The role:
We are seeking a visionary, pragmatic, and highly collaborative Head of Software Engineering & Testing to lead our unified Engineering, Development, and Quality Assurance pillar across the enterprise. Reporting directly to the General Manager - Enterprise Technology Delivery, this critical role oversees a multidisciplinary division of technology professionals across our Retail and Generation technology portfolios.
Following an enterprise-wide restructure bringing together our retail systems and generation technology teams, this position is pivotal in shaping the future of our digital applications. You will balance the high-stakes, 24/7 reliability required for generation trading systems with high-traffic, customer-facing digital platforms. Working in close partnership with Enterprise Architecture, IT Operations, and Cyber Security, you will lead major strategic initiatives—including the landmark Kraken retail implementation and the modernisation and lifecycle strategy for our generation application suite.
If you are an empathetic, outcome-oriented leader who builds trust, communicates transparently, and knows how to deliver pragmatic engineering solutions without over-engineering, this impactful leadership role offers an exceptional opportunity to make your mark.
We’re looking for someone with:
- Pragmatic & Delivery-Focused Mindset: Highly practical problem-solver who avoids over-engineering in favor of delivering fit-for-purpose, robust solutions that provide immediate business value and scale smoothly without trying to "design the Ferrari" every time.
- Strong, Empathetic Influencer & Collaborator: Possesses a confident, resilient, and articulate leadership presence to stand firm on sound technical architecture and push back constructively against business demands, paired with deep empathy to focus on solving underlying business problems and achieving the right outcomes.
- Adaptive Methodology Acumen: Practical, hands-on fluency in both Agile and Waterfall methodologies without dogmatic attachment to either, knowing instinctively how to tailor frameworks to suit project needs and operational demands.
- Calm Firefighter & Escalation Leader: Proven ability to navigate high-pressure production challenges, resolve complex stakeholder escalations, manage strategic vendor partnerships, and foster deep stakeholder confidence through transparent communication and decisive execution.
- Broad Enterprise Application Expertise: Substantial technical depth spanning both mission-critical operational/trading environments (.NET back-ends requiring 24/7 uptime) and high-volume, customer-facing digital web and contact center platforms (Java/JavaScript with strong UX standards), alongside familiarity with modern data pipelines, AI models, and cybersecurity guardrails.
- Sector & Scale Experience: Demonstrated leadership background navigating complex, large-scale enterprise environments within energy/utilities, banking/financial services, or telecommunications.
- Experience & Track Record: 12+ years of software engineering and development experience, coupled with 5+ years of senior leadership experience steering large, multidisciplinary engineering and QA divisions.
- Education & Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Technology, or a related discipline. Advanced certifications in cloud architecture, software engineering, or test automation frameworks are highly regarded.