Director of Software Engineering - Executive Director

Location: GLASGOW, LANARKSHIRE, United Kingdom

Job Family: Software Engineering

About the Role

As the Director of Software Engineering - Executive Director at JP Morgan Chase, you will spearhead the innovation and delivery of world-class observability platforms that underpin our global financial operations. Based in Glasgow, Lanarkshire, United Kingdom, this role sits at the intersection of cutting-edge technology and the high-stakes world of investment banking, where reliable monitoring ensures seamless transaction processing, risk assessment, and compliance across our vast ecosystem. You will lead a talented team of engineers in architecting scalable solutions that provide real-time insights into system performance, enabling proactive decision-making in one of the world's leading financial institutions. Your leadership will directly impact JP Morgan's ability to maintain operational excellence amid increasing regulatory scrutiny and market volatility. In this executive position, you will drive the end-to-end development lifecycle of observability tools, from conceptualization to deployment, integrating advanced technologies like AI-driven anomaly detection to safeguard against disruptions in trading and payment systems. Collaborating with cross-functional teams—including data scientists, compliance experts, and C-suite executives—you will translate complex business needs into technical strategies that enhance platform reliability and efficiency. At JP Morgan Chase, where innovation meets responsibility, you will champion best practices in cloud-native observability, ensuring our platforms support the firm's commitment to digital transformation while adhering to stringent standards like GDPR and SOX. This role demands a visionary leader who thrives in a dynamic environment, fostering a culture of technical excellence and continuous improvement. Joining JP Morgan Chase means becoming part of a legacy of financial innovation, with opportunities to influence global strategies from our Glasgow hub. You will mentor emerging talent, manage multimillion-dollar budgets, and contribute to thought leadership in fintech observability. This position offers not just a career milestone but a platform to shape the future of banking technology, delivering solutions that empower clients worldwide with trust and precision.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the strategic direction and execution of observability platforms, ensuring robust monitoring, logging, and alerting for JP Morgan Chase's global financial systems
• Oversee a team of software engineers in designing, developing, and maintaining scalable solutions that support real-time transaction processing and risk management
• Drive innovation by integrating AI/ML capabilities into observability tools to enhance predictive maintenance and anomaly detection in trading platforms
• Collaborate with executive stakeholders, product managers, and compliance teams to align technical roadmaps with business objectives and regulatory requirements
• Mentor and develop engineering talent, fostering a culture of excellence and continuous improvement in a fast-paced financial services context
• Manage vendor relationships and technology integrations for observability stacks, optimizing costs while maintaining high availability for critical banking applications
• Ensure platform security and resilience against cyber threats, adhering to JP Morgan's stringent data protection standards
• Monitor industry trends in fintech observability and implement best practices to keep JP Morgan at the forefront of technological innovation
• Deliver quarterly performance metrics and roadmaps, reporting to senior leadership on platform health and engineering productivity

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field; Master's degree preferred
• 10+ years of experience in software engineering, with at least 5 years in leadership roles managing engineering teams
• Proven track record in building and scaling observability platforms in a large-scale financial services environment
• Deep expertise in cloud-native technologies and distributed systems architecture
• Experience leading cross-functional teams in agile methodologies within a regulated industry like banking
• Strong understanding of financial regulations such as GDPR, SOX, and PCI-DSS compliance
• Demonstrated ability to drive innovation and deliver high-impact solutions in high-stakes environments

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced certifications in AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud for observability and monitoring
• Experience with machine learning applications in observability for predictive analytics in finance
• Prior leadership in global teams across multiple time zones, including EMEA regions
• MBA or equivalent business acumen in financial services technology strategy
• Contributions to open-source projects related to monitoring tools like Prometheus or Grafana

Required Skills

• Expertise in observability tools such as Prometheus, Grafana, ELK Stack, and Splunk
• Proficiency in cloud platforms like AWS, Azure, or GCP for building resilient systems
• Strong knowledge of containerization and orchestration with Kubernetes and Docker
• Experience with programming languages including Java, Python, and Go for backend development
• Deep understanding of microservices architecture and API design in financial applications
• Skills in data analytics and visualization for monitoring large-scale transaction data
• Leadership and team management in agile and DevOps environments
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management abilities
• Problem-solving in high-pressure scenarios involving financial system outages
• Familiarity with security practices like encryption, access controls, and threat modeling
• Business acumen in fintech, including knowledge of trading systems and regulatory compliance
• Project management using tools like Jira or Confluence
• Adaptability to evolving technologies in the banking sector
• Mentoring and coaching skills for technical teams

Benefits

• Competitive base salary and performance-based annual bonus
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance coverage
• Generous retirement savings plan with company matching contributions
• Paid time off including vacation, sick leave, and parental leave
• Professional development opportunities with tuition reimbursement and leadership training
• Flexible hybrid work arrangements and wellness programs
• Employee stock purchase plan and financial planning services
• Access to global mobility programs and relocation support for international roles

JP Morgan Chase is an equal opportunity employer.