Head of Engineering

Requirements

• – Scaled engineering in a DTC or subscription business. You know what breaks under real commercial pressure
• – Hands-on technical depth: AWS-native, comfortable with architecture decisions, capable of writing production code when it matters
• – Has hired engineers and built teams before
• – Commercially literate. Frames technology in terms of cost, risk, and revenue, and is comfortable in a board conversation
• – Motivated by what gets shipped and what it delivers, not the sophistication of the solution

What the job involves

• Chnology is the operating system of this business. Every customer interaction and every commercial decision flows through it. The goal is to make that operating system fast, reliable, and commercially intelligent. To make engineering the function that enables growth, not the one that responds to it
• The strategic direction is set and board-backed. The Head of Engineering owns its execution and will shape what good looks like in practice
• That means ensuring a high-performing team, establishing the architecture that will carry the business through its next stage, and creating the conditions for engineering to operate as a genuine partner with a seat at the table when commercial decisions are made
• There is material commercial upside that has not yet been realised. Partnering with the Commercial function around customer data that could sharpen targeting and improve retention offers a significant opportunity
• Demand forecasting, pricing optimisation, and AI integration across the product are further opportunities requiring ownership & delivery. This role has the mandate and the board visibility to pursue all of it
• – Own the technology strategy end-to-end and deliver against measurable milestones
• – Set the bar for a high-quality engineering team across hiring, standards, culture
• – Establish engineering as a product partner, shaping the commercial roadmap as well as executing it
• – Make the architecture and infrastructure decisions that will carry the business forward
• – Lead the AI integration agenda across the product and the wider business
• – Represent technology at leadership level with clarity and commercial authority
• – Full ownership: you are leading this team and this function. The architecture, the hiring, the standards. All yours, from day one
• – A brand worth building for: Freddie’s has a genuine founder story, a loyal subscription customer base, and a floristry-first identity that sets it apart in a crowded market
• – Commercial impact at scale: the data asset, the AI agenda, the shift to a mixed subscription and gifting model. There is material commercial upside for a technology leader who executes well
• – Board visibility: you sit in the leadership team, report to the CGO, and have direct access to the people making the strategic decisions
• – A real brief with backing to match: the strategic direction is agreed, the investment is committed, and the mandate is clear. This is not a role where you spend six months working out what to do

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