Head of Software Development

Head of Software Development – Role Overview

As Head of Software Development, you will play a pivotal leadership role in shaping the future of digital health technology. Reporting directly to the Chief Information Officer, you will own development governance, standards, and delivery excellence across our software development function.

Cora is at a pivotal point in its growth, combining the energy and opportunity of rapid expansion with the complexity that comes from operating a critical, always‑on technology platform. Our Head of Software Development will be expected to lead teams that must simultaneously keep business‑as‑usual systems stable, secure and performant, while also driving forward an ambitious strategic roadmap that supports scale, innovation and new capabilities.

• Own development governance and standards, defining and maintaining best‑practice coding standards, SDLC processes, CI/CD pipelines, peer reviews, secure coding practices, and release discipline.
• Provide technical leadership, ensuring solutions are scalable, resilient, secure and aligned with enterprise architecture principles and non‑functional requirements.
• Drive secure and quality engineering; embed vulnerability management, automated testing, quality gates, and robust incident learning loops.
• Oversee end‑to‑end delivery, translating roadmap priorities into predictable, high‑quality releases with a strong focus on reliability and reduced failure demand.
• Lead and develop people – line‑manage development, test and platform teams; coach talent, build capability in cloud, automation and security, and create an environment of psychological safety and high standards.
• Manage partners and supplier expectations, ensuring external delivery partners meet our governance, quality and supportability standards.
• Contribute to strategic planning – support workforce planning, budgeting and transparent reporting on delivery performance, risks and engineering maturity.

It is an exciting time to join the organisation: decisions made now will have a lasting impact on how Cora evolves. It is also a demanding environment, requiring strong technical leadership, pragmatic prioritisation and the ability to balance short‑term delivery pressures with long‑term architectural and digital ambition.

We’re a leading provider of community healthcare services in the UK, delivering MSK care, diagnostics, physiotherapy, pain management, mental health support and more. Our mission is to make healthcare accessible and straightforward for everyone.