Head of Engineering

Head of Engineering

Full-Time 80000 - 100000 £ / year (est.) No home office possible
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At a Glance

  • Tasks: Lead engineering teams, ensuring high-quality software design and development.
  • Company: WSD, a leading provider of document automation software for tier-one financial institutions.
  • Benefits: Senior role with accountability, focus on AI-enabled development, and a culture of continuous improvement.
  • Other info: Diverse workplace that values inclusivity and encourages applications from all backgrounds.
  • Why this job: Make a real impact in a dynamic environment while working on complex, regulated problems.
  • Qualifications: Hands-on coding experience, strong understanding of AI tools, and leadership skills.

The predicted salary is between 80000 - 100000 £ per year.

WSD is seeking a Head of Engineering to lead our engineering organisation and take accountability for how software is designed, built, tested, deployed, and operated across the company. This is a hands-on engineering leadership role, not a purely managerial position. We are explicitly looking for someone with recent, sustained production coding experience, who actively writes code, reviews pull requests, and sets standards by example. A strong bias toward AI-assisted and AI-native software development is essential. You will combine deep technical credibility with inclusive, people-first leadership, working closely with Product, Architecture, Security, Platform, and Delivery leaders to ensure WSD delivers high-quality, secure, and scalable solutions to tier-one financial institutions operating in regulated markets.

About WSD:

  • Leading provider of document and workflow automation software for the global structured products industry
  • Trusted by tier-one banks and asset managers in highly regulated environments
  • Cloud-agnostic, secure, and operationally resilient platforms
  • Private-equity backed, headquartered in London, with global engineering teams
  • Engineering culture centred on quality, accountability, and continuous improvement

Key Responsibilities:

  • Own and lead the engineering function at WSD, with accountability for execution, quality, and outcomes
  • Ensure engineering practices align with product strategy, regulatory obligations, and operational resilience
  • Set, enforce, and continuously improve standards for:
  • Code quality, maintainability, and testability
  • Automated testing and CI/CD pipelines
  • Release management and production readiness
  • Provide clear technical leadership to Engineering Managers, Tech Leads, and senior engineers
  • Remain actively hands-on in code, particularly in:
    • Core platform components
    • Complex integrations
    • AI-enabled features and workflows
  • Review designs and code where scale, risk, or complexity requires senior judgement
  • Drive adoption of modern engineering tooling, including AI-assisted development workflows
  • Partner closely with the CPTO, Product, Architecture, Security, and Platform leadership
  • Be accountable for engineering productivity, predictability, and operational performance
  • What you'll bring:

    • Non-negotiable: hands-on engineering
    • Recent, sustained hands-on coding experience in production systems
    • Comfortable committing code, reviewing PRs, and refactoring existing systems
    • Strong bias toward readable, testable, long-lived code
    • Ability to step into complex codebases and improve them pragmatically
    • Experience designing and implementing RESTful and GraphQL APIs
    • Engineering judgment & systems thinking
    • Experience building and evolving business-critical platforms
    • Strong understanding of:
    • Monoliths and distributed systems
    • Microservices and event-driven architectures
    • Sensible modernisation strategies
  • Ability to make trade-offs that balance speed, risk, and long-term health
  • AI-first development mindset
  • Strong, practical bias toward AI-augmented engineering as part of daily work
  • Hands-on experience using AI tools for:
    • Code generation and refactoring
    • Test creation and coverage improvement
    • Documentation and internal tooling
  • Experience applying LLMs to real production use-cases such as:
    • Document automation
    • Content generation
    • Intelligent workflows
  • Clear understanding of AI risk, governance, and explainability in regulated environments
  • Cloud, DevOps and Operations
  • Experience building and running systems on AWS, Azure, or GCP
  • Strong hands-on experience with Docker and Kubernetes
  • Practical use of Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, CloudFormation, or Bicep)
  • Deep understanding of CI/CD pipelines and Git-based workflows
  • Strong operational mindset covering monitoring, alerting, incident response, and resilience
  • Security and Regulated environments
  • Strong understanding of secure coding practices and frameworks such as OWASP and NIST
  • Experience implementing authentication and authorisation (OAuth2, OIDC, SAML)
  • Familiarity with GDPR, ISO 27001, SOC 2, and regulated delivery environments
  • Ability to embed security and compliance directly into engineering practices
  • Leadership style
  • Leads through clarity, presence, and technical credibility
  • Sets high standards without micromanagement
  • Inclusive, people-first approach with clear accountability
  • Comfortable challenging teams constructively when quality or ownership slips
  • Why Join WSD:

    • Senior role with real accountability for how engineering operates day-to-day
    • Clear mandate to improve delivery through pragmatism, discipline, and AI-enabled development
    • Complex, regulated problems with direct client and commercial impact
    • Strong alignment between product, engineering, and architecture
    • Environment that values engineering quality, ownership, and continuous improvement

    If you have the skills, experience and drive to excel in this challenging and rewarding role, we would love to hear from you. Apply today and take the next step in your career with us!

    WSD is an employer that values diversity. We highly encourage applications from appropriately qualified and eligible candidates irrespective of age, race, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, veteran status, disability, or any other status protected by applicable law.

    Head of Engineering employer: Wall Street Docs

    WSD is an exceptional employer that fosters a culture of quality, accountability, and continuous improvement within its engineering teams. Located in London, we offer a dynamic work environment where you can take on significant responsibilities while collaborating closely with cross-functional leaders to tackle complex, regulated challenges. With a strong emphasis on AI-assisted development and hands-on coding, WSD provides ample opportunities for professional growth and innovation, making it an ideal place for engineers looking to make a meaningful impact.
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    Contact Detail:

    Wall Street Docs Recruiting Team

    StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫

    We think this is how you could land Head of Engineering

    ✨Tip Number 1

    Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the industry, attend meetups, and engage with online communities. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.

    ✨Tip Number 2

    Show off your skills! Create a portfolio showcasing your recent projects, especially those involving AI-assisted development. This will give potential employers a taste of what you can bring to the table.

    ✨Tip Number 3

    Prepare for interviews by brushing up on your coding skills and understanding the latest trends in engineering practices. Be ready to discuss how you've tackled complex problems and improved systems in your past roles.

    ✨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, it shows you're genuinely interested in joining our team at WSD.

    We think you need these skills to ace Head of Engineering

    Hands-on Coding Experience
    Code Review
    AI-assisted Software Development
    Technical Leadership
    RESTful APIs
    GraphQL APIs
    Systems Thinking
    Microservices Architecture
    Event-driven Architectures
    AI Tools for Code Generation
    Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, CloudFormation, Bicep)
    CI/CD Pipelines
    Secure Coding Practices
    Authentication and Authorisation (OAuth2, OIDC, SAML)
    Monitoring and Incident Response

    Some tips for your application 🫡

    Show Off Your Coding Skills: Make sure to highlight your recent coding experience in your application. We want to see that you’re not just a manager but someone who’s actively involved in writing code and reviewing pull requests. Share specific examples of your hands-on work!

    Tailor Your Application: Don’t just send a generic application! Tailor your CV and cover letter to reflect the key responsibilities and skills mentioned in the job description. We love seeing how your experience aligns with our needs, especially around AI-assisted development.

    Be Clear and Concise: When writing your application, keep it clear and to the point. Use straightforward language to describe your achievements and experiences. We appreciate clarity and want to quickly understand what you bring to the table.

    Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it shows you’re keen on joining our team at WSD!

    How to prepare for a job interview at Wall Street Docs

    ✨Show Your Hands-On Experience

    Make sure to highlight your recent coding experience during the interview. Be prepared to discuss specific projects where you actively wrote code, reviewed pull requests, and improved existing systems. This will demonstrate your technical credibility and hands-on approach.

    ✨Emphasise AI-First Development

    Given the role's focus on AI-assisted development, come ready to share examples of how you've integrated AI tools into your engineering practices. Discuss any experiences with code generation, test creation, or using LLMs in production use-cases to show your bias towards AI-native solutions.

    ✨Demonstrate Leadership Style

    Be prepared to talk about your leadership approach. Share examples of how you've led teams through clarity and accountability while maintaining an inclusive environment. Highlight situations where you've constructively challenged teams to uphold quality standards.

    ✨Understand Regulatory Environments

    Since WSD operates in regulated markets, brush up on your knowledge of secure coding practices and compliance frameworks like OWASP and GDPR. Be ready to discuss how you've embedded security and compliance into engineering practices in past roles.

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