Director of Engineering

About Us Renaissance® is a global leader in education technology. We help schools and school groups in the UK and around the world with educational assessments, practice and intervention solutions, and data analytics. Renaissance now incorporates GL Assessment (known internationally as GL Education), too – a leading provider of educational assessments. Together, our assessments offer the ideal starting point to help teachers understand their students’ strengths and pinpoint areas of need. Our teaching and learning tools then provide effective next steps, with online literacy and maths solutions that meet students exactly where we are. Worldwide, we support over 18 million students, operating in over 100 countries. Position Overview We're looking for a Director of Engineering to lead our cross‑functional delivery teams as we evolve toward an AI‑enabled, platform‑centric operating model serving international markets. You'll drive engineering excellence across our organisation, leading Engineering Managers, our QA Testing Manager, and multiple delivery teams to deliver scalable, high‑quality products aligned with strategic priorities. What you'll be getting up to with us Lead & Develop Teams Build and coach high‑performing engineering and QA teams in an inclusive, collaborative environment Drive career development, succession planning, and talent retention Foster psychological safety, ownership, and continuous learning Manage Resources & Budget Own workforce planning, organisational design, and capability development Manage budget planning, forecasting, and operational expenditure Optimise engineering efficiency while maintaining quality and team wellbeing Drive Delivery Excellence Ensure predictable, high‑quality delivery across multiple teams Establish effective processes and remove blockers Balance delivery pace with quality, security, and maintainability Partner with Product, Architecture, and business stakeholders Enable Collaboration Work closely with US‑based and international technology teams Coordinate across Infrastructure, Security, Data, and QA functions Support global platform initiatives and localisation efforts Continuous Improvement Establish engineering standards and metrics Drive adoption of modern practices including AI‑enabled engineering, DevOps, and automation Promote operational excellence and service ownership Experience we’d love to see Proven experience leading engineering organisations and managing engineering/QA leaders Strong track record building high‑performing, diverse teams Experience with workforce planning, budget management, and resource allocation Success delivering complex software products in agile/product‑led environments Experience with modern QA practices, test automation, and quality governance Understanding of DevOps, CI/CD, and operational reliability Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills Experience with international, distributed teams and organisational transformation Additional Information This role is a Hybrid role based out of our Houghton Le Spring office – the team come together a couple of times a week. There may be travel to other offices on occasion. Benefits 25 Days holiday a year plus Bank Holidays (3 to be used for our Christmas shutdown) A day off for your birthday to celebrate in style! Workplace Nursery scheme 5 volunteering days a year to use for the causes of your choice Access to a benefits and discount platform with access to 1000s of discounts at retailers, leisure attractions and restaurants BUPA Healthcare, Life assurance, Permanent health insurance Pension scheme with enhanced employer contribution – up to 8% Season ticket loan and EAP Unfortunately we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role. We have an ongoing commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and have taken strides to become a more welcoming and inclusive workplace, including the introduction of our DEI Matters Network which is owned and driven by our staff. We are an equal opportunities employer. We encourage and welcome applications from all underrepresented groups, as we believe and strive for community representation within our organisation. If you have a disability and would prefer to apply in a different format or would like us to make reasonable adjustments to enable you to apply or attend any interview, please contact us and we will talk this through with you. All your information will be kept confidential according to GDPR guidelines. Please note that we can only consider applicants who already hold a full work permit. This role is subject to DBS and background checks. #J-18808-Ljbffr