Senior Lead Software Engineering

Head of Engineering / Senior Lead

Job Summary 

As Head of Engineering / Senior Lead, Emerging Technology & Software Engineering, you will own the engineering vision and execution for AI-driven experiences within the Pearson Learning Studio (XL+) platform — an AI-first courseware ecosystem layering advanced intelligence on top of a modernized, domain-driven services architecture. 

You will lead a global, metrics-driven organization of ~100 engineers and data scientists across multiple scrum teams, shaping the delivery of next-generation learning experiences including Student AI Mentor, Personalized Insights & Recommendations, and analytics powered by Learner Models, Knowledge Graphs, and shared platform services. 

This role is for a grounded, low-ego leader who wins through trust, clarity, and execution — someone who builds strong teams, partners deeply with product and business leaders, and consistently turns emerging technology into real-world impact for students and educators. 

Key Responsibilities 

Engineering & Technology Leadership 

• Define and execute the AI and GenAI engineering strategy aligned to Pearson’s learning outcomes and business goals. 

• Lead the design, development, and deployment of scalable AI solutions including conversational tutoring, personalization engines, and intelligent insights across the XL+ platform. 

• Drive responsible adoption of Generative AI, LLMs, knowledge graphs, and learner modeling frameworks to improve engagement, retention, and learning efficacy. 

People & Culture 

• Build and mentor a high-performing, psychologically safe engineering culture grounded in humility, ownership, curiosity, and results. 

• Lead multiple distributed scrum teams, developing future leaders and ensuring consistent execution excellence across geographies. 

• Foster collaboration across product, UX, analytics, content, and commercial teams — removing silos and aligning everyone to shared outcomes. 

Metrics-Driven Delivery