Full Stack Technical Lead - II - Index Modernisation (UK) in City of Westminster

We're looking for an experienced Application Engineering Tech Lead to join our UK-based Index Team and play a key role in our Index Modernisation programme. This initiative is transforming Index Data Management from a legacy platform to a modern, cloud-native AWS architecture, using technologies such as Lambda, ECS, and Angular. In this senior leadership role, you'll shape technical direction, guide solution design, review code, and work closely with teams in the UK and US to deliver a secure, scalable, and resilient Index Management platform. While you'll stay close to the technology, the focus is on technical leadership, architecture, and collaboration rather than day-to-day coding. Join Vanguard and help build modern investment technology that supports long-term client success.

Responsibilities

• Build thought leadership and expertise around best‑practice design and implementation.
• Be part of a business-facing IT team delivering new modernised solutions to the business, understanding/reviewing requirements, helping translate into program specifications and designs, and liaising with our Product Team and end users for user acceptance testing.
• Comply with defined code and documentation standards, including conducting code reviews.

Qualifications

• Be a self‑starter with the ability to effectively manage time across a complex and fast‑moving programme.
• Proven significant hands‑on experience designing and building robust, scalable applications using languages such as Java or C++.
• Previous experience of working within financial services.
• Experience in cloud development (AWS strongly preferred) and CI/CD technologies such as BitBucket/Bamboo and GitHub.
• Experience with modern front‑end frameworks such as React or Angular.
• Experience in designing and consuming API‑driven systems, including REST and/or GraphQL.
• Proven ability to lead technical design, set coding standards, and perform high‑quality code reviews.
• Experience translating business requirements into clear technical designs and program specifications.
• Ability to articulate complex technical concepts clearly to non‑technical stakeholders.
• Strong collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively across product, business, and engineering teams.
• Comfortable operating independently while also contributing as part of a high‑performing team.
• Ability to manage priorities and deliver outcomes in a fast‑moving, complex programme environment.

Desirable Criteria

• Strong backend development experience using Python, with frameworks such as Flask (or equivalent).
• Experience in end‑to‑end testing with tools such as Cypress, Selenium, and Playwright.
• Knowledge of agile software development process/practices and familiarity with JIRA, Confluence, and other productivity tools.
• Understanding of Index Funds and the Index Data management domain.

How We Work: Vanguard has implemented a hybrid working model for the majority of our crew members, designed to capture the benefits of enhanced flexibility while enabling in‑person learning, collaboration, and connection. This is a hybrid position and would require you to work in the office 3 days per week (Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday).

Our commitment to equal employment opportunity: Vanguard is an equal opportunity employer. Vanguard is committed to providing all crew members a working environment that is free from discrimination, prejudice and bias. Through this Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy, Vanguard reaffirms its commitment to equal employment opportunity for all applicants and crew members without regard to race, color, national origin or ancestry, religion, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, marital status, veteran or military status. In addition, Vanguard prohibits discrimination based on genetic information, as well as any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. Applicants with disabilities may be entitled to reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act and certain state or local laws. A reasonable accommodation is a change in the way things are normally done which will ensure an equal employment opportunity without imposing undue hardship on Vanguard.