Director of Engineering

Overview

As Director of Engineering at Zopa, you will lead a sizeable engineering organisation within a key business area, driving strategic tech and people improvements. You’ll set direction, build high-performing teams, and influence major architectural decisions to raise engineering standards. You’ll partner with Product and Commercial leaders to translate engineering work into stronger business outcomes, with a data-led approach and opportunities in AI-enabled engineering. This hybrid, London-based role emphasizes autonomy, collaboration, and tangible impact on the company’s technology and growth.

Pay / Benefits

• Hybrid working: London office 2–3 days a week
• Flexible work arrangements including up to 120 days abroad
• Supportive DEI practices and inclusive culture
• Work-life balance focus
• Career growth and leadership opportunity
• Access to innovative AI-driven initiatives

Responsibilities

• Set and lead the engineering strategy for your area and move the organisation toward a clear future state with measurable progress
• Build and develop high-performing teams through hiring, performance management and people practices
• Identify organisational challenges and optimise team structure and capacity for sustainable growth
• Improve engineering effectiveness using data, metrics, and AI-focused experimentation
• Challenge significant design and architectural decisions and make pragmatic build/buy/partner choices
• Foster strong partnerships with Product and Commercial leaders to create shared ownership of outcomes
• Lead with autonomy, ownership, and a data-led, outcome-focused mindset
• Guide cross-functional collaboration and raise the engineering bar across Zopa
• Translate strategy into tangible progress with stakeholder buy-in
• Drive meaningful change and operate with high EQ in difficult conversations

Key requirements

• Experienced engineering leader with a track record of leading sizeable teams
• Ability to set direction, gain buy-in, and translate strategy into progress
• Technical credibility to engage in significant design and architectural decisions
• Strong data-driven decision skills using meaningful metrics
• Experience building partnerships across Product, Technology and Commercial teams
• Comfort with AI-enabled engineering and driving practical adoption
• Ability to work autonomously in a complex, regulated environment (FinTech advantageous)
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills
• Proven capability to manage organisational change and reduce key-person dependencies
• Flexible, resilient, curious, and adaptable to changing priorities

• High EQ and low ego
• Collaborative mindset
• Strong communication and influencing skills
• AI-enabled engineering
• Data-driven decision making
• Engineering metrics and performance measurement

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