Head of Engineering (Johannesburg)

My client is seeking an exceptional Head of Engineering to serve as the strategic and technical bridge between executive architectural vision and disciplined engineering execution. This is a hands-on, player-coach leadership role within a high-complexity environment where we deliver mission-critical financial recommendations that must be precise, defensible, and seamlessly integrated across systems.

You will translate long-term strategy into structured delivery while building a high-performance engineering capability that scales. Operating at the intersection of software engineering, data science, DevOps, and product, you will ensure complex initiatives move forward with clarity, speed, and technical integrity.

Key responsibilities

Strategy to execution

• Translate the CTO’s architectural vision and Product strategy into actionable engineering roadmaps and delivery plans.
• Align long-range platform goals with near-term execution milestones.

Architectural ownership

• Lead domain-level solution architecture and guide critical technical decisions.
• Maintain architectural coherence across multiple interconnected systems and initiatives.

Cross-functional leadership

• Orchestrate collaboration between software engineering, data science, DevOps, and stakeholders.
• Remove blockers, drive alignment, and ensure seamless end-to-end delivery.

Hands-on coaching

• Provide technical leadership through design reviews, code reviews, and direct problem-solving.
• Mentor engineers and data scientists, building capability and raising standards over time.

Engineering excellence and systems

• Establish and mature CI/CD pipelines, automated testing frameworks, quality standards, and operational metrics.
• Improve delivery predictability, lead time, and system reliability through structured governance and process discipline.

Productionizing data science

• Oversee integration of models, features, and analytical outputs into robust, product-grade systems.
• Ensure ML workflows are scalable, monitored, and operationally sound.

Qualifications and experience

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, engineering, or related field; advanced degrees or certifications (Azure, TOGAF, SAFe) advantageous.
• 10+ years in software engineering, including 3–5 years in senior architecture or technical leadership roles.
• Deep expertise in C#, .NET 6+, EF Core, Azure SQL, microservices, and distributed systems.
• Strong DevOps experience including CI/CD, automated testing, release governance, and monitoring of high-availability systems.
• Working knowledge of ML lifecycle, MLOps, data pipelines, feature stores, and integrating analytics into production applications.
• Proven experience leading multiple technical teams, mentoring senior engineers, and improving delivery maturity in complex environments.