At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the development of AI software for medical devices and shape the engineering team.
- Company: Innovative spinout from a leading UK university focused on healthcare technology.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, equity, and the chance to make a real impact in healthcare.
- Other info: Join a dynamic team and grow into a leadership role in a fast-paced environment.
- Why this job: Be a pioneer in AI-driven healthcare solutions and influence patient outcomes.
- Qualifications: 5+ years in software engineering with experience in medical device regulations.
The predicted salary is between 100000 - 120000 £ per year.
Software as a Medical Device
Location: Remote (UK-based), London HQ
Contract: Full-time, permanent
Reports to: CTO
Compensation: £100k - £120k + equity
Stage: Funded, venture-backed
About Our Client
Our client is a spinout from a leading UK university, building AI software that analyses standard 12-lead ECGs to predict disease before symptoms appear. They have validated models across 4 continents and 6M+ ECGs and are pursuing FDA 510(k) and EU MDR clearance. The founding team combines deep cardiology and electrophysiology expertise with AI research and commercial experience.
The Role
They are hiring their first senior engineering hire to build the production software platform that brings AI models into clinical workflows. This is a foundational role: you will own the software architecture, cloud infrastructure, and critically the regulatory software lifecycle. They need someone who has been through the process of bringing a medical device to FDA clearance or EU MDR approval and understands what 'production-grade' means in a regulated environment. This is not a long term solo individual contributor role; within 12–18 months, you will grow into leading a team of 4–6 engineers across backend, data architecture, DevOps, and product engineering.
What You'll Do
- Engineering & Architecture
- Design and build scalable, secure backend services and APIs for clinical AI inference and data processing
- Own cloud infrastructure (AWS), deployment pipelines, monitoring, and security controls
- Collaborate with the AI research team to deploy and serve machine learning models in production
- Establish engineering best practices across code review, testing, CI/CD, and documentation
- Data Architecture & Integration
- Design and maintain the data ingestion layer
- Integrate with Electronic Health Record systems and clinical data standards (FHIR, HL7)
- Build scalable pipelines that enable rapid onboarding of new hospital clients and ECG device types without re-engineering the core platform
- Regulatory & Compliance
- Lead the software development lifecycle under IEC 62304 – architecture documentation, risk management, verification, and validation
- Contribute to FDA 510(k) and EU MDR submission with software-related technical documentation
- Work within an ISO 13485 QMS framework and contribute to design FMEA, traceability, and risk management processes
- Leadership & Team Building
- Contribute to the product roadmap and technical strategy alongside the CTO
- Help define the engineering team structure and hiring plan as the company scales
- Mentor and manage future engineering hires, establishing a high-performance engineering culture from day one
- Work closely with a contracted development partner (ISO 13485-accredited) during the current build phase, with a view to progressively bringing development capability in-house
What We're Looking For
- Technical & Regulatory
- 5+ years of professional software engineering experience with significant backend and infrastructure work
- Direct experience contributing to a medical device that achieved FDA clearance or EU MDR/CE marking – this is essential
- Working knowledge of IEC 62304 and ISO 14971 in practice, not just theory
- Familiarity with ISO 13485 is strongly preferred
- Strong proficiency in Python; experience with production frameworks (Flask, FastAPI)
- Experience with cloud platforms (AWS preferred), Docker, and CI/CD pipelines
- BSc/MSc in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or equivalent experience
- Leadership & Growth
- Demonstrated experience leading, mentoring, or managing other engineers
- Track record of working autonomously with high ownership in a small team or early-stage environment
- Ability to translate between technical implementation and business or clinical requirements
- Comfortable making architectural decisions that balance speed, quality, and regulatory compliance
- Also Valuable
- Experience with healthcare data interoperability (FHIR, HL7, DICOM)
- Exposure to ML model serving, MLOps pipelines, or ML frameworks (TensorFlow, PyTorch)
- Understanding of GDPR, HIPAA, or UK Data Protection Act compliance
- Experience with Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, CloudFormation, AWS CDK)
- Experience designing data ingestion or ETL pipelines across heterogeneous source systems
What's On Offer
Competitive salary and equity in an early-stage company with significant upside. The opportunity to be the first senior engineering hire and define the technical foundation. Direct collaboration with world-class clinician-scientists. Work on AI with measurable impact on cardiovascular patient outcomes. A clear growth path into leading the engineering organisation through regulatory clearance and commercial deployment.
Head of Software Engineering in City of London employer: Unity Talent Solutions
Contact Detail:
Unity Talent Solutions Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Software Engineering in City of London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the industry, attend meetups, and engage in online forums. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by practising common questions and scenarios related to software engineering in medical devices. We recommend doing mock interviews with friends or using platforms that offer interview prep to boost your confidence.
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your expertise! Create a portfolio or GitHub repository that highlights your projects, especially those related to AI and medical software. This gives potential employers a tangible look at what you can bring to the table.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are proactive about their job search!
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Software Engineering in City of London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV is tailored to the Head of Software Engineering role. Highlight your experience with medical devices and any relevant regulatory knowledge, especially around FDA clearance or EU MDR approval. We want to see how your background aligns with our mission!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're passionate about AI in healthcare and how your skills can help us build a production software platform. Be sure to mention any leadership experience you have, as we’re looking for someone to grow into a team leader.
Showcase Your Technical Skills: In your application, don’t forget to showcase your technical skills, especially in Python and cloud platforms like AWS. Mention any experience with CI/CD pipelines and how you've implemented engineering best practices in previous roles. We love seeing concrete examples!
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply through our website for the best chance of getting noticed. It helps us keep track of applications and ensures you’re considered for this exciting opportunity to shape the future of healthcare technology with us!
How to prepare for a job interview at Unity Talent Solutions
✨Know Your Stuff
Make sure you brush up on your technical knowledge, especially around software engineering principles and regulatory standards like IEC 62304. Be ready to discuss your experience with FDA clearance or EU MDR approval, as this is crucial for the role.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Since this role involves building and leading a team, be prepared to share examples of how you've mentored or managed engineers in the past. Highlight your ability to foster a high-performance culture and how you plan to contribute to the team's growth.
✨Understand the Business Impact
Demonstrate your understanding of how software engineering decisions impact clinical workflows and patient outcomes. Be ready to discuss how you've balanced technical implementation with business needs in previous roles.
✨Prepare Questions
Have insightful questions ready about the company's vision, the challenges they face in regulatory compliance, and how you can contribute to their goals. This shows your genuine interest in the role and helps you assess if it's the right fit for you.