Head of Engineering

This vacancy is open to all Civil Service employees and employees of accredited non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) who were appointed on merit following a fair and open competition; or were appointed to a permanent post through an exception in the Civil Service Commissioners' rules.

Job Overview

We are currently looking for a Head of Engineering to join our Software Development Function within the Digital and Technology group. This is a full time opportunity on a fixed term contract until 31st October 2026. The role will be based in 10 South Colonnade, Canary Wharf London, E14 4PU, South Mimms, Hertfordshire or 7 8 Wellington Place, Leeds. The role is designed to support a flexible, hybrid working model with a minimum of 8 days per month on site, scalable up to 12 days based on business needs.

Key responsibilities

• Represent and champion the role within the Agency, across government and in industry.
• Lead the community of practice for this role, building capability and promoting excellence.
• Support professional development and continuous improvement within the community.
• Collaborate with other heads of roles to promote effective cross functional delivery.
• Communicate the value of the role to digital and non digital stakeholders with confidence.

Who are we looking for?

• Be an expert across many technical areas, or possess very deep knowledge in a particular domain.
• Apply knowledge across disciplines to keep multiple teams working effectively.
• Facilitate internal mobility, shape career pathways, recruit talent, and foster collaboration.
• Identify, test and champion the adoption of emerging technologies.

Experience Criteria

• Build and lead an agile engineering team delivering high performance and quality.
• Take a hands on role in engineering delivery, blending leadership and technical skills to achieve team objectives.
• Develop team members, support continuous professional development, and encourage formal professional qualifications.
• Work with peers to improve tools, technologies, guidance and standards.

Technical Criteria

• Deep expertise in software engineering, cloud native architecture (Azure, GCP), distributed systems.
• Hands on experience with AI/ML frameworks and modern programming languages.
• Proven leadership in scaling engineering teams and delivering digital transformation.
• Embed cybersecurity practices and a security first mindset across engineering processes.

Application process

Apply online. Selection will involve the Civil Service Success Profiles. For more details contact .
Closing date: 8th February 2026.