Director of Software Engineering in Northampton

Director of Software Engineering in Northampton

Northampton Full-Time 108000 - 192000 £ / year (est.) Home office (partial)
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At a Glance

  • Tasks: Lead backend teams to deliver secure, resilient financial services for millions.
  • Company: Join a leading UK digital financial services organisation with a collaborative culture.
  • Benefits: Enjoy a £150,000 salary, bonuses, hybrid work, and flexible hours.
  • Why this job: Shape the future of banking while working with cutting-edge technology.
  • Qualifications: Extensive experience in backend engineering and team leadership required.
  • Other info: Great opportunities for learning, growth, and making a real impact.

The predicted salary is between 108000 - 192000 £ per year.

Location: London (Hybrid – 2–3 days per week in office)

Salary: £150,000 base + bonus + benefits

Employment: Permanent | Full-time (UK-based)

Tech Ninjas Consultants are partnering with a leading UK digital financial services organisation to hire a Director of Software Engineering. You’ll lead multiple backend teams, shape platform and architecture strategy, and stay close to the code while delivering secure, resilient services that power everyday banking for millions of customers.

What you’ll do:

  • Lead several backend engineering teams delivering high-availability, cloud-hosted services across payments, identity, onboarding, lending, fraud and core banking.
  • Define and evolve backend technical strategy, architecture, and engineering standards.
  • Design and deliver distributed, event-driven and microservices-based solutions on public cloud.
  • Ensure systems are observable, operable, performant, and straightforward to maintain.
  • Drive a strong engineering culture around automated testing (unit, integration, end-to-end, performance).
  • Champion secure-by-design principles and protect platforms from malicious actors.
  • Eliminate single points of failure and design for resilience, scale and zero-downtime releases.
  • Optimise data storage and access patterns (relational and other data stores) for reliability and performance.
  • Oversee incident management and production support, ensuring rapid recovery and root-cause fixes.
  • Stay close to the code: review critical changes, pair with engineers and guide technical decisions.
  • Manage priorities across multiple workstreams, aligning engineering delivery with product and business stakeholders.

You’ll thrive here if you:

  • Have extensive experience as a senior/backend engineering leader in complex, mission-critical environments.
  • Have led multiple teams or 30+ engineers in a complex environment.
  • Are still comfortable being hands-on as a backend engineer when needed.
  • Are highly proficient in modern Java and experienced with distributed systems and RESTful APIs.
  • Understand cloud-native architectures and have strong experience with public cloud (ideally AWS).
  • Are familiar with messaging/streaming technologies (e.g. Kafka, MQ or similar).
  • Care deeply about testing, quality, and reliability, and about building secure systems.
  • Communicate clearly with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
  • Enjoy coaching engineers, raising engineering standards and building high-performing teams.

Bonus points if you:

  • Have experience in regulated sectors (e.g. financial services, insurance, payments).
  • Have deep experience with microservices at scale in production.
  • Have strong AuthN/AuthZ experience in distributed systems.

The environment:

  • Cloud-native microservices stack running on public cloud (AWS preferred).
  • Modern Java ecosystem with strong focus on clean code and maintainability.
  • Mission-critical, always-on platforms with strong observability and incident practices.
  • Collaborative product, engineering and design culture with genuine influence for senior engineers.

Hiring process (via Tech Ninjas Consultants):

  • Intro call with Tech Ninjas
  • Conversation with hiring manager / senior engineering leader
  • Technical deep-dive (architecture, systems design and leadership-focused)
  • Final stage interviews (technical, leadership, and cross-functional collaboration)

We move at your pace and keep the process transparent.

Benefits & ways of working:

  • £150,000 base + bonus + benefits
  • Hybrid working: London office with 2–3 days per week on-site
  • Flexible working hours where possible
  • Strong focus on learning, growth and technical excellence

Inclusion & equal opportunities:

We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and are committed to an equitable, accessible hiring process. If you need adjustments at any stage, let us know via Tech Ninjas Consultants.

Interested? Hit Apply. You can also send your CV to info@tech-ninjas.co.uk with the subject line: Director of Software Engineering – Backend.

*Candidates must be based in the UK with the right to work in the UK*

Director of Software Engineering in Northampton employer: Tech-Ninjas Consultants

Join a leading UK digital financial services organisation that prioritises innovation and technical excellence in a collaborative environment. With a strong focus on employee growth, flexible hybrid working arrangements, and a commitment to inclusivity, this role offers the opportunity to lead talented teams while shaping the future of secure banking solutions for millions. Experience a culture that values hands-on leadership and encourages continuous learning, making it an ideal place for passionate engineering leaders.
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Contact Detail:

Tech-Ninjas Consultants Recruiting Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫

We think this is how you could land Director of Software Engineering in Northampton

✨Network Like a Pro

Get out there and connect with folks in the industry! Attend meetups, webinars, or even just grab a coffee with someone who’s already in a role you’re aiming for. It’s all about building relationships that could lead to job opportunities.

✨Show Off Your Skills

Don’t just talk about your experience; demonstrate it! Create a portfolio showcasing your projects, especially those related to backend engineering. This will give potential employers a taste of what you can bring to the table.

✨Ace the Interview

Prepare for those interviews by brushing up on technical questions and leadership scenarios. Practice explaining your thought process clearly, as communication is key when discussing complex topics with both techies and non-techies.

✨Apply Through Our Website

When you find a role that excites you, apply through our website! It streamlines the process and ensures your application gets the attention it deserves. Plus, we love seeing passionate candidates like you!

We think you need these skills to ace Director of Software Engineering in Northampton

Backend Engineering
Cloud Architecture
Java
Distributed Systems
RESTful APIs
Microservices
Event-Driven Solutions
Automated Testing
Incident Management
Data Storage Optimisation
Messaging/Streaming Technologies
Secure Software Development
Technical Leadership
Stakeholder Communication
Team Coaching

Some tips for your application 🫡

Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV reflects the skills and experiences that match the job description. Highlight your leadership in backend engineering and any relevant projects you've worked on, especially in financial services.

Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Use your cover letter to tell us why you're the perfect fit for this role. Share your passion for backend development and how your experience aligns with our mission of delivering secure, resilient services.

Showcase Your Technical Skills: Don’t shy away from detailing your technical expertise. Mention your proficiency in modern Java, cloud-native architectures, and any experience with microservices or distributed systems that you have.

Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website for a smoother process. It helps us keep track of your application and ensures you don’t miss out on any important updates!

How to prepare for a job interview at Tech-Ninjas Consultants

✨Know Your Tech Inside Out

As a Director of Software Engineering, you’ll need to demonstrate your deep understanding of backend technologies. Brush up on modern Java, distributed systems, and cloud-native architectures. Be ready to discuss specific projects where you've implemented these technologies.

✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills

Prepare examples that highlight your experience leading multiple teams and driving engineering culture. Think about how you've coached engineers and raised standards in previous roles. This is your chance to show how you can inspire and manage a large team effectively.

✨Be Hands-On with Problem Solving

Even though this is a leadership role, being hands-on is crucial. Be prepared to discuss how you stay close to the code and make technical decisions. Share instances where you’ve tackled complex issues or guided teams through challenging situations.

✨Communicate Clearly and Confidently

You’ll be interacting with both technical and non-technical stakeholders, so practice explaining complex concepts in simple terms. Prepare to discuss how you’ve successfully communicated strategies and technical details in past roles, ensuring everyone is on the same page.

Director of Software Engineering in Northampton
Tech-Ninjas Consultants
Location: Northampton
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