At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a high-impact team to evolve platform capabilities and drive strategic initiatives.
- Company: Join Wise, a global tech company revolutionising money management.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, inclusive culture, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Be part of a diverse team committed to innovation and inclusivity.
- Why this job: Shape the future of platform engineering and make a real impact.
- Qualifications: Proven leadership experience in platform or engineering with a strategic mindset.
Company Description
Wise is a global technology company, building the best way to move and manage the world’s money. Min fees. Max ease. Full speed. Whether people and businesses are sending money to another country, spending abroad, or making and receiving international payments, Wise is on a mission to make their lives easier and save them money. As part of our team, you will be helping us create an entirely new network for the world's money. For everyone, everywhere.
The Platform Engineering tribe provides the core capabilities that enable Wise to build and run its products at scale. The scope is broad, covering compute and data infrastructure, build and release systems, ML and AI capabilities, and incident and resilience tooling, among others — all within a highly innovative and regulated environment. The platform drives mission-aligned outcomes across reliability, efficiency, productivity, and risk. Today, the tribe consists of 30+ teams. As Wise continues to grow and the technology landscape evolves, we need to continually adapt and strengthen our platform to support the next phase of scale. We are expanding our leadership team to help shape this evolution.
This role sits within our senior platform leadership group. We’re looking for a proven leader to join us and do things differently. This is a senior leadership role with line management responsibility, combined with a broader mandate to shape the direction of platform engineering at Wise. You’ll start by leading a focused team while taking ownership of a broader, cross-team priority, with scope expected to grow as the function evolves. While you’ll begin with a focused team, your impact will extend well beyond it through influence across the wider engineering organisation.
The primary focus is shaping the next evolution of our platform as a cohesive system of capabilities that supports how engineering teams build, ship, and operate software. This includes responding to how emerging technologies, such as AI, are changing developer workflows and platform expectations. This includes improving how we ensure reliability, evolving platform capabilities, and introducing standards and practices where they create leverage — while enabling teams to operate with autonomy. You’ll work closely with teams across Wise to align priorities, introduce new ways of working, and help shape how this space evolves over time.
What you’ll do
- Lead and develop a small, high-impact team
- Set clear direction and ensure delivery against key priorities
- Own and drive cross-engineering strategic initiatives focused on evolving platform capabilities
- Work across squads to align on priorities, standards, and ways of working
- Define and introduce platform standards and practices where they create leverage
- Improve engineering effectiveness by evolving platform capabilities, developer workflows, and feedback loops
- Translate emerging technologies and trends into practical applications
- Help shape operating models, team responsibilities, and ways of working that support scalable engineering
- Partner with senior stakeholders to shape strategy and influence decisions
- Use data and insight to guide direction and measure impact
The experience, background and competencies needed to succeed in this role
- Proven experience operating at Director (or equivalent) level within platform or engineering, with strong experience across the software development lifecycle
- Strong track record of leading through influence, not just formal authority
- Experience owning and delivering cross-team or organisation-wide initiatives
- Comfortable working across multiple squads and aligning different priorities
- Ability to define and drive strategic themes (e.g. platform, developer experience, or technology shifts)
- Ability to think strategically while staying close to execution
- Hands‑on mindset; able to go deep when needed as well as set direction
- Strong problem‑solving skills; able to bring clarity to complex and ambiguous areas
- Excellent stakeholder management; able to influence senior leaders and peers
- Clear communicator; able to simplify complex ideas for different audiences
- Data‑driven approach; uses data to guide decisions and measure impact
- Experience introducing new technologies or evolving existing platforms
- Experience improving engineering systems through a combination of technology, process, and culture
- Ability to balance short‑term delivery with long‑term thinking
- Strong sense of ownership and accountability for outcomes
- Collaborative and low‑ego approach; builds trust across teams
- Experience leading leaders, with the ability to build and scale leadership layers over time
- Passion for staying close to industry trends and emerging technologies
- Alignment with Wise’s mission and values
Leading at Wise
Our 4D leadership framework, defined by four key attributes, captures what it means to be an impactful leader at Wise. Our unique culture gives teams and individuals the autonomy to make impactful decisions for our customers. Leaders empower their teams to deliver this impact and champion our culture.
- Design: Our leaders design the strategic direction, empowering their teams to operate autonomously and make data‑driven decisions that directly benefit our customers.
- Drive: They drive a high‑performing culture by acting as a coach, nurturing an environment of continuous development and growth.
- Develop: Leaders actively develop resilience and emotional intelligence to lead authentically and by example.
- Disrupt: They disrupt the status quo by championing change and innovation, constantly seeking new ways to achieve our mission.
Additional Information
For everyone, everywhere. We're people building money without borders — without judgement or prejudice, too. We believe teams are strongest when they are diverse, equitable and inclusive. We're proud to have a truly international team, and we celebrate our differences. Inclusive teams help us live our values and make sure every Wiser feels respected, empowered to contribute toward our mission and able to progress in their careers.
Engineering Director - Platform employer: Wise
Wise is an exceptional employer that fosters a culture of innovation and inclusivity, empowering employees to make impactful decisions while supporting their professional growth. With a focus on collaboration and autonomy, the company offers competitive compensation and a dynamic work environment in a global technology landscape, making it an ideal place for those looking to lead and shape the future of platform engineering.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Engineering Director - Platform
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to folks in your industry, especially those already at Wise. A friendly chat can open doors and give you insider info on the role.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for the interview by diving deep into Wise's mission and values. Show us how your experience aligns with our goals and how you can contribute to our platform evolution.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your storytelling skills! Be ready to share specific examples of how you've led teams and driven change in previous roles. We love hearing about real impact!
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed and shows your enthusiasm for joining the Wise team.
We think you need these skills to ace Engineering Director - Platform
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV:Make sure your CV is tailored to the Engineering Director role. Highlight your experience in platform engineering and leadership, and don’t forget to showcase how you’ve driven strategic initiatives in the past.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you’re passionate about Wise’s mission and how your skills align with the role. Be genuine and let your personality come through.
Showcase Your Impact:When detailing your past experiences, focus on the impact you’ve made. Use data and specific examples to illustrate how you’ve improved engineering systems or led teams to success. We love numbers!
Apply Through Our Website:Don’t forget to apply 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 Wise!
How to prepare for a job interview at Wise
✨Know Your Stuff
Before the interview, dive deep into Wise's platform engineering and its current challenges. Familiarise yourself with their tech stack, recent projects, and how emerging technologies like AI are shaping the industry. This will not only show your genuine interest but also help you speak confidently about how you can contribute.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Style
As a potential Engineering Director, it's crucial to demonstrate your leadership approach. Prepare examples of how you've led teams through change, influenced cross-functional initiatives, and fostered a high-performing culture. Be ready to discuss how you empower teams while driving strategic goals.
✨Align with Their Mission
Wise is all about making money management easier for everyone. Make sure to articulate how your values align with this mission. Share experiences where you've championed inclusivity and innovation, and how you plan to disrupt the status quo in platform engineering to support Wise's goals.
✨Prepare Questions That Matter
Interviews are a two-way street! Prepare insightful questions that reflect your understanding of Wise's challenges and opportunities. Ask about their vision for the platform's evolution, how they measure success, and what they see as the biggest hurdles in the near future. This shows you're not just interested in the role, but also in the company's direction.
