Andrew Fennell
From implementing projects and ensuring compliance to supervising engineers and reporting to other senior leaders, head of engineering is a varied and important role.
If you’ve got what it takes to effectively oversee the team, you need a CV to prove it.
To help you create and tailor your application, we’ve put together this step-by-step guide. Check it out below, along with our head of engineering CV example.
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Head of Engineering CV example
This CV example demonstrates the type of info you should be including within your Head of Engineering CV, as well as how to format and layout the content in a way which looks professional and is easy for time-strapped recruiters to read.
This is the look and feel you should be aiming for, so remember to refer back to it throughout your CV writing process.
Head of Engineering CV layout and format
Think your CV is just about the content within it? Think again.
Your CV needs to look professional and be easy for recruiters to read, meaning the structure and format of your CV are just as important as the written content within it.
Facilitate ease of reading by using a simple structure which allows anybody to easily navigate your experience.
Tips for formatting your Head of Engineering CV
- Length: Two sides of A4 makes for the the perfect CV length, though one page is okay for less experienced applicants. This forces you to make sure that every single sentence adds value to your CV and ensures you avoid unnecessary info.
- Readability: By clearly formatting your section headings (bold, or a different colour font, do the trick) and breaking up big chunks of text into snappy bullet points, time-strapped recruiters will be able to skim through your CV with ease.
- Design: While it’s okay to add your own spin to your CV, avoid overdoing the design. If you go for something elaborate, you might end up frustrating recruiters who, above anything, value simplicity and clarity.
- Photos: Recruiters can’t factor in appearance, gender or race into the recruitment process, so a profile photo is not usually needed. However, creative employers do like to see them, so you can choose to include one if you think it will add value to your CV .
Quick tip: Creating a professional CV style can be difficult and time-consuming when using Microsoft Word or Google Docs. To create a winning CV quickly, try our partner’s CV Builder and use one of their eye-catching professional CV templates.
CV structure
Divide your CV into the following major sections when writing it:
- Name and contact details – Head your CV with your name and contact details, to let the reader know who you are and how to contact you.
- CV profile – A brief paragraph which summarises your skills and experience and highlights why you’re a good match for the role.
- Core skills list – A snappy, bullet-pointed list of your most relevant skills.
- Work experience – A structured list of your work experience in reverse chronological order.
- Education – A summary of any relevant qualifications or professional training you’ve completed.
- Hobbies and interests – An optional section, which should only be used if your hobbies are relevant to the jobs you’re applying to.
Now you understand the basic layout of a CV, here’s what you should include in each section of yours.
Contact Details
Make it easy for recruiters to get in touch, by heading your CV with your contact details.
There’s no need for excessive details – just list the basics:
- Mobile number
- Email address – Use a professional address with no nicknames.
- Location – Just write your your general location, such as ‘London’ or ‘Cardiff’ – there’s no need to put your full address.
- LinkedIn profile or portfolio URL
Head of Engineering CV Profile
Your CV profile (or personal statement, if you’re an entry-level applicant) provides a brief overview of your skills, abilities and suitability for a position.
It’s ideal for busy recruiters and hiring managers, who don’t want to waste time reading unsuitable applications.
Think of it as your personal sales pitch. You’ve got just a few lines to sell yourself and prove you’re a great match for the job – make it count!
CV profile writing tips:
- Make it short and sharp: When it comes to CV profile length, less is more, as recruiters are often time-strapped. Aim for around of 3-5 persuasive lines.
- Tailor it: No matter how much time you put into your CV profile, it won’t impress if it’s irrelevant to the role you’re applying for. Before you start writing, make a list of the skills, knowledge and experience your target employer is looking for. Then, make sure to mention them in your CV profile and throughout the rest of your application.
- Don’t add an objective: Want to talk about about your career goals and objectives? While the profile may seem like a good space to do so, they’re actually much better suited to your cover letter.
- Avoid generic phrases: Cheesy clichès and generic phrases won’t impress recruiters, who read the same statements several times per day. Impress them with your skill-set, experience and accomplishments instead!
Example CV profile for Head of Engineering
What to include in your Head of Engineering CV profile?
- Experience overview: Showcase your aptitude for the job you are aiming for by giving a brief summary of your past work history, including the industries you have worked in, the kinds of employers you have served, and the roles you have held.
- Targeted skills: Make your most relevant Head of Engineering key skills clear in your profile. These should be tailored to the specific role you’re applying for – so make sure to check the job description first, and aim to match their requirements as closely as you can.
- Key qualifications: If the jobs you are applying to require candidates to have certain qualifications, then you must add them in your profile to ensure they are seen by hiring managers.
Quick tip: If you are finding it difficult to write an attention-grabbing CV profile, choose from hundreds of pre-written profiles across all industries, and add one to your CV with one click in our partner’s CV Builder. All profiles are written by recruitment experts and easily tailored to suit your unique skillset.
Core skills section
Add a core skills section below your profile to draw attention to your most applicable skills and make them stand out to readers.
This should consist of 2-3 columns of bullet points that emphasise your relevant skills.
Before creating this section, review the job description and compile a list of any specific skills, specializations, or knowledge needed. Incorporate these findings into your list to portray yourself as the ideal candidate for the position.
Important skills for your Head of Engineering CV
Technical expertise – Utilising in-depth knowledge of engineering principles, best practices and current technologies, including expertise in one or more areas of engineering.
Project management – Managing projects from conception to completion, including setting project goals, creating project plans, tracking progress, and managing budgets and timelines.
Team leadership – Managing and motivating a team of engineers to work towards common goals, providing guidance, feedback, and mentoring to develop team members’ skills.
Data analysis – Evaluating complex data sets, identifying trends, and developing strategies to solve problems and improve engineering processes.
Technical communication – Communicating complex technical information in a clear, concise, and understandable way to a range of stakeholders, including non-technical audiences.
Strategic thinking – Thinking critically, identifying areas for improvement, and developing long-term plans and strategies to achieve engineering goals.
Risk management – Utilising knowledge of potential risks and hazards associated with engineering projects, and ability to develop and implement strategies to mitigate those risks.
Budget management – Managing and controlling engineering budgets, including forecasting, tracking and reporting on expenditures.
Change management – Leading change initiatives, including developing and implementing processes to manage changes in engineering practices or technologies.
Regulatory compliance – Utilising knowledge of relevant regulatory requirements and ensuring engineering processes and products are compliant with applicable regulations and standards.
Quick tip: Our partner’s CV Builder has thousands of in-demand skills for all industries and professions, that can be added to your CV in seconds – This will save you time and ensure you get noticed by recruiters.
Work experience section
By this point, employers will be keen to know more detail about you career history.
Starting with your most recent role and working backwards, create a snappy list of any relevant roles you’ve held.
This could be freelance, voluntary, part-time or temporary jobs too. Anything that’s relevant to your target role is well-worth listing!
Structuring each job
Lengthy, unbroken chunks of text is a recruiters worst nightmare, but your work experience section can easily end up looking like that if you are not careful.
To avoid this, use my tried-and-tested 3-step structure, as illustrated below:
Outline
Start with a brief summary of your role as a whole, as well as the type of company you worked for.
Key responsibilities
Next, write up a punchy list of your daily duties and responsibilities, using bullet points.
Wherever you can, point out how you put your hard skills and knowledge to use – especially skills which are applicable to your target role.
Key achievements
Round up each role by listing 1-3 key achievements, accomplishments or results.
Wherever possible, quantify them using hard facts and figures, as this really helps to prove your value.
Sample job description for Head of Engineering CV
Outline
Managed the software engineering team at a fast-growing online clothing retail business with 12.5% annual growth rate, coordinating the development and maintenance of web applications and ecommerce platforms to support up to 5,000 monthly orders.
Key Responsibilities
- Own end-to-end delivery and operational service of software and platform engineering for digital products and ecommerce systems
- Work with senior management to define aligned business and engineering roadmaps, considering technology investment, divestment, and maintenance
- Proactively work with members of my team to ensure improvement items are being prioritized and actively progressed.
- Support and enable colleagues to clear blockers and impediments
Quick tip: Create impressive job descriptions easily in our partner’s CV Builder by adding pre-written job phrases for every industry and career stage.
Education and qualifications
After your work experience, your education section should provide a detailed view of your academic background.
Begin with those most relevant to Head of Engineering jobs, such as vocational training or degrees.
If you have space, you can also mention your academic qualifications, such as A-Levels and GCSEs.
Focus on the qualifications that are most relevant to the jobs you are applying for.
Hobbies and interests
The hobbies and interests CV section isn’t mandatory, so don’t worry if you’re out of room by this point.
However, if you have an interesting hobby, or an interest that could make you seem more suitable for the role, then certainly think about adding.
Be careful what you include though… Only consider hobbies that exhibit skills that are required for roles as a Head of Engineering, or transferable workplace skills.
There is never any need to tell employers that you like to watch TV and eat out.
Once you’ve written your Head of Engineering CV, you should proofread it several times to ensure that there are no typos or grammatical errors.
With a tailored punchy profile that showcases your relevant experience and skills, paired with well-structured role descriptions, you’ll be able to impress employers and land interviews.
Good luck with your next job application!