Head of Software Engineering

Overview

As Head of Software Engineering, you will lead the engineering function for the Customer Experience Solutions platform, overseeing build, release, and operational quality across client-facing digital systems. You will enforce a single engineering standard across six partners and internal teams to ensure secure, maintainable, and scalable software. You will act as the technical authority for partner work and shape the squad-based delivery model. This role offers a chance to impact how McLaren’s digital products are designed, delivered, and evolved with long-term sustainability.

Pay / Benefits

• Structured career development framework
• 25 days’ holiday plus bank holidays
• Enhanced pension scheme
• Discretionary annual bonus
• Private medical insurance and health cash plan
• Life assurance benefit

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end engineering delivery for the customer-facing platform estate (website, configurator, owner app, client portal, stock/tools)
• Act as technical authority for partner and supplier work; define acceptance criteria and sign off before release
• Set and enforce engineering standards across contributors for consistent architecture, code quality, testing and documentation
• Own secure engineering practices within the lifecycle, including threat modelling, secure coding, dependency management, and security testing gates
• Lead a squad-based delivery model with technical leads accountable for scope and decisions
• Build internal tech lead layer and develop engineers toward senior/staff leadership levels
• Reduce external capacity dependency by building internal capabilities on a defined timeline
• Collaborate with Enterprise Architecture, Product Management, Programme and Delivery, Core Technology for design, roadmap feasibility, release tooling, and governance
• Oversee engineering input to supplier selection, SOWs, and commercial reviews to ensure outcome-driven, quality-focused agreements

Key requirements

• Substantial experience leading software engineering for customer-facing web, mobile and integration platforms at scale
• Proven track record holding delivery partners to technical standards and performing acceptance/sign-off
• Strong knowledge of modern engineering practices: CI/CD, automated testing, code reviews, release management, production operations
• Practical command of secure development practices: secure coding, vulnerability management, security testing
• Experience establishing squad-based agile delivery and a leadership layer for capability development
• Experience converting outsourced or supplier-held capability into internal teams
• Confidence engaging senior stakeholders on technical trade-offs, risk and investment

• Sets a clear technical standard and enforces it with both partners and internal teams
• Builds trust through consistency and reliability with stakeholders
• Develops engineers with leadership scope rather than adding hierarchy
• Continuous integration and delivery
• Automated testing
• Code review discipline

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