Head of Product & Engineering Operations

The role

You will design, install, and run the operating model across product, engineering, and design. You will transform work into a unified build process and act as the executive operator on the AI-native lifecycle programme.

What you will do

• Establish and run core builders leadership rituals, cross-line product reviews, calibration sessions, and go/no-go release gates.
• Partner with VP Product, VP Engineering, and Design Leadership to raise the bar on what and how to build.
• Pilot new frameworks through hands-on iterations before handing them off to squad leads.
• Embed AI-driven build tools and automated workflows across all three functions.
• Convene the Product, Design and Engineering leadership team to ensure continuous improvement.
• Integrate regulatory and compliance checks into the core delivery path.

Required qualifications

• Proven experience scaling Product Development Lifecycles inside complex product organisations as an embedded leader.
• Strong experience in Product Management, Engineering, and Design.
• Ability to take ownership of redesigning departmental workflows.
• Up to date on how to use AI to build great products.
• Experience building with Claude Code, Codex, or similar.
• Confidence and credibility to hold MDs, VPs, and senior directors accountable.
• An understanding of working within regulated environment and the complexities involved.

Nice to have

• Worked alongside Risk and Compliance.
• Familiarity with fintech, lending, or financial services compliance requirements.
• Evidence of having installed an operating model at a comparable inflection point.
• Product thinking and design sensibility.
• Deep fluency in how modern software teams build, combined with a ‘builder’ background.

Benefits

• Benefit allowance you can tailor to your own life and family.
• Private medical and dental.
• Health assessments.
• Access to a digital GP.
• Life assurance.
• Share schemes.
• Financial coaching.
• Dedicated annual learning allowance.
• Electric car and cycle-to-work schemes.
• Season ticket loans.
• Award-winning parental leave policies.
• Barista coffee and subsidised Just Eat lunches.

About the company

Funding Circle is a fintech company that uses data to provide funding to UK small businesses. It has the energy of a start-up with the stability of a public company.