VP Engineering

VP of Engineering | Enterprise SaaS, Data & Analytics UK hybrid | Expected one office day per week | Leeds / Manchester preferred; Central London considered Réalta Associates is partnering with a global leader in enterprise software, data and analytics to appoint a VP of Engineering. Working as the CTO's senior engineering partner, you'll help shape and develop a distributed global function of 120+ across software engineering, data, product, DevOps and QA, comprising permanent and contract colleagues. You'll inherit a capable team, with further hiring underway, and a clear mandate: strengthen engineering leadership, improve delivery and develop the organisation's technical capabilities. We're looking for someone who combines technical credibility, measurable delivery improvement and exceptional people leadership. The opportunity You'll lead through experienced Engineering Managers (who are in reality, Director level), translating business priorities into clear engineering direction and accountable execution. The remit spans the full software development lifecycle, cloud-native platforms, distributed systems and the modernisation of established products. People development is central to the role. You'll coach managers, strengthen engagement and help engineers deepen their expertise, broaden their capabilities and take on more complex work. Building on an active engineering transformation, you'll also advance practical AI adoption across the development lifecycle- freeing teams from routine work and creating more capacity for higher-value engineering. What you'll drive

• Engineering effectiveness: Use DORA metrics, delivery predictability, quality, reliability and developer experience to identify constraints and guide meaningful improvements.
• Leadership capability: Develop Engineering Managers who can coach effectively, set clear expectations and build engaged, accountable teams.
• Technical transformation: Modernise legacy systems and evolve cloud-native, distributed platforms while maintaining service quality.
• AI-enabled development: Embed useful AI practices into engineering workflows and measure their impact on delivery and quality.
• Product and commercial outcomes: Partner with Product, Data and senior commercial leaders to connect engineering investment with customer value and growth.
• Psychological safety: Create an environment where people can challenge decisions, raise problems early and learn from thoughtful experimentation, supported by clear standards and constructive feedback. Your background You're an established VP, Senior Director or Head of Engineering with around five years' experience at comparable leadership scope. You've led through Engineering Managers and delivered across distributed, international teams in an enterprise SaaS environment. SVP-level candidates are also welcome. You'll bring:
• A software development background and the technical judgement to challenge architecture, delivery and operational decisions.
• A track record of engineering transformation, with clear evidence of what improved and how you achieved it.
• Strong experience across the full SDLC, cloud-native systems, distributed architectures and agile delivery.
• A thoughtful approach to metrics: understanding what the measures reveal, how they influence behaviour and which changes will improve outcomes.
• The energy and judgement to make decisions at pace, take considered risks and adapt when something doesn't work.
• The presence to operate confidently alongside the CTO, SVPs and senior commercial executives. Experience in data and analytics businesses, product-led growth and AI/ML operations would be particularly valuable. This is an opportunity to shape the next stage of an established engineering organisation: developing its people, strengthening its leadership and improving how globally used products are built and delivered. For a confidential conversation, contact Tom Madeley at Réalta Associates or apply via the link provided.