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Director of Engineering
Posted 3 days ago by Gravitas Recruitment Group (Global) Ltd
Negotiable
Inside
Onsite
London Area, United Kingdom
Summary: The role of Interim Head of Engineering (Director Level) at a high-growth banking fintech involves leading the engineering function during a transformative period. Reporting to the CTO, the position focuses on providing technical direction, fostering a high-performance culture, and improving processes for rapid delivery. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in regulated financial services and experience in Java-centric engineering environments. This position is designed for a leader who thrives in a dynamic scaleup environment and is passionate about building effective engineering teams.
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead, mentor and inspire multiple engineering teams through a period of change and growth.
- Set the technical direction and provide strong architectural guidance while remaining mostly hands-off day to day.
- Partner closely with the CTO and product leadership to align engineering priorities with business goals.
- Drive a cohesive, high-performance engineering culture built on trust, transparency and accountability.
- Improve ways of working, processes and delivery practices to support rapid, reliable releases.
- Champion the use of AI-driven solutions to optimise platforms, processes and customer experiences.
Key Skills:
- Proven experience at the head of engineering / director of engineering level in a highly regulated financial services environment (banking, payments, trading, etc.).
- Background in Java-centric engineering organisations, with enough depth to challenge and guide senior engineers.
- Demonstrable track record of leading and scaling engineering teams, including hiring, coaching and performance management.
- Exposure to implementing AI-driven capabilities (e.g., optimisation, automation, decision-making, and personalisation).
- An inquisitive, pragmatic mindset – able to ask the right questions, make balanced trade-offs and keep teams focused on outcomes.
- Strong communicator who can influence senior stakeholders while staying close to the teams delivering the work.
Salary (Rate): undetermined
City: London
Country: United Kingdom
Working Arrangements: on-site
IR35 Status: inside IR35
Seniority Level: Senior
Industry: IT
Interim Head of Engineering (Director Level) – Banking Fintech – London (2 days onsite) - 6 months (inside) A high-growth banking fintech is hiring an interim head of engineering (director level) to lead its engineering function through a critical period of transformation. The opportunity: Reporting to the CTO, you’ll take ownership of the engineering organisation – providing clear technical direction while putting leadership, culture and delivery at the heart of everything you do. This is a role for someone who enjoys bringing structure and momentum to a scaling, sometimes chaotic, but genuinely fun scaleup environment.
What you’ll be doing: Lead, mentor and inspire multiple engineering teams through a period of change and growth. Set the technical direction and provide strong architectural guidance while remaining mostly hands-off day to day. Partner closely with the CTO and product leadership to align engineering priorities with business goals. Drive a cohesive, high-performance engineering culture built on trust, transparency and accountability. Improve ways of working, processes and delivery practices to support rapid, reliable releases. Champion the use of AI-driven solutions to optimise platforms, processes and customer experiences.
What we’re looking for: Proven experience at the head of engineering / director of engineering level in a highly regulated financial services environment (banking, payments, trading, etc.). Background in Java-centric engineering organisations, with enough depth to challenge and guide senior engineers. Demonstrable track record of leading and scaling engineering teams, including hiring, coaching and performance management. Exposure to implementing AI-driven capabilities (e.g., optimisation, automation, decision-making, and personalisation). An inquisitive, pragmatic mindset – able to ask the right questions, make balanced trade-offs and keep teams focused on outcomes. Strong communicator who can influence senior stakeholders while staying close to the teams delivering the work. If you’re an experienced engineering leader from regulated financial services, with a Java background and a passion for building great teams in fintech, I’d love to hear from you.