Head of Engineering and AI

Job title: Head of Engineering and AI 

Team: Technology

Operations Territory: Global

Line manager: CEO

Location: 100% remote within the UK - other European countries to be considered

About Bikmo

Bikmo is the specialist cycle insurer anchored in our mission to protect the world’s riders. Built by riders, we cover everything from your kids’ first bike to a garage full of e-bikes, e-cargo bikes, and gravel adventurers.

We've earned the trust of an enviable partner network — British Cycling, Trek, Brompton, Cyclescheme, Cycling UK, ARBÖ and others — across direct-to-consumer, B2B and embedded distribution. Now we're at an inflection point: major global cycling brands are coming on board, AI is reshaping how we work, and we're building toward one big goal — to be the leading global specialist cycle insurer.

The role

This is the role for a technology leader who wants to lead the team and build the platform, infrastructure and AI SDLC pipeline behind that ambition — the engineering that lets a lean, international business move faster, build better experiences for riders, and run more efficiently than anyone our size has a right to.

The Head of Engineering & AI leads Bikmo's engineering team and holds overall responsibility for our technology, platform and AI. You own the platform — its stability, security and reliability — and build the infrastructure and AI pipeline that let a modern team ship with confidence.

This is a hands-on, player-coach role in a small, lean team: you'll still be close to the code as well as leading. You will build and evolve our platform and infrastructure, give teams across the business the tools they need to do their best work, and shape and run a squad-based model — deploying engineers into squads that deliver against the core areas of the business — equipping them to build, test and prototype safely on the infrastructure you provide. You report to the CEO and attend the Executive Committee.

Initial 12-month focus

• Lead the engineering team — set direction, standards and delivery rhythm, and be the person ultimately accountable for our technology.
• Own the platform — stability, security and reliability. Be responsible for uptime, security and system stability across the business.
• Build the platform, infrastructure and AI pipeline — a hardened, secure route from prototype to production, plus a safe environment for handling personal data, so the team ships fast and safely.
• Drive adoption of our AI SDLC process — ensure that our development organisation is using the best-in-class AI processes for building and maintaining our platforms. 
• Support the whole business — give teams the platforms and tools they need to do their best work.
• Run the squad-based model — deploy engineers into squads focused on the core areas of the business, resourced flexibly within a total budget (data, engineers, in-house and external capacity, tooling and hosting) rather than fixed headcount.
• Advance the AI roadmap — agents, automations and analytics that deliver measurable gains in customer experience and efficiency across the business.

Roles & responsibilities

Technology & platform ownership

• Hold overall accountability for Bikmo's engineering, technology and AI SDLC — the single owner responsible for uptime, security and system stability.
• Own and evolve the platform and core technology, infrastructure and data.
• Set the architecture and infrastructure strategy for a lean, multi-entity, international business; own reliability, observability, security and incident response.
• Own the engineering budget as a single envelope across data, engineers (in-house and external), tooling and hosting — optimising team composition rather than fixed headcount.
• Support teams across the business with the platforms and tools they need to work effectively.
• Make build/buy/partner decisions with autonomy over the technical stack and vendors.

AI & automation

• Own the delivery of the AI product roadmap aligned to business priorities.
• Ensure we have an AI middleware platform that can be used to deliver AI in product to our customers at pace.
• Build and maintain Bikmo's AI systems and automations — customer-facing and internal — with proper evals, benchmarking and versioning.
• Work with Compliance to keep our use of AI responsible and well governed — sound data handling, and awareness of the AI dimension of Consumer Duty and data protection.

Enablement & the squad model

• Build and maintain the platform infrastructure and AI pipeline — the hardened route and guardrails that let the team move from prototype to production safely — and equip people with it before setting them free to build.
• Deploy engineers into squads that deliver and focus on the core areas of the business; set ways of working that keep delivery close to the business and the customer.

Leadership & delivery

• Hire, mentor and lead a high-performing engineering team; set delivery cadence, standards and the technical roadmap.
• Contribute to Executive Committee discussion on strategy, risk and culture; report to leadership on technology performance, risks and opportunities.
• Partner across CX, Partnerships, Finance, Marketing, Operations and Compliance to turn business priorities into shipped technology.

What we're looking for

• Engineering leadership that knows what "good" looks like — 8+ years in engineering, with real ownership of security, system stability and production reliability. You've run platforms where being the person accountable when something breaks is second nature.
• AI capability alongside the fundamentals — Fluent with modern AI technologies and AI-assisted development, and keen to build with them — but grounded in engineering discipline rather than an AI-native who's never shipped hardened production.
• Hands-on — Still close to the build; leads from the front, not a pure manager.
• People leadership & resourcing — Proven record hiring, mentoring and leading engineering teams; comfortable managing a blended in-house/external team to a budget and deploying engineers into cross-functional squads.
• Platform & pipeline thinking — Builds the infrastructure and production pipeline that let others ship safely and fast; cloud infrastructure experience (e.g. AWS) expected.
• Regulated / insurance technology (desirable) — Comfortable building auditable, well-documented systems handling personal data in a regulated environment (FCA Consumer Duty, GDPR/UK DPA); insurtech or financial-services experience a plus.
• Scale & international — Experience building for a lean but fast-growing, multi-entity, multi-country business.
• Communication — Credible and clear with the Executive Committee, your team and non-technical colleagues alike.

This role is:

• The overall owner of Bikmo's engineering, technology and AI, accountable for platform stability, security and reliability.
• A hands-on builder-leader who creates the platform, infrastructure and AI pipeline for others to build on.
• The architect of Bikmo's squad-based engineering model, deploying engineers into the core areas of the business.
• The technology partner to every team across the business.

This role is not:

• A pure people-manager removed from the build.
• A siloed "AI lab" disconnected from the business and its customers.
• A role that holds regulated compliance accountability — that remains with Compliance.

Your approach to work

You will be a self-directed person who can manage your own time and can collaborate with people who have different working styles in different timezones. We believe that the best approach to work is to give our team members autonomy and accountability within their roles. We foster a culture of trust, clear communication, and flexibility, working as one team, supporting each other to deliver our goals.

In addition

• As a member of the team at Bikmo, you are to play a pivotal role in fostering a culture of accountability and excellence, maintaining a positive and collaborative work environment.
• As a member of the team at Bikmo, you are responsible for considering the impacts to our customers in your role to ensure compliance with the Consumer Duty and the three cross-cutting rules: to act in good faith, avoid foreseeable harm, and to enable and support retail customers to pursue their financial objectives.
• Purpose and impact are a core part of our culture and as a member of the team at Bikmo you will act as a sustainability advocate that drives positive innovation and change.

Benefits

• Company share options scheme.
• Insurance products for you, your family and friends.
• Discounted cycling goods.
• Cycle to Work / Bike Leasing schemes.
• Life Insurance.
  
• Remote-first, with one day a month together as a team — at one of our offices or a location to be defined.

Remuneration & working pattern

• Working pattern: Full-time, remote-first — open to candidates across Europe.
• Competitive salary plus company share option scheme.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early should we receive a high volume of applications or find the right candidate.

Equality 

Don't feel like you're matching 100% of the criteria? We welcome applicants who can meet the core requirements, even if you don't think you tick all of the boxes. We actively encourage applications from diverse backgrounds and under-represented groups within the cycling and insurance industry.

Bikmo is an equal opportunities employer, this means we recruit, develop and compensate regardless of differences. We value diversity. Everybody is unique and this should be celebrated. We want Bikmo to be a place where people feel comfortable bringing their whole selves to work. 

Application Process

To continue the conversation just click the, Find out more, button and attach a short cover letter + your CV.  We love to hear how your own values and experiences align with the role.

We are looking to hire for this role as soon as possible, so interviews will be on a rolling basis.

If you require any reasonable adjustments to be made to support you through our recruitment process please get in touch.

Your right to work legally and compliantly in any country depends on your Immigration status. Therefore a condition of this recruitment process is that you can prove your ‘right to work’ with the recognised documentation to Bikmo Ltd/GmbH, in the relevant country this role is based.

Remember 

By applying for this role you are giving Bikmo consent to use the information you provide to process your job application in accordance