Engineering Manager

This is your chance to drive the engine behind Virgin Red. You’ll shape the systems that power customer experiences, while building and growing teams who love what they do. 

This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who still enjoys the craft, is curious about what’s next, and knows how to turn great engineering into real business impact. 

Our Virgin Family 

Join the Virgin Group – a diverse collective driving change, enhancing customer experience, and having a blast. We're daring, disrupting industries from finance to space, united as part of the Virgin Family. 

Virgin Red rewards customers who live the Virgin lifestyle. Earn Virgin Points across our vast partner network, unlocking everyday rewards and exclusive experiences. As the Virgin network hub, we foster deeper customer understanding, opening doors for partners. Bold, distinctive, customer-centric – that's Virgin Red. 

We’re a huge brand, but not a huge team, which means we take a hands-on approach while thinking strategically. Everyone rolls up their sleeves to get things done, making it an exciting and collaborative place to work. 

Tell me more 

• Lead 1–3 full-stack engineering teams, shaping how we build, deliver and scale our platform.  

• Set the technical direction across cloud-native services, APIs and event-driven systems.  

• Stay close to the code, guiding design, reviewing solutions and jumping in when it matters. 

• Bring a T-shaped mindset with depth in a core discipline while being comfortable working across adjacent disciplines. 

• Build a high-performing, inclusive team where people grow and do their best work.  

• Partner with Product, Design and Commercial teams to deliver meaningful customer outcomes.  

• Drive adoption and evolution of DevOps and DevEx practices, raising the bar on flow and quality.  

• Embrace AI-assisted engineering as part of everyday practice, helping teams thoughtfully apply emerging tools to improve design, delivery and learning.  

What you’ll need 

• Strong back-end engineering background (Java/Spring or similar) with experience building scalable systems.  

• Experience leading engineers, ideally across multiple teams or squads.  

• Confidence working in cloud environments (AWS) and modern architectures. 

• A hands-on mindset – you enjoy staying close to the tech, not just managing from afar.  

• Curiosity and experience with AI tooling in engineering workflows.  

• A product mindset – you think about customer impact, not just technical delivery.  

• The hunger to grow, step up and make a lasting impact. 

The extra details 

Role type: Permanent  
Location: London hub (1-2 days per week) & your home space  
Salary: £108,000 - £125,000 plus bonus - We're putting our salaries out there for everyone to see - no smoke and mirrors, just honest numbers. We'll offer a salary that matches your skills, always aiming for room to grow. 
Working hours: Full time - We embrace flexible working. Let us know what hours empower you to be at your best both professionally and personally, we’ll try to find a perfect match for you and us. 
Benefits: Buckle up for an adventure with Virgin! Our benefits package isn't just a list – it's your ticket to an extraordinary career and life. Think unlimited leave for your globe-trotting dreams, a “Screw it, let’s do it” pot to enjoy being you, and a learning budget to fuel your curiosity. We’ve got your back with top-notch health care, family support that goes the extra mile, a generous pension with up to 10% employer contribution, life insurance, and the option to go electric through our EV scheme. From flexible volunteering to investing in your future, we’re not just offering a job – we’re inviting you to join a community that celebrates your whole self. 

Closing date: 15 June 2026

Some of the attributes that define a Virgin person just can’t be quantified in words. We pride ourselves on welcoming people from all walks of life, with all sorts of skill sets. Most recently, we successfully campaigned to add ‘Dyslexic Thinking’ as a skill on LinkedIn. We truly value passion for Purpose and Sustainability, welcoming creative thinkers and innovators. Any uniqueness is a strength and will be considered an asset to our workforce. If there is something you would like us to consider, to tailor the hiring process to the way you work best, please don’t hesitate to let us know.  

Ready to turn your career into the ultimate adventure? Virgin's got the map, the compass, and the crew. Your great adventure awaits!