VP Technology - Software Engineering
Skills
About the role
About the Team
Elsevier, part of the RELX Group, is a global leader in information and analytics for science and healthcare. Our mission is to partner with the research and healthcare communities we serve to advance knowledge and drive human progress.
Within the Academic Leaders & Funders (AL&F) Solutions group, we deliver data-driven insights, workflow solutions, and platforms that strengthen strategy, performance, collaboration, and operational efficiency for university leaders and research funders worldwide.
About the Role
This is a portfolio-wide engineering leadership role responsible for strategy, delivery, and operations across a global suite of SaaS platforms.
Reporting to the CTO and leading ~120 engineers, you will drive a shift toward an AI-enabled, automated engineering and product model, improving how we build software and how our products deliver value to customers.
You will work closely with product leadership to translate strategy into scalable, secure, and high-performing platforms used by institutions worldwide.
Key Deliverables & Success Metrics
Define and execute an engineering strategy aligned to portfolio and product priorities
Evolve the organisation toward an AI-first operating model, improving developer effectiveness and delivery speed
Deliver data-centric solutions with embedded intelligence that enhance workflows and decision-making
Improve scalability, reliability, and integration across the portfolio
Build a high-performing, globally distributed engineering organisation
Responsibilities
Set and deliver the multi-year engineering roadmap in partnership with product and technology leadership
Lead the development of cloud-native SaaS platforms supporting complex, workflow-driven use cases
Introduce AI-assisted development practices and tooling to improve speed, quality, and efficiency
Drive integration of products, platforms, and data, including post-acquisition alignment and simplification
Establish scalable data and platform foundations to support analytics, automation, and future AI use cases
Standardize engineering practices, architecture, and tooling across teams to reduce fragmentation
Ensure strong governance, security, and regulatory compliance across global markets
Partner with product, UX, and commercial teams to deliver end-to-end customer outcomes
Build and develop a global engineering organisation, strengthening leadership capability and technical depth
Operate effectively in a matrixed environment, influencing senior stakeholders and driving execution
Requirements
15+ years’ experience in software engineering, including senior leadership roles
Proven track record delivering complex SaaS platforms at scale
Experience embedding AI, data, or automation capabilities into products or engineering workflows
Strong background in cloud-native architectures and modern engineering practices
Demonstrated success leading large, global engineering teams (100+)
Ability to translate technical strategy into measurable business and customer outcomes
Strong stakeholder leadership across product, data, and commercial functions
Experience integrating products, platforms, and data, including through acquisition is desirable
What Success Looks Like
Engineering teams deliver faster, with higher quality and less friction
Platforms are simpler, better integrated, and built on shared data foundations
Products increasingly deliver automation, insight, and intelligent support to users
The organisation adopts a modern, AI-enabled way of building and operating software
Work in a way that works for you
We promote a healthy work/life balance across the organisation. We offer an appealing working prospect for our people. With numerous wellbeing initiatives, shared parental leave, study assistance and sabbaticals, we will help you meet your immediate responsibilities and your long-term goals.
Working flexible hours - flexing the times when you work in the day to help you fit everything in and work when you are the most productive
Working for you
We know that your wellbeing and happiness are key to a long and successful career. These are some of the benefits we are delighted to offer:
Generous holiday allowance with the option to buy additional days
Health screening, eye care vouchers and private medical benefits
Wellbeing programs
Life assurance
Access to a competitive contributory pension scheme
Save As You Earn share option scheme
Travel Season ticket loan
Electric Vehicle Scheme
Optional Dental Insurance
Maternity, paternity and shared parental leave
Employee Assistance Programme
Access to emergency care for both the elderly and children
RECARES days, giving you time to support the charities and causes that matter to you
Access to employee resource groups with dedicated time to volunteer
Access to extensive learning and development resources
Access to employee discounts scheme via Perks at Work
About the Business
A global leader in information and analytics, we help researchers and healthcare professionals advance science and improve health outcomes for the benefit of society. Building on our publishing heritage, we combine quality information and vast data sets with analytics to support visionary science and research, health education and interactive learning, as well as exceptional healthcare and clinical practice. At Elsevier, your work contributes to the world’s grand challenges and a more sustainable future. We harness innovative technologies to support science and healthcare to partner for a better world.
We know your well-being and happiness are key to a long and successful career. We are delighted to offer country specific benefits. Click here to access benefits specific to your location.
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