Skills

Communication Leadership Stakeholder Management Problem-solving Decision-making Architecture Software Architecture

Job Specifications

Head of Software Engineering - - £130,000 - £150,000 (potential stock options)

Location: London – 3 days on site

Sector: Fintech / Payments / Financial Services

The Opportunity

We are seeking a Head of Software Engineering to lead, scale and mature an engineering function while remaining technically credible and hands-on where it matters. This is a senior leadership role for someone who enjoys shaping strategy, developing high-performing teams, and influencing architecture - while still staying close to the codebase and technical decision-making.

You will play a critical role in building and evolving systems within a regulated payments / financial services environment, balancing engineering excellence and platform resilience.

Key Responsibilities

Engineering Leadership & Strategy

Own the software engineering strategy, aligned with business, product and regulatory objectives.
Lead a high performing engineering team, fostering a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
Partner closely with the CTO, CPO and other Senior Leadership to deliver scalable, secure solutions.
Set standards for engineering best practice.

Technical Oversight (10–20% Hands-On)

Remain hands-on at a strategic level, contributing to design reviews, architecture decisions and complex problem-solving.
Review critical code changes, influence patterns and frameworks, and guide engineers on best-practice C#/.NET development.
Act as a technical escalation point for complex platform or production issues.
Help shape the long-term technical roadmap and platform evolution.

Required Experience & Skills

Significant experience in a senior engineering leadership role (Head of Engineering, Engineering Manager, Technical Director or similar).
Strong C#/.NET background, with the ability and desire to stay 10–20% hands-on.
Proven experience within payments, fintech, financial services or banking environments.
Experience leading teams building high-availability, distributed systems.
Strong understanding of software architecture, system design and cloud-based platforms.
Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, able to bridge technical and non-technical audiences.

About the Company

SoCode was created in April 2016 to address the significant demand level and skills shortages limiting growth levels within the Technology sector. Our business and team have grown exponentially ever since and are operating from Norwich and Cambridge. With dedicated Consultants covering all specialist verticals within the technology sector, you can be safe in the knowledge that when partnering with SoCode; expertise, credibility and market knowledge come as standard. www.socode.co.uk SoCode is a global business, supporting ... Know more