UK

United Kingdom · Technology and data · C-Suite (20+ years)

Chief Technical Officer

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  • Experience bandC-Suite (20+ years)
  • Direct reports100 reports
  • Reports toChief Executive Officer (CEO)
  • UK framework levelUsually an executive or board-level role

Also advertised as VP of Technical Programme Management · Chief of Staff, Engineering (Executive) · Head of Engineering Operations (Global) · Chief Development Operations Officer

Built on 43,079 real UK job descriptions we analysed · grounded in what real qualifications cover

Two short quizzes about you

1From this job to a course

The qualifications matched to this job

OTHM Level 7 Diploma in Data Science OTHM Qualifications · Level 7 · covers 1 of 4 standards
Level 6 Award in Data-led Decision Making Institute of Sales Professionals · Level 6 · covers 1 of 4 standards
Level 6 Certificate in Professional Sales Institute of Sales Professionals · Level 6 · covers 1 of 4 standards
Level 6 Diploma in Professional Sales Institute of Sales Professionals · Level 6 · covers 1 of 4 standards
TQUK Level 6 Diploma in Digital Leadership (RQF) Training Qualifications UK Ltd · Level 6 · covers 1 of 4 standards
EAL Level 3 Diploma in Rail Engineering Technician Competence Excellence, Achievement & Learning Limited · Level 3 · covers 1 of 4 standards

Matched from the standards this job is measured against: a suggestion, not an official ruling.

The units you would start with

Data Science Foundations OTHM Level 7 Diploma in Data Science
Data-led Decision Making Level 6 Award in Data-led Decision Making
Data science TQUK Level 6 Diploma in Digital Leadership (RQF)
Contribute to technical leadership of signal engineering activities EAL Level 3 Diploma in Rail Engineering Technician Competence

The future skills this job leans on

AI Fluency working with AI as a thinking partner
Data Fluency turning numbers into a decision
AI Governance Fluency using AI responsibly
Frontier Fluency the next wave, beyond mainstream AI
Change Fluency taking people through change
Your Plan Illustration

Built for Chief Technical Officer

4 units that map to this job, from the qualifications that cover it.

  1. Data Science Foundations OTHM Qualifications · covers 1 of 4 standards Level 7
  2. Data-led Decision Making Institute of Sales Professionals · covers 1 of 4 standards Level 6
  3. Data science Training Qualifications UK Ltd · covers 1 of 4 standards Level 6
  4. Contribute to technical leadership of signal engineering activities Excellence, Achievement & Learning Limited · covers 1 of 4 standards Level 3
These are the real units behind this job, in the order they rank for it. Nothing here is marked done, because this plan has not been started by anyone yet. Yours would fill in as you go.

2AI and this work

Will AI change your work as a Chief Technical Officer?

Nobody can say exactly how. Here is what this job is being asked for next, and where to start.

The new skills this role is being asked for

  • Ethical AI Governance & Policy
  • Quantum Computing Strategy (Long-Term Impact)
Why each one is rising

The future skills this job leans on

We'll only ever tell you what we can actually back up. No hype, no scare tactics.

What happens when you start

Next, a free account. We build your Chief Technical Officer plan as you set up, starting with the free Automation Fluency module. No card.

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Keep this read. One email with what AI is changing in this job, the new skills it asks for and where to start free. Nothing else follows unless you confirm your address.

3What this role really is

A Chief Technical Officer sets the technical operational strategy for a whole organisation, working out how engineering teams build, deliver and support products at scale.

4What you'd actually use

The tools this job runs on, and how well you'd need to know each one.

Jira (Enterprise Administration) Strategic

Defining and enforcing enterprise-wide Jira standards, designing cross-team workflows, managing integrations with other strategic platforms (e.g., CRM, ERP), and analysing organisational productivity metrics at scale.

Confluence / Notion (Knowledge Governance) Strategic

Setting the overall knowledge management strategy for the technical organisation, ensuring consistent documentation standards, and leveraging these platforms for executive decision-making and strategic communication.

GitHub / GitLab / Bitbucket (Organisational Governance) Strategic

Defining and enforcing enterprise-wide version control policies, managing global access controls, auditing security practices, and using repository data for strategic insights into code quality and development velocity.

CI/CD Platforms (Strategic Oversight) Strategic

Analysing pipeline performance metrics across the entire organisation, making strategic decisions on CI/CD tooling investments, and ensuring the continuous delivery pipeline supports rapid, reliable product releases at scale.

Enterprise Automation Platforms (e.g., Workato, UiPath) Advanced

Directing the design and implementation of complex, multi-system automation workflows that streamline enterprise-level technical operations and reporting, freeing up significant human capital.

5What you get to decide, and how that grows

Power in a job isn't your title. It's what you're allowed to decide. Here's how it grows as you move up.

The choiceComing in Where you are nowThe step above
Enterprise Technical Strategy N/A N/A N/A
Budget Allocation (Technical Operations) N/A N/A N/A
Organisational Design & Leadership Hiring N/A N/A N/A
Major Vendor & Platform Selection N/A N/A N/A

6How you'll be judged

The scoreboard, and what is not on it. The hard targets, how often each is actually looked at, and the quiet signals that never reach a dashboard.

Enterprise-wide Developer Productivity Uplift
The overall increase in productive output and focus time for our engineering teams, measured by reducing administrative overhead and improving toolchain efficiency.
Target · 15% year-on-year increase in measurable developer focus time across the organisation.

By optimising our CI/CD pipelines and automating routine support tasks, we saw a 17% increase in the average 'uninterrupted coding hours' for senior engineers in Q3, leading to faster feature delivery.

Product Release Cadence & Reliability
The frequency of new product releases to market, balanced against the rate of critical production incidents post-release.
Target · Increase release frequency by 25% (e.g., monthly to bi-weekly) while maintaining a critical incident rate below 0.5% of releases.

We successfully shifted from monthly to bi-weekly major releases over 12 months, reducing critical post-release incidents from 0.8% to 0.4% through enhanced release governance and automated testing.

Engineering Operational Expenditure (Opex) Reduction
Optimising the cost of running our engineering operations, including tooling, infrastructure, and support processes, without compromising quality or speed.
Target · Achieve a 10-15% reduction in engineering Opex year-on-year through strategic consolidation and efficiency gains.

Through a strategic review of our SaaS tooling and cloud infrastructure, we consolidated redundant services, renegotiated vendor contracts, and automated manual tasks, resulting in a £2.5M saving in engineering Opex this fiscal year.

Investor Confidence in Technical Strategy
The perception of our technical strategy and execution by key investors and financial analysts, impacting share price and valuation.
Target · Maintain or improve analyst ratings related to our technical capabilities and strategic execution, with positive mentions in at least 75% of investor reports.

Following our Q2 earnings call, three major investment banks upgraded their outlook on our technical roadmap, specifically citing our improved release predictability and AI integration strategy, contributing to a 5% share price bump.

Board Confidence in Technical Strategy
The level of trust and alignment the Board of Directors has in your proposed technical strategy, roadmap, and operational execution.
  • Regular invitations to present strategic updates to the Board
  • direct consultation on major technical investments or M&A targets
  • Board approval of significant technical transformation programmes without major contention
  • positive feedback from individual Board members on your clarity and vision.
Strategic Alignment of Engineering Initiatives
How well engineering projects and programmes directly support and drive the company's highest-level strategic objectives.
  • Clear, traceable links from every major engineering initiative back to 1-2 company-wide strategic pillars
  • consistent messaging from VPs and Directors about how their teams contribute to the 'big picture'
  • successful delivery of cross-functional initiatives that require significant technical coordination (e.g., new market entry, platform re-architecture).
Organisational Resilience & Adaptability
The ability of the technical organisation to quickly adapt to market shifts, technological changes, or unexpected crises without significant disruption.
  • Demonstrated agility in pivoting technical roadmaps in response to competitive threats or new opportunities
  • rapid and effective response to major security incidents or production outages with minimal long-term impact
  • positive feedback from business unit leaders on the engineering team's responsiveness and flexibility.
Talent & Leadership Development
The effectiveness of your strategies in attracting, retaining, and developing top-tier technical leadership and talent across the enterprise.
  • Low attrition rates for high-potential technical leaders
  • successful internal promotions to senior technical roles
  • a strong pipeline of diverse talent for critical positions
  • positive feedback in employee engagement surveys regarding career development opportunities within engineering.

7Would you like it

Both sides. What people enjoy, and what grinds them down.

What people enjoy
Shaping the Future of a Global Enterprise

You'll be driven by the opportunity to define the technical operating model for a large, complex organisation. This shows up in your relentless pursuit of strategic clarity, your focus on long-term capability building, and your excitement about driving multi-year transformation programmes. You're not just managing; you're creating.

Spending your week engaging with VPs on their 3-year roadmaps, presenting to the Board on our AI strategy, and meeting with industry leaders to scout emerging technologies that could redefine our market.

High-Stakes Impact & Accountability

You thrive on the pressure of making decisions that affect thousands of employees and millions in revenue. This means you embrace full ownership of enterprise-level outcomes, from P&L performance to major incident response. You're motivated by the direct, measurable impact your leadership has on the company's success.

Leading the response to a major production incident, owning the communication to the CEO and Board, and then driving the post-mortem to ensure it never happens again—all while knowing the company's reputation is in your hands.

Leading and Developing World-Class Technical Talent

You're passionate about building and nurturing high-performing executive teams and technical leaders. This manifests in your commitment to mentorship, succession planning, and creating an environment where top talent can thrive. You get immense satisfaction from seeing your direct reports grow into even bigger roles.

Spending a significant portion of your time coaching your VPs, designing leadership development programmes, and actively recruiting top-tier external talent to strengthen our executive bench.

What frustrates people
  • The sheer pace of change, meaning a 'perfect' strategy today might be obsolete tomorrow.
  • The constant need to balance short-term business demands with long-term strategic investments.
  • Navigating complex political landscapes across different business units and executive teams.
  • The challenge of driving massive cultural and process change across a global organisation.
  • Dealing with legacy systems and technical debt that can hinder innovation, despite your best efforts.
  • The intense public and investor scrutiny that comes with every major technical decision or incident.
What this role does not give you
  • A predictable 9-to-5 work schedule – expect late nights and early mornings, especially during crises or major initiatives.
  • Hands-on technical work – your focus is entirely on strategic leadership, governance, and executive oversight.
  • An environment free from intense political negotiation and stakeholder management.
  • The luxury of making decisions without significant financial or reputational implications.
  • A role where you can avoid public speaking or engaging with investors and the media.

8Who you work with

This role is absolutely critical for the enterprise. You're directly responsible for the operational effectiveness of our entire technical division, influencing everything from product delivery speed and quality to talent retention and overall profitability. Your decisions will shape our market position, investor confidence, and ultimately, the long-term viability and growth of the company. It's about ensuring our technical capabilities are a strategic advantage, not a bottleneck.

Inside the business
  • Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
  • Board of Directors
  • Chief Technology Officer (CTO)
  • Chief Product Officer (CPO)
  • Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
  • Legal & Compliance Teams
  • Heads of Business Units
Outside the business
  • Investors & Shareholders
  • Industry Regulators
  • Key Strategic Partners
  • Major Customers
  • Industry Analysts & Media

9What you need before you start

Not a wish list. The things you would be expected to already have.

  • Proven track record of leading large, complex engineering or technical operations organisations (100+ people) for at least 5-7 years.
  • Demonstrable experience owning and managing significant P&L responsibilities (multi-million-pound budgets).
  • Direct experience presenting to and influencing a Board of Directors and engaging with investors.
  • Successful delivery of at least two major enterprise-level technical transformation programmes (e.g., cloud migration, platform re-architecture, M&A integration).
  • Deep understanding of the full software development lifecycle and operational excellence principles at scale.
  • Experience navigating complex regulatory environments and ensuring technical compliance.

10What to practise next

Where the job is going, and what to do about it starting this week.

Advanced Cloud Economics & FinOps

Cloud costs are a major P&L driver. As we scale, optimising cloud spend isn't just an engineering task; it's a strategic imperative that directly impacts profitability and investor confidence. You need to lead this from the top.

Unit Economics of Cloud Spend · Cloud Cost Optimisation Strategies · FinOps Framework Implementation · Cloud Vendor Negotiation

  • This quarter: Review our current cloud spend reports in detail with the CFO and Head of Infrastructure.
  • Next quarter: Engage a FinOps consultant for an executive workshop on best practices and strategic opportunities.
  • Month 6: Establish an enterprise-wide FinOps steering committee and define clear cost optimisation targets.
  • Month 9: Present a multi-year cloud cost optimisation strategy to the Board, outlining projected savings and investments.

Quick win: Challenge your VPs to identify 10% immediate savings in their cloud budgets. It's about instilling a cost-conscious mindset from the top.

Cyber Resilience & Threat Intelligence Strategy

The threat landscape is constantly evolving, and a single major cyberattack can cripple a business. Your role is to ensure our entire technical estate is not just secure, but resilient enough to withstand and rapidly recover from sophisticated attacks. This is a board-level risk.

Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) · Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs) · Supply Chain Security · Incident Response & Disaster Recovery Planning

  • This quarter: Review the latest annual cybersecurity report and risk assessment with the CISO.
  • Next quarter: Participate in an executive-level tabletop exercise simulating a major cyberattack.
  • Month 6: Commission an independent audit of our critical infrastructure's cyber resilience.
  • Month 9: Present an updated enterprise cyber resilience strategy to the Board, including investment plans.

Quick win: Ensure all executive leadership completes mandatory advanced cybersecurity awareness training. Lead by example.

11Staying current once you are in

What people here do to keep up
  • Regularly engage with industry thought leaders, attend executive-level technology summits, and participate in peer networks (e.g., CTO forums, executive roundtables).
  • Maintain a strong understanding of emerging technologies and their strategic implications through continuous learning, research, and engagement with R&D teams.
  • Actively mentor and sponsor high-potential technical leaders within and outside the organisation, contributing to the broader industry talent pool.
  • Publish articles or speak at major industry conferences, positioning yourself and the company as a leader in technical operational excellence.
  • Undertake non-executive director (NED) roles on other company boards to broaden governance experience and industry perspective.

12The rising capability

The rising capability

Zavmo analysis

What's rising in its place

This is where the work is heading, and the higher pay with it. Get fluent here and the shift stops being a threat and starts being your edge.

Ethical AI Governance & Policy

The rapid acceleration of AI adoption brings significant ethical, legal, and reputational risks. Governments are increasingly regulating AI, and public trust is paramount. As CTO, you'll be accountable for ensuring our AI development and deployment is responsible and compliant.

  • AI Act (EU) & UK AI Regulation
  • Bias Detection & Mitigation
  • Explainable AI (XAI)
  • Data Provenance & Privacy in AI

Quantum Computing Strategy (Long-Term Impact)

While still nascent, quantum computing has the potential to disrupt entire industries, from cryptography to materials science. As a C-suite leader, you need to understand its long-term strategic implications, even if immediate adoption isn't on the cards. It's about preparing for the next technological wave.

  • Quantum Supremacy & Algorithms
  • Post-Quantum Cryptography
  • Quantum-as-a-Service (QaaS)
  • Strategic Investment in Quantum Research

13What you’ll use

What you’ll use

Skills this role draws on

Technical

  • Enterprise Architecture Strategy
  • M&A Technical Due Diligence & Integration
  • Global Regulatory Compliance (Technical)
  • Large-Scale Agile & DevOps Transformation

14The pathway

The pathway

How you actually get there, here

How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.

  1. 1

    Director of Engineering Operations (Large Enterprise)

    5-7 years at Director/VP level

    Skills to master

    • Mastering business unit P&L, driving large-scale organisational change, building and leading multi-functional leadership teams, and developing deep strategic relationships with C-suite peers.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Successfully led a technical organisation of 100+ people through a significant transformation.
    • Consistently delivered on multi-million-pound operational budgets and achieved efficiency targets.
    • Demonstrated ability to influence executive strategy and secure resources for major initiatives.
    • Proven track record of developing and promoting senior technical leaders.
  2. 2

    VP of Technical Programme Management (Global)

    5-7 years at VP level

    Skills to master

    • Owning multi-year, cross-functional programme portfolios, managing dependencies across entire product lines, driving strategic tooling and process standardisation, and presenting programme health to executive leadership and the Board.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Successfully managed a portfolio of technical programmes with a combined budget exceeding £5M.
    • Implemented enterprise-wide programme management frameworks that significantly improved delivery predictability.
    • Effectively managed complex stakeholder relationships across multiple business units and geographies.
    • Built a high-performing team of programme managers and technical leads.
  3. 3

    Chief of Staff, Engineering (for a large CTO organisation)

    3-5 years in CoS role

    Skills to master

    • Acting as the strategic right-hand to a CTO, mastering executive communication, driving strategic planning cycles, managing cross-functional initiatives, and navigating complex organisational politics at the highest level.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Successfully supported a CTO in driving major strategic initiatives and operational improvements.
    • Demonstrated exceptional ability to synthesise complex information and prepare executive-level communications.
    • Proven skill in managing executive relationships and driving consensus among diverse leaders.
    • Deep understanding of the CTO's strategic priorities and the challenges of a large engineering organisation.

15Where this role leads

The long view: This work can lead to chief executive roles, board positions, or advisory work with investors and portfolio companies.

16Pay and demand

Pay & demand

Typical pay £91,671 a year Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 (provisional), under the Open Government Licence v3.0

The figure is the median for full-time employees in the ONS occupation this job title codes to (Information technology directors), from the April 2025 survey, about six months old when published, as ASHE always is. It is that occupation's middle, not this role's. Half earn more.

The ten Future Fluencies

Zavmo analysis

The credential is what you can do today. These are what keep you valuable.

A qualification proves you can do the job as it's defined today. These ten are what decide whether you're still the obvious person for it in five years. They're the capabilities employers are now writing into senior roles faster than people are learning them. Zavmo weaves them through whatever you study, so you come out with both: the credential and the fluency.

The highlighted ones are the Fluencies your role leans on hardest, from how Chief Technical Officer is actually changing.

Where it leads

Roles this leads to

The record names a next step, but the catalogue has no page for it yet:

  • Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
  • Board Member / Non-Executive Director (NED)

How you would learn this

One to one, on the work you already do

A tutor sets the task against your own job and marks the reasoning, at your pace. There is no cohort to fall behind.

A lesson from Data Science Foundations, worked against Chief Technical Officer.

Data Science Foundations Level 7

Applied to your work in Chief Technical Officer

1. To enable the learner to define the scope and landscape of Data Science and differentiate the roles of Data Scientists from other IT professionals. 2. To enable the learner to evaluate key topics within Data Science, including data administration, governance, and big data sources. 3. To enable the learner to describe the architecture and core elements of Apache Hadoop. 4. To enable the learner to analyse the advantages and disadvantages of utilising Artificial Intelligence techniques in a business context. 5. To enable the learner to critically analyse the impact of Big Data on digital transformation within organisations and its effects on users. 6. To enable the learner to review strategies for ensuring data compliance and explain the responsibilities and challenges faced by data specialists.

How the thinking builds
  1. 1 Remember
  2. 2 Understand
  3. 3 Apply
  4. 4 Analyse
  5. 5 Evaluate
  6. 6 Create
An illustration of a Zavmo lesson, built from this role’s own route. The unit, its objective and every criterion above are the awarding body’s own words, not an example.

It is £70 a month, billed monthly. Your free first module is Future Fluency, and you can cancel any time.

See Your Progress Grow Illustration
Chief Technical Officer
  • Enterprise Architecture Strategy
  • M&A Technical Due Diligence & Integration
  • Global Regulatory Compliance (Technical)
  • Large-Scale Agile & DevOps Transformation
This is your Mind Palace on learn.zavmo.ai. Every skill above comes from this role's own record, not an example borrowed from another job. A node lights up when you evidence it, and what you build stays yours between jobs. That is the part a course cannot do.

17The detail, folded away

Everything else the record holds

The career branches in full, how AI is already showing up in the day-to-day, and the questions people ask about this job. Here when you want them, out of the way while you decide.

Where it leads next, rung by rung

Where it leads

The career path, and where it branches

Chief Technical Officer is a start, not a ceiling. Each step below asks for new skills and hands back more autonomy.

  1. Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

    5-10 years

    Enterprise Leadership

    • Full P&L Accountability (Enterprise-wide)
    • Board & Shareholder Management
    • Macroeconomic Analysis
    • Brand & Reputation Management

  2. Board Member / Non-Executive Director (NED)

    3-5 years (concurrently or post-C-suite)

    Governance & Oversight

    • Boardroom Dynamics & Influence
    • Executive Performance Evaluation
    • Succession Planning (CEO/Executive)
    • Audit & Remuneration Committee Expertise
Working with AI on the job

Working with AI

Where AI is starting to help

Let's be real, at the C-suite level, your time is your most valuable asset. Every minute spent on information synthesis, drafting reports, or chasing data is a minute not spent on defining strategy, building key relationships, or navigating critical challenges. This is where AI truly transforms executive productivity.

Imagine having a personal, always-on strategic analyst and communications expert. AI won't replace your judgment or vision, but it will dramatically reduce the time you spend gathering, synthesising, and communicating information. It's about empowering you to focus on the truly impactful, human-centric aspects of your role, while the AI handles the heavy lifting of data and document processing. Honestly, it's like having an army of highly efficient, tireless assistants at your fingertips.

Strategic Risk & Opportunity Analysis

An AI assistant can rapidly digest vast amounts of market data, competitor reports, and internal performance metrics to highlight emerging risks and untapped opportunities for our technical operations. It'll summarise key trends, identify potential bottlenecks, and even draft preliminary strategic options for you to review. Think of it as a super-powered research team, constantly scanning the horizon.

Investor Relations & Board Reporting

Generating those critical board decks and investor updates can be a massive time sink. AI can pull data from various internal systems (Jira, financial reports, operational dashboards), synthesise key performance indicators, and even draft initial narratives for your presentations. You'll spend less time compiling and more time refining your message and anticipating questions. It's about getting to the 'so what?' faster.

Enterprise Policy & Governance Drafting

Developing new enterprise-wide policies—be it for AI ethics, data governance, or security protocols—requires immense research and careful wording. AI can assist by drafting initial policy frameworks, cross-referencing against regulatory requirements, and identifying potential loopholes. This frees you up to focus on the strategic intent and organisational impact, rather than the initial drafting. Yes, it's tedious but necessary work, and AI makes it quicker.

Executive Communication & Messaging

From company-wide announcements about strategic shifts to critical communications during a crisis, crafting the right message is paramount. AI can help draft compelling initial communications, summarise complex technical issues for non-technical audiences, and even tailor messages for different stakeholder groups (e.g., employees vs. investors). You'll still own the final word, but the groundwork will be done in minutes, not hours.

Common questions

Common questions

How do you become a Chief Technical Officer?

Common routes in include Director of Engineering Operations (Large Enterprise) (5-7 years at Director/VP level), VP of Technical Programme Management (Global) (5-7 years at VP level) and Chief of Staff, Engineering (for a large CTO organisation) (3-5 years in CoS role). Times vary with prior experience.

Where can a Chief Technical Officer progress to?

This role can lead on to Chief Executive Officer (CEO) (5-10 years) and Board Member / Non-Executive Director (NED) (3-5 years (concurrently or post-C-suite)), depending on the skills you build.

What new skills matter most for a Chief Technical Officer?

Increasingly, Ethical AI Governance & Policy and Quantum Computing Strategy (Long-Term Impact). These are the skills our record of this role lists as growing.

Free tools

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18Where to go from here

Other roles at Level 8

Same depth of qualification, different job. Useful if the work appeals but this particular role does not.

 More jobs in technology and data

Stay in the field you know and move sideways rather than up.
If you leave this industry

Experience as a Chief Technical Officer applies across technology-driven industries, including SaaS, FinTech, HealthTech, e-commerce, and traditional sectors going through digital change. Scaling technical operations, driving efficiency and setting governance are skills that carry across sectors.

This role profile is © 2026 Growth Engineering Technologies Ltd. Built from UK occupational standards and regulated qualification data, and written for Zavmo.

You're not behind. You're right on time. The shift is only just beginning. Your role won't look the same in two years. Be the one who leads the change, not the one it happens to. Start my free Automation Fluency module What happens next: a free account, then we build your plan as you set up. No card. Build your plan, see your roadmap and meet the twelve tutors matched to you. All free. When you're ready to start learning, it's £70 a month, billed monthly. Cancel any time and billing stops.