Sector: Development / Testing

Location: Berkshire

Type: Permanent

Ref: BBBH72292_1782117020

Salary: Negotiable

Head of Software Development

Hands-on | Security-first

Our client is looking for an experienced Head of Software Development to work closely with the CTO and lead the engineering function. This is a genuinely hands-on leadership role - you'll be coding alongside the team, reviewing code, shaping architecture, and setting the standard for technical excellence.

You'll lead a team of around 8 developers, collaborate with third-party infrastructure and cyber-security partners, and help drive a security-first engineering culture across everything built. It's a brilliant opportunity to grow into broader technology leadership while staying close to delivery.

What you'll do:

• Lead, mentor and develop a high-performing engineering team


• Actively contribute to production code and conduct high-quality code reviews


• Own solutions architecture across our web platform and integrations


• Champion secure, compliant engineering (FCA, GDPR, PCI DSS)


• Drive modern development practices (CI/CD, testing, Agile/Scrum)


• Partner with the CTO on technology strategy and roadmap delivery

Tech stack:

PHP / Laravel, MySQL, Tailwind, Livewire, JavaScript, React / NextJS, AWS, GitHub, microservices, Jira (Scrum).

Must have:

• Strong, current hands-on development experience


• Proven leadership of small-medium engineering teams


• Deep understanding of AWS, modern web architecture and application security


• Experience building secure, scalable web platforms


• Pragmatic, delivery-focused mindset with high engineering standards