Technical Programme Manager

Technical Programme Manager

Full-Time 70000 - 90000 £ / year (est.) Home office (partial)
Thought Machine

At a Glance

  • Tasks: Lead complex technical programmes and collaborate with cross-functional teams to drive innovation.
  • Company: Join a rapidly growing fintech known for its fantastic workplace culture and innovative technology.
  • Benefits: Enjoy competitive salary, flexible hours, generous leave, and access to learning resources.
  • Other info: Diverse and inclusive environment with excellent career growth opportunities.
  • Why this job: Make a real impact in modern banking while working with cutting-edge technology.
  • Qualifications: Experience managing technical initiatives and understanding of modern tech stacks.

The predicted salary is between 70000 - 90000 £ per year.

Thought Machine's mission is bold – to properly and permanently rid the world's banks of legacy technology. To achieve this, we have developed the foundations of modern banking through core and payments technology which run natively in the cloud. We have grown rapidly in the past few years – growing our team to more than 550 individuals across offices in London, New York, Singapore, Sydney and our newly established Engineering Hub in Lisbon. We have raised more than £500m in funding and our investors include Molten Ventures, Eurazeo, Intesa Sanpaolo, Temasek, Nyca Partners, JPMorgan Chase Strategic Investments, Standard Chartered Ventures, and more.

We have created a culture that enables our team to produce the best work in the industry while ensuring we have fun along the way. We're regularly cited as having a fantastic workplace culture and have been recognised by Sifted magazine as having one of the highest Glassdoor ratings for a UK fintech company and the industry's most generous employee share package. Named one of the world's most innovative fintechs by Global Finance Magazine, we were also recognised by the Financial Times as one of Europe's fastest-growing companies for two consecutive years—and a UK Best Employer for 2026.

Technical Programme Managers at Thought Machine are responsible for the delivery of complex technical programmes within the engineering division. We take a leading role in forming and planning each programme and support engineering departments that contribute to the programme’s success.

Duties

  • Manage technical programmes: planning, setting milestones and success criteria and coordination of complex multi-team, multi-month engineering programmes.
  • Communicate schedules, priorities and updates to all levels in the company.
  • Support engineering departments to identify alignment gaps and reduce overhead.
  • Have a good understanding of the product and the technical skills to be able to dive into details to drive programmes forward.
  • Be outcome focussed and ensure everything we do supports the intended programme objectives.
  • Collaborate with large cross-functional teams.
  • Be engaged and energetic, helping to drive continuous improvement across the engineering organisation in a very fast paced and dynamic environment.
  • Develop tools and optimise processes to improve productivity and efficiency.

Essential

  • Proven track record managing cross-functional technical initiatives within a top tier technology company.
  • Timely delivery is not your only objective: you obsess over quality, reliability and product value.
  • Understand a modern microservice-based technology stack (Kubernetes, Kafka, AWS/GCP) built on a CI/CD pipeline.
  • Good understanding of the full software development lifecycle (product management, engineering, testing, operations).
  • Inquisitive mind and is motivated by solving problems.
  • Self-starter, able to operate autonomously to lead large multi-disciplinary efforts.
  • Excellent organisational, written, and presentation skills building strong relationships with stakeholders.

Desirable

  • Knowledge or experience in the retail banking industry.
  • Experience as a software engineer, an infrastructure engineer or some other technical role.

Benefits

  • Highly competitive salary
  • Pension plan (match up to 5%)
  • Life insurance - three times annual salary
  • Competitive maternity (six months fully paid) and paternity leave (four weeks fully paid)
  • Shared parental leave (matched to our maternity leave for the same point in time)
  • 25 days holiday and bank holidays
  • Flexible working hours
  • Cycle-to-work scheme
  • Electric car scheme
  • Season ticket loan
  • Access to outstanding learning materials and courses
  • Sports and hobby clubs, subsidised by Thought Machine
  • All the latest tech you need
  • Start the day properly with fresh fruit and cereals
  • Huge range of healthy (and not-so-healthy) snacks, smoothies and drinks
  • A talented and experienced team as your colleagues
  • An environment where we encourage learning and progress
  • Two charity days a year
  • Weekly food pop-up

We actively hire candidates who demonstrate technical excellence in their field and welcome people of all ages and backgrounds, providing everyone with equal access to professional development. You are encouraged to apply even if your experience doesn't accurately match the job description. We also encourage applications from those with different abilities, including candidates with ADHD, autism, dyslexia or dyspraxia.

Technical Programme Manager employer: Thought Machine

Thought Machine is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work culture that fosters innovation and collaboration. With a focus on employee growth, the company provides ample opportunities for professional development while ensuring a healthy work-life balance through flexible working hours and comprehensive benefits. Located in the UK, Thought Machine stands out for its commitment to empowering engineers to work closely with clients, making a tangible impact in the cloud technology space.

Thought Machine

Contact Details:

Thought Machine Recruitment Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫

We think this is how you could land Technical Programme Manager

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 Thought Machine 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 Thought Machine.

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 Thought Machine.

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 Thought Machine 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 Technical Programme Manager

Programme Management
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Technical Understanding
Microservices Architecture
Kubernetes
Kafka
AWS

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 Thought Machine.

Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Thought Machine 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 Thought Machine

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 Thought Machine 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.