Head of Engineering & Architecture - Vendor Assurance

Contract: 12 months (Inside IR35)
Rate: £800–£1,000 per day
Location: Remote-first, with meetings in London every other week
Start: ASAP (max 1-month notice period)
Openings: 2 roles

We are seeking a highly experienced Head of Engineering/ Architecture with a strong solution architecture background. This is a hands-on, strategic role focused on vendor assurance, ensuring that external delivery partners meet technical, commercial, and business expectations.

Important: This role does not involve line management—you will not be leading teams. Instead, your focus is on:

• Holding vendors accountable for quality and delivery.

• Providing technical oversight across multiple domains (cloud, infrastructure, software, data).

• Advising stakeholders and executives with credible solution architecture expertise.

• Ensuring programmes deliver measurable business outcomes.

This role is broadly technical, not purely cloud-focused (AWS knowledge desirable but not essential), and ideal for someone who thrives as a technical leader and problem solver.

• Lead vendor assurance & quality control, ensuring delivery meets agreed standards.

• Assess technical solutions, challenge assumptions, and mitigate risks.

• Engage with executives, stakeholders, and vendors to drive clarity, accountability, and results.

• Monitor KPIs and programme outcomes, ensuring delivery aligns with investment.

• Operate as a technical advisor and quasi-Product Owner, guiding strategy without direct team management.

• 7+ years’ experience in solution architecture (essential).

• 10–15 years’ experience in technical leadership, programme management, or consulting.

• Proven experience in vendor assurance / vendor quality management.

• Broad technical knowledge across software, infrastructure, data, and cloud.

• Strong stakeholder engagement—comfortable briefing executives and influencing decisions.

• Consulting background (BCG, McKinsey, or similar) highly desirable.

• Experience in startup/scale-up environments and/or large enterprise operations.

• Technically astute, capable of deep-diving to assess vendor delivery and solution integrity.

If interested please apply