Senior Lead, Software Engineering

Senior Lead, Software Engineering

United States (Remote)

Job Description

Senior Lead Software Engineering – Professional Assessments

Description

The Senior Lead Software Engineering for Professional Assessments is a business-unit embedded engineering leader with full operational responsibility for the stability, reliability, and effectiveness of mission-critical exam delivery platforms and services.

Reporting Line

Reports to the CTO of Professional Assessments

About Pearson

Pearson is the world’s leading learning company, helping people realize the life they imagine through learning. Across our Enterprise portfolio, we partner with organizations globally to solve critical workforce, skills, and talent challenges through data, assessments, credentials, and technology-enabled solutions.

The Opportunity

We are seeking an experienced Senior Lead Software Engineering leader to take single-point accountability for day-to-day operational delivery across Professional Assessments software engineering and platform performance.

This role supports physical test centres and online proctoring environments where system performance directly impacts candidate outcomes, client trust, and regulatory compliance.

As an L40 Functional Lead, this leader will execute day-to-day operations, ensure alignment with broader business strategies, and develop talent within the function with a strong emphasis on operational excellence.

What You’ll Do

Operational Accountability for Platform Reliability

Own end-to-end operational performance of Professional Assessments exam delivery platforms, online proctoring services, and test center technologies, including availability, performance, and resilience

Serve as the single accountable engineering leader for platform stability, reliability, and effectiveness, balancing delivery priorities with operational health

Lead functional incident management, including risk anticipation, rapid resolution within agreed service windows, and clear executive communication

Ensure assigned technology services meet uptime targets and documented SLA/SLO expectations, driving measurable reduction in avoidable incidents quarter over quarter

Engineering Delivery Leadership

Lead the engineering function to deliver outcomes through disciplined planning, predictable execution, and strong delivery management across teams and squads

Ensure software solutions are designed, developed, tested, and maintained to meet both product needs and operational requirements

Translate complex business requirements into scalable technical approaches aligned with company technical and functional architecture

Establish release readiness and operational gating practices, including change risk assessment, rollback readiness, and monitoring coverage

Cross-Functional Partnership & Integration

Collaborate with Product, Architecture, QA, Operations, and enterprise technology teams to ensure seamless integration across platforms and services

Partner with stakeholders to align priorities and deliver value through continuous improvement

Drive tactical service enhancements that improve reliability, reduce friction for users, and support strategic objectives

Vendor & Service Governance

Engage with and manage external vendors to maintain operational performance and cost efficiency, with clear expectations, performance management, and escalation paths

Maintain current, audit-ready service documentation, including runbooks, incident playbooks, service maps, and operational metrics definitions

Manage operational risk related to system downtime, data accuracy, security, privacy, and regulatory compliance

People Leadership & Talent Development

Develop and mentor talent within the engineering function, fostering accountability and operational excellence

Build an environment that supports learning, growth, and strong execution

Lead with clear standards for ownership, service quality, and delivery discipline

What You Bring

10+ years of experience in software engineering and/or technology operations roles with accountability for business-critical platforms

Demonstrated experience owning operational outcomes for mission-critical services, including availability, incident response, risk management, and service governance

Proven ability to lead a function and deliver outcomes through teams with strong operational rigor

Strong background in incident management, risk management, service governance, SDLC quality, and release risk

Proven ability to partner with business leaders and technical teams in a matrixed environment

Experience in assessment, testing, education technology, or another regulated or high-risk environment is preferred

Experience supporting platforms with external clients, SLA commitments, vendor management, and contract negotiation is preferred

Measures of Success

Success in this role will be measured by sustained operational health, improved platform reliability, clear stakeholder communication, reduced avoidable incidents, audit-ready documentation, positive user feedback, and demonstrated improvements in operational efficiency and cost effectiveness.

Assigned platforms meet or exceed operational uptime and SLA commitments

Incidents are anticipated and resolved with minimal business disruption, with effective post-incident learnings embedded

Avoidable incidents reduce quarter over quarter, with improved release quality and stability trends

Service documentation remains audit-ready and supports compliance requirements

Stakeholder and user feedback reflects improved experience and reduced friction

Pearson Values in Action

Live Our Purpose

Advocate for engineering solutions that address foundational learning and business challenges

Carry Our Culture

Demonstrate integrity, transparency, and open communication during incident management and daily operations

Simplify the Complexity

Break down complex technical issues into clear, actionable steps that enable smoother operations

Deliver Results

Consistently achieve operational targets and drive measurable improvements in service quality

Your Benefits

Compensation at Pearson is influenced by factors including skill set, experience, and location

The full-time base salary range for this role is $250-$275k

This position is eligible to participate in an annual incentive plan, and information on benefits offered is here.

Applications will be accepted through 24th July. This window may be extended depending on business needs.

Apply today and imagine the impact you can make