Head of Software Engineering

Head of Software Engineering

• Manchester (Hybrid 2-3 days per week)
• £80,000 – £100,000 + equity

The Opportunity

We’re partnering with a high-growth, early-stage AI Technology company to find a Head of Software Engineering to take ownership of their PaaS Platform delivery, manage & scale the engineering function, and lead the transition of an internal system into a robust, market-ready external product. This is a hands-on software engineering leadership role with real influence across technology, team, and product direction.

The Role & Responsibilities

• You’ll take full ownership of engineering delivery across a growing platform, leading and mentoring a team of 8 Python Engineers (software + Machine Learning) with scope to scale.
• Alongside team leadership, you’ll define and drive architectural decisions, ensuring the platform is scalable, reliable, and enterprise-ready. You’ll work closely with stakeholders across the business, translating commercial goals into clear technical direction and execution.
• A key part of the role is improving engineering standards, processes, and ways of working—creating a high-performing environment focused on accountability, pace, and continuous improvement. You’ll also oversee platform packaging and deployment, with a focus on containerised, production-ready solutions.

What We’re Looking For

• We’re looking for someone with a proven track record of delivering enterprise-grade SaaS or PaaS platforms and experience leading and scaling engineering teams.
• You’ll bring a strong technical foundation (Python preferred), along with hands-on experience in system architecture and complex technical decision-making. You should be comfortable operating in a startup or scale-up environment where priorities evolve and ambiguity is part of the journey.
• Experience in industrial, manufacturing, IoT, MES, or ERP environments is beneficial, as is exposure to ML/AI teams or data-driven platforms. Experience building products for non-technical users is also highly valuable.

The Environment & Impact

This role sits at the heart of a business tackling the challenge of standardising internal technology and delivering a simple, user-friendly platform for external integrators.

Success in this role means building a scalable, externally facing platform, establishing a high-performing engineering team, and creating clear technical direction and delivery processes - all while ensuring the product balances technical sophistication with real-world usability.

If you’re a hands-on Engineering Leader looking to shape a platform, build a team, and make a genuine impact in a high-growth environment, we’d love to hear from you. Apply now or get in touch to find out more.