Head of Product & Tech – SaaS Leadership Role UK in Columbus
Career & Market Insight
A High-Leverage Leadership Opportunity at a Growing SaaS Startup
This is a Head of Product & Technology / VP Engineering hybrid role at a scale-up SaaS company. Reporting directly to the COO with plans to grow the team in 2027 signals this is an early-to-mid stage growth phase — meaning the person hired now will have genuine influence over architecture, hiring, and culture before the team scales.
Career development signals:
- Direct COO reporting line = high visibility and strategic input, rare at this level in larger companies.
- Dual product + engineering ownership builds a rare, well-rounded leadership profile valuable for future CTO or CPO roles.
- AI tooling mandate gives hands-on experience leading AI adoption — a highly marketable skill set in 2024–2025.
- Laravel + AWS stack is pragmatic and widely used; not cutting-edge but solid and commercially relevant.
Compensation context: No salary is listed, which is a yellow flag at this seniority level. UK market rates for a combined Head of Engineering/Product at a funded SaaS company typically range from £80k–£120k. Candidates should negotiate firmly.
Green flags: Remote-first culture, family-first values, close-knit team, meaningful client brands (JD Sports, HelloFresh). Watch for: "close-knit" sometimes signals a small team where bandwidth is stretched; clarify headcount and current team size before accepting.
Propello Cloud is a loyalty and rewards platform that powers programmes for brands including JD Sports, Lebara and HelloFresh.
We're looking for a hands-on product and technology leader to drive our SaaS platform forward. Built on Laravel and hosted on AWS, our platform needs someone who can take an idea, shape how it should work, and guide the team through delivery.
You'll lead the development and product teams with plans to grow these in 2027, bringing clear direction across these functions. You'll work with teams across the business to gather feedback, set priorities and turn concepts into practical plans. You'll also champion effective use of AI, helping the team improve how they develop, test and deliver software.
What You'll Do
- Own the product and technical direction, balancing business needs, customer feedback and technical quality.
- Turn ideas into clear solutions, making key technical decisions and briefing the team.
- Lead, mentor and develop the team, building strong working relationships and supporting future growth.
- Embed useful AI tools and practices into the team's everyday work, providing guidance and maintaining high standards.
- Communicate confidently with technical colleagues, challenge constructively and keep the team aligned.
- Join client conversations when needed to understand requirements and explain solutions.
What You'll Bring
- Experience leading and scaling a development team.
- Strong technical knowledge, including Laravel and AWS-hosted applications.
- The ability to think beyond individual development tasks and take ownership of the wider product.
- Practical experience using AI in development and helping others use it effectively.
- Strong people skills, with a supportive leadership style and the confidence to manage strong technical personalities.
- Clear communication skills and confidence working with clients and colleagues across the business.
Benefits
- Remote-first, with optional hybrid working from our workspace in Manchester.
- Discretionary bonuses.
- Pension scheme.
- Generous holiday entitlement.
- Health cash plan with tenure.
- Access to our entire suite of rewards.
- Regular social events.
- Work on a platform trusted by recognisable household-name brands.
- Influence over product roadmap, technology choices, and how the team uses AI to build better software.
- A leadership role with real scope — report directly to the COO and shape the direction of the product, technology and team as the business grows.
About Propello Cloud
Propello Cloud is a white-label loyalty and rewards SaaS platform. Brands use it to run their own configurable programmes — from points and prizes to offers and cashback — under their own brand and for their own customers.
We work across retail, travel, telecoms, energy, financial services and other sectors. Each programme is configured for the client's brand and audience, which gives our product and engineering team varied, interesting problems to solve.
We're a close-knit team, and the people building the product work closely with those who sell, deliver and support it. Our culture is friendly, supportive, and dynamic — we believe in working smart, having fun, and celebrating each other's successes. We're family-first and understand the importance of flexibility, creating a supportive environment where people can do their best work while balancing work and life.
Frequently Asked Questions
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