Head of Digital Development

Job Purpose

The Head of Digital Development at CR2 will lead and manage multiple engineering teams responsible for delivering innovative Mobile and Internet banking solutions.  This senior position oversees the full lifecycle of software development for off-the-shelf products, bespoke customer projects, and the continuous evolution of in-house application tooling. The successful candidate will drive technological advancement, foster a culture of continuous improvement, and ensure the delivery of robust digital solutions aligned with CR2’s strategic goals.

Our Hybrid Working Model requires employees to be on-site three days per week

Key Responsibilities

Strategy & Vision

• Set and communicate the digital engineering strategy and roadmap aligned to CR2’s business goals, market trends, and customer needs.
• Translate strategy into executable quarterly plans and measurable outcomes.

Engineering Leadership & Delivery

• Lead and mentor multiple engineering teams delivering hybrid mobile apps (iOS, Android, Huawei) and web applications.
• Own SDLC performance (planning, design, development, automated testing, deployment, support, continuous improvement).
• Ensure timely delivery across product lines and customer‑specific projects; maintain high release predictability.

Agile Ways of Working

• Promote and evolve CR2’s Agile methodologies (Scrum/Kanban) and metrics (lead time, cycle time, throughput).
• Institutionalise engineering excellence (definition of ready/done, code review standards, CI/CD, trunk‑based or GitFlow as appropriate).

Release & Environment Management

• Own the release management process; ensure production‑ready builds with rigorous security, quality, and compliance gates.
• Coordinate cross‑functional release readiness (Product, QA, Security, Delivery, Support). Quality, Security & Compliance

• Champion secure coding practices and threat modeling; embed automated quality gates (static/dynamic analysis, unit/integration/E2E tests).
• Ensure compliance with relevant security and regulatory frameworks common to digital banking.

Application Tooling & Developer Experience

• Drive evolution of internal tooling (build systems, test frameworks, pipelines, developer portals) to improve developer productivity and reliability.

Metrics, Reporting & Transparency

• Monitor, analyse, and report development metrics; provide regular updates to the CTO and stakeholders.
• Use leading and lagging indicators to inform decision making and continuous improvement.

Stakeholder & Cross‑Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Product, Architecture, Security, Delivery/PMO, and Customer Success to align roadmaps and ensure smooth, high‑quality releases.
• Manage vendor/partner engagement where relevant (e.g., device vendors, tooling providers).

People, Talent & Culture

• Build and scale high‑performing, inclusive teams; attract, develop, and retain top talent.
• Set clear goals, coach for performance, address under‑performance promptly, and recognise excellence.

Critical Competencies

People & Self

• Collaboration: Proactively identifies stakeholder needs; sets goals and roles for cross‑team initiatives; leverages collaboration tech; champions a collaborative mindset.
• Communication: Uses compelling narratives to gain buy‑in; connects messages to business outcomes; implements communication plans for major changes/releases.
• Inclusion: Builds diverse, psychologically safe teams; ensures equitable work distribution; seeks and incorporates diverse perspectives in decisions; addresses bias promptly.
• Personal Effectiveness: Demonstrates sound judgment and appropriate risk‑taking; sets and tracks personal goals; models adaptability to shifting priorities; recognises others’ growth.

Delivery

• Execution: Drives clarity of vision and strategy; forms and leads high‑performing teams; makes informed decisions amid ambiguity; manages change with minimal disruption.
• Problem Solving: Encourages innovative, data‑informed solutions; integrates stakeholder feedback; coaches others in structured problem solving; measures and improves processes.

Thinking

• Strategic Thinking: Scans market/tech trends; builds strategic roadmaps aligned to mission and long‑term goals; integrates multiple stakeholder perspectives; aligns work to priorities.
• Innovation: Leads ideation to implementation; allocates resources for experimentation; recognises creativity; applies systems thinking to complex, interdependent problems.

Leadership

• Leading People: Sets a compelling vision; cultivates accountability and ownership; develops leaders; reinforces innovation and continuous improvement.

Qualifications & Experience

• Extensive experience (10 years+) leading and growing engineering teams for mobile and web products.
• Proven delivery of hybrid or native mobile apps for iOS, Android, and Huawei.
• Strong web development expertise with modern frameworks and tooling.
• Hands‑on proficiency with TypeScript, Angular, Ionic, Capacitor, Google Material Design, API design, and systems architecture.
• Demonstrated application of Agile methodologies in product and project contexts.
• Experience managing both standard product releases and customised client solutions at scale.
• Evidence of cultivating a product‑first mindset aligned to customer value and business outcomes.
• Experience leveraging AI in software development (e.g., AI‑assisted coding, test generation, defect detection) to improve velocity and quality.
• Track record of continuous innovation in engineering processes and practices.
• Background in fintech or digital banking.
• Strong analytical and structured problem‑solving skills.
• Bachelor’s/Master’s in Computer Science.
• Relevant certifications (e.g., Scrum Master/PO, SAFe, AWS/Azure, Security certifications).

Success Metrics

Delivery & Predictability

• Consistent release cadence across digital channels.
• High accuracy between planned and actual delivery.
• Short lead time from code commit to production.

Quality & Reliability

• Very low production defect escape rate.
• Fast recovery from high‑severity incidents.
• Steady growth in automated test coverage with minimal instability.

Security & Compliance

• Rapid remediation of critical vulnerabilities.
• Secure SDLC embedded: complete.

Equal Opportunity Statement

CR2 HPS Group is an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.