stakeholder conversations when senior intervention is required
- Go-to-market and growth
- Open new client relationships and lead early-stage technology conversations
- Turn client problems into compelling propositions, architectures and delivery approaches
- Personally shape proposals, pitches, RFPs and major pursuits
- Ensure what we sell is technically credible, commercially compelling and deliverable
- Work across Simple Machines to assemble the capabilities and support required to win and grow work
- People leadership
- Lead, mentor and develop our UK technology team
- Develop senior engineers, technical leads, principal engineers and architects through real client work
- Set a high bar for engineering craft, architecture and technical leadership
- Help attract exceptional technical talent and build a high-performance, low-ego engineering culture
Requirements
- Candidate Profile we are looking for
- Software engineering: 15+ years in software and technology, with a substantial part of your career spent hands-on as a software engineer, progressing through the engineering / technical path into architecture and technology leadership
- Technology consultancy: Significant experience within a recognised technology consultancy, working directly with complex enterprise clients
- Pre-sales and sales: Personally experienced in discovery, proposition and solution shaping, proposals, RFPs, tenders, pitches and winning consulting work
- Enterprise: Significant experience designing and delivering technology within complex Tier 1 environments; banking, trading, telecommunications, wagering and insurance are particularly relevant
- Architecture: Strong software, solution and enterprise architecture capability
- Leadership: Proven senior client leadership and experience leading and developing engineers, technical leads and architects
Benefits
- What's in it for you
- Join the UK leadership team and help shape our next stage of growth
- Grow Tier 1 strategic accounts while opening new client relationships
- Lead complex software, AI-native and agentic engineering programmes
- Genuine influence over our clients, people, technology and what we take to market
- Remain deep in technology while operating at Director level
- Lead and develop an exceptional senior technology team
- Build something significant without the bureaucracy of a large consultancy
Director - Technology in London employer: Simple Machines
At Simple Machines, we pride ourselves on fostering a collaborative and innovative work culture that empowers our employees to excel in their roles. As a Principal Software Engineer in London, you will benefit from a hybrid work model, competitive compensation, and opportunities for professional growth while working on cutting-edge technology projects that make a real impact for our clients. Join us to be part of a dynamic team where your contributions are valued and your career can flourish.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Director - Technology 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 Simple Machines 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 Simple Machines.
✨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 Simple Machines.
✨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 Simple Machines 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 Director - Technology 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 Simple Machines.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Simple Machines 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 Simple Machines
✨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 Simple Machines 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.
