At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead engineering performance and drive impactful improvements in productivity and quality.
- Company: Fast-growing tech company with a collaborative and supportive culture.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, hybrid working, and amazing benefits.
- Why this job: Transform engineering practices and make a measurable impact in a dynamic environment.
- Qualifications: Proven experience in leading engineering teams and driving performance improvements.
- Other info: Join us in our mission to reach £250 million in revenue with exciting growth opportunities.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
Do you want to lead and transform engineering performance, driving real, measurable impact across productivity, quality, and delivery in a fast-growing technology business? If so, we’d love to hear from you.
Why join us
WorkNest, part of the wider Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) division owned by Axiom GRC, is expanding fast. Our group includes experts in Employment Law, HR, Health & Safety, Cybersecurity, ISO and Compliance. We are powered by pragmatic advice and cutting-edge technology. Recent acquisitions such as Bulletproof, Pentest People, IMSM and Wirehouse have accelerated our growth across UK and global markets. We are now on a mission to reach £250 million in revenue with more than 25% CAGR through a combination of organic growth and strategic acquisitions.
This role sits at the heart of our technology function, focused on driving meaningful improvements in engineering productivity, quality, and delivery outcomes across our platforms. You’ll play a key role in shaping how engineering delivers value to the business, ensuring strong alignment between technology investment and commercial outcomes.
What We Offer
- Salary: £60,000 - £80,000 per annum (depending on experience)
- Hybrid working: 2 days in the office
- Opportunity to lead and transform engineering performance at scale
- Collaborative team and supportive culture
- Amazing benefits
What We’re Looking For
We’re looking for an experienced Head of Engineering to lead our engineering function and drive significant improvements in productivity, delivery, and quality. This is not a traditional delivery leadership role. You’ll take ownership of how engineering operates as a performance system, introducing modern engineering practices, embedding meaningful metrics, and driving a shift towards outcome-focused delivery.
You’ll establish and track key engineering performance metrics such as deployment frequency, lead time for change, change failure rate, and cycle time. You’ll use these insights to identify and remove bottlenecks across the software development lifecycle. A key focus of the role will be leading the adoption of AI-assisted development across engineering teams. You’ll define how tools and approaches are used effectively, identify opportunities to automate repetitive tasks, and measure the impact of AI on productivity and delivery outcomes.
Working closely with Product, Commercial, and Operations teams, you’ll ensure engineering effort is aligned to clear business priorities, delivering measurable value such as revenue growth, cost efficiency, and improved client outcomes. You’ll also play a central role in evolving our ways of working, simplifying processes where needed, improving collaboration across teams, and building a high-performing engineering culture with clear accountability and ownership.
About You
This is a fantastic opportunity for a senior engineering leader who thrives on driving transformation and delivering measurable impact. You’ll bring proven experience leading engineering teams within a high-growth SaaS or technology environment, with a strong track record of improving engineering performance and delivery outcomes.
You’ll have experience implementing and using engineering metrics such as DORA or flow metrics, and you’ll be confident using data to drive decision‑making and continuous improvement. You’ll also have a strong understanding of AI-assisted development tools and how they can be used to enhance engineering productivity, along with the ability to lead both strategically and operationally across teams.
A confident stakeholder manager, you’ll be able to clearly link engineering activity to commercial outcomes, working effectively with senior leaders across Product, Commercial, and Operations. Experience in a private equity‑backed or high‑growth environment, or leading engineering transformation initiatives, would be advantageous.
Up for the challenge? If you share our values - Integrity, Excellence, Teamwork, and Inclusion, we’d love to hear from you. WorkNest is committed to promoting inclusion and diversity in all we do. If you need adjustments to support your application, please contact our Talent and Recruitment team.
Closing date: 18th April 2026. Please note: Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis. We may look to close the advert early, so please don’t delay in submitting an application.
Head of Engineering in Chester employer: Worknest
Contact Detail:
Worknest Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Engineering in Chester
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to current employees at WorkNest on LinkedIn or other platforms. Ask them about their experiences and any tips they might have for your application process. It’s all about making connections!
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for the interview by understanding the company’s mission and values. Be ready to discuss how your experience aligns with their goals, especially around engineering performance and AI-assisted development. Show them you’re not just a fit, but the perfect fit!
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your storytelling skills! Be ready to share specific examples of how you've driven transformation in previous roles. Use metrics and outcomes to back up your claims – numbers speak volumes in tech!
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in joining the WorkNest team. Let’s get you that interview!
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Engineering in Chester
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV speaks directly to the role of Head of Engineering. Highlight your experience in leading engineering teams and driving performance improvements, especially in a fast-paced tech environment like ours.
Showcase Your Achievements: Don’t just list your responsibilities; showcase your achievements! Use metrics to demonstrate how you’ve improved productivity, quality, or delivery outcomes in previous roles. We love numbers that tell a story!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Explain why you’re passionate about this role and how your values align with ours. Be sure to mention your experience with AI-assisted development and how it can transform engineering performance.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply through our website for a smoother application process. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you don’t miss out on any important updates from our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at Worknest
✨Know Your Metrics
Familiarise yourself with key engineering performance metrics like deployment frequency and cycle time. Be ready to discuss how you've used these metrics in past roles to drive improvements and align engineering efforts with business goals.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Style
Prepare to articulate your approach to leading engineering teams, especially in a high-growth environment. Highlight examples where you've transformed team performance or introduced modern engineering practices that resulted in measurable outcomes.
✨Emphasise Collaboration
Since this role involves working closely with Product, Commercial, and Operations teams, be prepared to share experiences where you successfully collaborated across departments. Discuss how you ensured alignment between engineering activities and commercial priorities.
✨AI-Assisted Development Insights
Given the focus on AI-assisted development, come equipped with insights on how you've implemented AI tools in previous roles. Discuss specific examples of how these tools improved productivity and delivery outcomes, and be ready to suggest potential applications for WorkNest.