Director of Engineering

Job Description

Ready to lead the next evolution of one of the UK’s leading investment platforms?

AJ Bell is seeking a Director of Engineering to set engineering direction and build high performing, product aligned teams delivering secure, reliable and innovative digital experiences that help our customers feel good investing.

This is a high impact, hands on leadership role. You’ll partner with senior leaders, Product and Design to define the engineering strategy, strengthen delivery and operational excellence, and evolve an Agile, outcome focused, backlog led model. Through our Heads of Department, you’ll create clarity and consistency in standards, security and regulatory compliance, while building a culture of ownership, learning and continuous improvement across our services.

Why this role at AJ Bell

• Lead a modern engineering organisation at scale, with clear executive sponsorship and the ability to influence platform wide direction.
• Work on products that directly impact how hundreds of thousands of customers invest, balancing pace with resilience, security and regulatory expectations.
• Invest in ways of working: data led performance, engineering excellence, developer experience, AI enabled tooling and automation.
• Join a people first culture that values inclusion, development and long-term career growth.

What you’ll do

• Set the engineering vision, translating AJ Bell’s strategy into a clear, measurable roadmap and operating plan.
• Build and sustain high performing teams by coaching engineering leaders, strengthening structure, and creating the conditions for speed, ownership and quality.
• Partner across Product, Design and senior stakeholders to align priorities, manage trade-offs and accelerate outcomes.
• Own delivery outcomes across multiple teams, setting goals, removing blockers, improving predictability and ensuring consistent execution.
• Evolve modern engineering practices, using AI, automation and DevOps to streamline delivery and shorten cycle times.
• Ensure services are reliable, secure and compliant, driving performance, resilience, observability and regulatory adherence.
• Lead key external integrations, partnering with vendors to deliver high quality, well governed capabilities.

What we’re looking for

We’re looking for a strategic, technically credible leader with a track record of building great engineering organisations and delivering complex change.

• Proven experience leading software engineering teams in complex environments; experience within FCA regulated financial services is a plus.
• Strong knowledge of modern platforms and delivery practices (cloud native architectures, DevOps, CI/CD and automated testing).
• Experience shaping technology strategy, running multiple teams, and delivering high quality outcomes through clear prioritisation and governance.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the credibility to engage at Board level and explain complex topics clearly to non-technical audiences.
• Demonstrable impact improving operational efficiency, engineering standards and team engagement.
• A passion for outcome driven delivery, continuous improvement and pragmatic innovation.

Technical expertise we value: .NET, Angular/React/Vue, AWS (or equivalent cloud platforms), test automation, microservices, APIs and object oriented programming.

About AJ Bell

AJ Bell is one of the UK’s fastest growing investment platforms, serving over 723,000 customers and managing £108.7 billion in assets. Through our award winning platform, we make investing simple, transparent, and enjoyable, helping people feel good investing.

With 1,500+ employees across Manchester, London, and Bristol, we’ve been recognised as one of the UK’s Best 100 Companies to Work For six years running, as well as a Great Place to Work® in 2025 and 2026.

What we offer

• Competitive starting salary
• 28 days holiday, increasing to 31 with length of service plus holiday buy/sell scheme
• Pension scheme with up to 8% matched contributions
• Discretionary bonus
• Buy As You Earn (BAYE) share scheme
• PMI, and health cash plan
• Free onsite gym, cycle to work scheme, and travel loans
• Enhanced parental leave (tiered on length of service)
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Professional development, ongoing technical training, and qualification support
• Social calendar including monthly payday drinks, summer party, Christmas party

This is a Manchester-based hybrid role, with a minimum of 50% of working time spent in the office each month.

Beyond this, we’re looking for someone who is genuinely present in the business, building relationships, understanding our teams, and embedding themselves in our culture. This role will suit someone who values visibility, connection and being close to where decisions and collaboration happen.

Inclusion & diversity

We’re committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels respected and able to be themselves at work.

We welcome applications from all backgrounds and make hiring decisions based on skills, experience and potential.