Director Software Engineering

Director Of Engineering

Our team is dedicated to unlocking the rich knowledge embedded within Elsevier's content through our semantic data platform. This empowers researchers, clinicians, and innovators worldwide to gain new insights, make informed decisions, and accelerate progress across research, healthcare, and life sciences.

We lead the transformation of Elsevier's vast, unstructured information into richly interconnected knowledge graphs that capture the full depth and nuance of scientific meaning. Our dynamic knowledge discovery layer integrates graph-powered agentic AI with advanced vector search to deliver contextually relevant, trustworthy, and precise answers.

We foster a culture of innovation, inclusion, and collaboration, where diverse perspectives are valued and every team member is empowered to contribute meaningfully to our mission.

About The Role

As a Director Of Engineering, you will be responsible for the strategic and technical leadership of a major software product or system within Elsevier's knowledge platform. You will set architectural standards, lead cross-functional teams, and drive the successful delivery of complex, high-impact solutions.

This role requires a visionary leader with deep technical expertise, strong business acumen, and a passion for building inclusive, high-performing teams. You will play a key role in shaping the future of our platform, influencing enterprise-wide technology decisions, and ensuring our solutions meet the evolving needs of the scientific and healthcare communities.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic direction and day-to-day leadership for multiple engineering teams, ensuring alignment with business goals and technical excellence.
• Define and enforce architectural standards and best practices across systems and teams.
• Lead the design, development, and delivery of scalable, high-quality software solutions.
• Partner with internal and external technology resources, including offshore teams, to solve complex business challenges.
• Drive innovation by staying current with emerging technologies and industry trends, particularly in AI, data modeling, and cloud-native architectures.
• Oversee project planning, budgeting, and resource allocation to ensure timely and efficient delivery.
• Foster a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and psychological safety.
• Serve as a senior technical advisor and point of contact for stakeholders, customers, and executive leadership.
• Promote diversity of thought and inclusive decision-making across all levels of the organization.

Requirements

• 12+ years of experience in software development, with 5+ years in engineering leadership roles.
• Proven success leading large-scale, distributed teams and managing complex software systems.
• Strong technical expertise in Java/J2EE, JavaScript, SQL, C/C++, .NET, XML, HTML, and modern cloud platforms (e.g., AWS).
• Deep understanding of architectural principles, data modeling (normalized and dimensional), and database optimization.
• Experience with Agile and Waterfall methodologies, test-driven development, and code review practices.
• Demonstrated ability to manage budgets, project scope, and timelines effectively.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate across technical and non-technical audiences.
• Experience with managed services, staff augmentation models, and offshore development partnerships.
• Passion for mentoring, coaching, and developing engineering talent.
• Advanced degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field preferred.

Work In A Way That Works For You

We promote a healthy work/life balance across the organization. With numerous wellbeing initiatives, shared parental leave, study assistance, and sabbaticals, we support both your immediate responsibilities and long-term goals.

This is a hybrid role. Our teams operate in a flexible hybrid work model, combining in-person collaboration with remote flexibility. You'll participate in regular leadership meetings and strategic planning sessions in line with your team's cadence.

Working For You

We know that your well-being and happiness are key to a long and successful career. These are some of the benefits we are delighted to offer:

• Private Medical/Dental Plan
• Savings Fund
• Life Insurance
• Meal/Grocery Voucher

About The Business

At Elsevier, you'll work on systems that underpin some of the world's most critical research and innovation workflows. Our products and platforms are used by scientists, clinicians, and experts in over 180 countries — and you'll be part of the leadership team responsible for building the data infrastructure that powers them.

You'll be supported by a culture that values engineering quality, autonomy, and deep technical exploration. We are actively transforming legacy systems and pioneering modern approaches to data and knowledge representation at scale.