At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead engineering teams to innovate and enhance financial tech solutions.
- Company: Cushon by WTW, a tech-driven financial services company.
- Benefits: 25 days annual leave, private healthcare, hybrid working, and more perks.
- Other info: Join a dynamic team focused on growth and community impact.
- Why this job: Shape the future of finance with cutting-edge technology and impactful projects.
- Qualifications: Proven leadership in engineering, strong technical expertise, and mentoring skills.
Description
Ready to shape engineering at scale? As our Engineering Lead, you’ll drive the platforms and tooling that help teams deliver faster, safer, and smarter.
Here at Cushon by WTW, we like to do things a bit differently... our mission is to help as many people as possible to get comfortable with their finances.
Our vision is to bring tech revolution to the financial services industry. We will do this by building simple, convenient, and delightful financial experiences centred on the individual. These will accumulate incrementally until one morning we will wake up and realise Cushon has become one of the UK’s best-loved financial apps.
We offer workplace savings products & pensions to customers, either directly, or through employee benefit programs at some of the largest corporates in the UK. We’re a technology-led organisation who believe we can offer great value to customers by building a user-friendly, smart, and cost-effective investment platform that automates many of the processes that would otherwise require large operations teams to manage.
So, to support us in this mission, we are looking for an Engineering Lead to provide technical leadership for one of our teams. You will help set direction for shared infrastructure and engineering operations - the production hosting, security perimeter, release pipelines, observability, and developer tooling that every engineering squad depends on to ship safely. This is a role that includes Line Management responsibility for your team of 5-7 Engineers with the assistance of an assigned Engineering Manager.
The Role
Technical Leadership
- Lead the evolution of backend architecture across PHP, Go, and API platforms, balancing speed with long-term scalability
- Define API and domain design standards, ensuring clear service boundaries and reliable integrations
- Drive event-driven architectures and integration patterns that enable teams to deliver independently
- Champion automated testing, observability, and production readiness across backend services
- Oversee database design, migrations, data integrity, and performance in partnership with platform teams
- Lead incident response, post-incident reviews, and continuous operational improvements
- Mentor engineers in PHP, Go, security, performance, and backend best practices
- Support high-risk releases, rollouts, and cross-team dependencies across modern and legacy systems
Delivery Leadership
- Lead delivery of complex, multi-team initiatives by managing dependencies, resources, and blockers
- Define and drive technical strategy, improving engineering practices and delivery processes
- Build strong partnerships across product, engineering, security, and business teams
- Keep teams focused on priorities while balancing technical debt and operational needs
- Drive collaboration across teams and lead cross-engineering initiatives with fellow Engineering Leads.
People & Developer experience
- Lead, coach, and mentor engineers to strengthen delivery and technical leadership
- Stay hands-on when needed, contributing to designs, code, and operational improvements
- Enhance developer experience through better tooling, documentation, and onboarding
- Support hiring and help raise the bar for engineering talent
- Empower teams to take ownership while providing guidance and direction where needed
Qualifications
What you’ll bring
- Proven experience leading engineering teams in fast-paced, regulated environments
- Deep expertise in a relevant engineering discipline, with broad end-to-end technical knowledge
- Track record of owning production systems from delivery through to operational support
- Experience leading complex, cross-team initiatives and driving technical outcomes
- Strong architectural judgement and a pragmatic approach to technical decision-making
- Expertise in automated testing, CI/CD, and safe release practices
- Strong understanding of observability, monitoring, and incident management
- Knowledge of security, compliance, and non-functional requirements in financial services
- Comfortable evolving both modern and legacy systems
- Hands-on leader who can contribute to code, design, and reviews when needed
- Ability to align technical decisions with business goals, delivery timelines, and reliability targets
- Champion best practices while balancing speed, quality, and stability
- Strong stakeholder management, communication, coaching, and mentoring skills
- Strategic thinker who fosters high-performing teams and engineering excellence
What we offer
- Enjoy a benefits package designed to help you thrive, both professionally and personally.
- You’ll receive 25 days of annual leave plus an extra WTW day to relax and recharge.
- Our comprehensive health and wellbeing offering includes private healthcare, life insurance, group income protection, and regular health assessments, all giving you peace of mind.
- Secure your future with our defined contribution pension scheme, featuring matched contributions up to 10% from the company.
- We support your growth and balance with hybrid working options, access to an employee assistance programme, and a fully paid volunteer day to make a difference in your community.
- On top of these, you can opt into a variety of additional perks including an electric vehicle car scheme, share scheme, cycle-to-work programme, dental and optical cover, critical illness protection, and much more.
- Start making the most of your career and wellbeing with a range of benefits tailored for you.
Equal Opportunity Employer
We’re committed to equal employment opportunity and provide application, interview and workplace adjustments and accommodations to all applicants. If you foresee any barriers, from the application process through to joining WTW, please email candidatehelpdesk@wtwco.com
#J-18808-Ljbffr
Software Engineering Lead employer: Willis Towers Watson
WTW is an exceptional employer that prioritises the professional and personal growth of its employees, offering a comprehensive benefits package that includes generous annual leave, private healthcare, and a robust pension scheme. The collaborative work culture fosters strong relationships across teams, while the opportunity to engage in meaningful projects within the affinity insurance sector allows for impactful contributions to the company's success. With hybrid working options and a commitment to employee wellbeing, WTW stands out as a rewarding place to build a fulfilling career.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Software Engineering Lead
✨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 Willis Towers Watson 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 Willis Towers Watson.
✨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 Willis Towers Watson.
✨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 Willis Towers Watson 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 Software Engineering Lead
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 Willis Towers Watson.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Willis Towers Watson 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 Willis Towers Watson
✨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 Willis Towers Watson 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.
