At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a multidisciplinary team to build and scale digital platforms for optometrists.
- Company: Specsavers is investing in IDOC to enhance eye care through innovative digital tools.
- Benefits: Enjoy the autonomy to shape engineering practices and work with a distributed team.
- Other info: Flexibility in working hours is important due to multi-time zone collaboration.
- Why this job: This role combines global stability with startup innovation in digital eye care.
- Qualifications: Experience leading engineering teams delivering modern SaaS platforms is essential.
Background
Specsavers founders recently invested in IDOC, a US business alliance of independent optometrists, to further their organisational purpose of changing lives through better sight. IDOC exists to support independent optometrists in running their businesses, through providing high quality, affordable products, digital tools and business services. This role is being created to accelerate progress within the provision of digital tools for optometrists and their patients.
The Role
Are you ready to build something new, at scale, within our North American business? We're creating genuinely exciting new digital platforms that are reimagining eye care and we're looking for a UK-based Head of Engineering to lead the journey. You'll be working within a Specsavers Group company, on cutting-edge, startup-style initiatives, helping to build and scale the technology powering our US platform. It's a unique blend, backed by the strength of a global organisation, but with the pace, autonomy, and innovation you'd expect from a high-growth product environment.
As our engineering leader for the US, you'll take ownership of how we build, run, and scale our digital platforms. You'll lead a multidisciplinary team across backend, frontend, design and DevOps, shaping engineering standards, driving delivery, and creating a high-performing, high-trust culture. This platform has moved beyond early build and is now entering a critical phase of growth, stabilisation, and scale. Your ability to bring structure, clarity, and quality will be key.
What you will bring
You'll thrive in this role if you're comfortable operating both strategically and hands-on. You'll set development standards, strengthen testing and release practices, and ensure robust observability and production operations. You'll work closely with product and design to keep delivery predictable and aligned to business outcomes, while collaborating with architecture, data, and integration teams to ensure everything scales effectively.
What makes this role stand out is the environment. You'll be working with teams spanning multiple time zones, primarily in the UK and the USA, so flexibility in working hours is important. In return, you'll have the autonomy to shape how engineering of these products is done, support a distributed team, and build something that has real-world impact on healthcare and patient experiences.
We're looking for someone who has already led engineering teams delivering modern SaaS platforms, with a strong technical foundation in distributed systems and scalable architectures. Experience across technologies such as JavaScript, Node, APIs (GraphQL/REST), cloud infrastructure, CI/CD, and observability will set you up for success. Just as importantly, you'll bring a pragmatic leadership style. Someone who can build trust, develop people, and make good decisions in complex environments.
If you're excited by the idea of combining the stability of a global organisation with the pace and innovation of a startup and playing a key role in building the future of digital eye care, this is your opportunity. Join us as our Head of Engineering (US) and help shape technology that will support delivery of our purpose.
Head of Engineering in Hampshire employer: Specsavers
Join Specsavers, a leader in eye care, as they invest in IDOC to support independent optometrists. Enjoy benefits like flexible working hours and the chance to impact healthcare positively. Work within a dynamic team across the UK and USA, driving innovation in digital platforms.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Engineering in Hampshire
✨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 Specsavers 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 Specsavers.
✨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 Specsavers.
✨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 Specsavers 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 Head of Engineering in Hampshire
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 Specsavers.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Specsavers 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 Specsavers
✨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 Specsavers 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.
