VP Software Engineering
Overview of the Role
The VP Software Engineering is accountable for the development and delivery of viable software products and integration services for the company based on the approved technology vision and product roadmap; in collaboration with the Innovation Lead, Project Manager, Product Manager and other stakeholders, while meeting the expectations of the target market, customers and business stakeholders. The position of VP Software Engineering entails planning, directing, and coordinating all activities associated with creating, acquiring and implementing software solutions across multiple customer segments or target markets. As the VP Software Engineering, you will research, review, and analyse the effectiveness and efficiency of existing software development technologies, frameworks and tools; to develop a blueprint for enhancing them based on emerging trends and best practices.
Reporting Line
Direct Supervisors – CEO
Key Responsibilities
Strategy & Planning:
Provide strategic vision, plan and roadmap for all software development and integration activities.
Participate in the strategic decisions about technology, definition, and implementation of software solutions.
Stakeholder Engagement & Collaboration:
Collaborate with product innovation stakeholders in conceptualizing, scoping, estimating
and prioritizing the development of new software programs and application services.
Collaborate with project sponsor, project manager and other stakeholders to determine
project scope and vision.
Work effectively with the innovation lead, product manager/owner, business analyst, project
manager and other stakeholders to ensure project delivery against agreed priorities, within
timeline and budget.
Technology Leadership & Innovation
Research the external environment, and where appropriate identify and recommend
technologies, tools and external partners for the delivery of best in class and viable products.
Establish standards for software development and integration with respect to best
practices.
Understand the use cases (and/or user stories) in order to oversee the design of the
architecture for the products to be built.
Develop and continuously review system architecture while applying best practices that are
consistent with and supportive of our product strategy and roadmap.
Ensure solution and service delivery are consistent with agile processes across the teams.
Enable and support a culture of engineering excellence, collaboration, team, execution, and
continuous improvement.
To keep up to date and brief the management on the latest software development technologies
and methodologies for potential leverage.
Software Development & DevOps
Oversee all aspects of the product development lifecycle, including product definition, usability
testing, UI/UX, backlog management, documentation, release planning, project schedule
management and DevOps.
Help define “gold standard” for technologies, tools, libraries, frameworks, and/or coding
techniques that enable and streamline secure software development.
Write and maintain clean, maintainable, reusable, well-tested, secure and future-proof codes and also carryout code review.
Ensure the development teams are practicing the core agile principles of collaboration,
prioritization, team accountability, and visibility.
Technical Requirements
Strong proficiency in backend development using one or more of the following: Node.js, Java (Spring Boot), Python (FastAPI/Django).
Working knowledge of frontend technologies including React, Next.js, and JavaScript.
Proven ability to design, build, and maintain scalable, secure, and high-performance systems.
Ability to conduct effective code reviews, ensuring code quality, adherence to best practices, and overall system integrity.
Team and Capacity Building
Build and manage a technical team with the right blend of skills and experience required to
optimally deliver on our technology strategy and product development roadmap.
Establish an effective training plan and mentoring for each team member towards their professional development and our strategic requirements.
Communicate the technology vision and product roadmap with the development team and
collaborate to ensure top-quality execution.
Collaborate and keep the team adequately engaged, challenged and motivated for optimal
productivity and high staff retention.
Reporting and Communication
Consistently articulate the company’s technological vision, opportunities, achievement and
challenges to the team and stakeholders.
Provide clear and concise communication regarding feature development status to the
management team.
Responsible for your team’s work planning against objectives set in agreement with the Executive.
Prepare and share your team’s weekly reports and periodic performance reviews as at when due.
Business Development
To participate in management meetings and contribute regularly to discussions regarding
customer acquisition, client engagements, revenue generation, process improvements and
strategic initiatives.
To support business development and pre-sale activities with technical inputs as might be required for technical proposal, demos, trainings, application support services etc.
Position Requirements
Formal Education & Certification
A Bachelor’s degree in computer science, engineering, information technology, or a related field is required. Advanced degrees (e.g., MBA, MSc, or Ph.D.) can be beneficial
Knowledge and Experience
Minimum of 10 years of experience in a senior technology leadership role, preferably as Head of Software Engineering or VP of Technology.
Proven track record of successfully managing large-scale technology projects and leading technology teams.
Deep knowledge of software development, system architecture, cloud computing, cybersecurity, and data management.
Strong leadership and team management abilities, with experience in mentoring and developing technical talent.
Excellent strategic thinking and problem-solving skills, with the ability to drive innovation and change.
Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to present complex technical concepts to a diverse audience.
Proven ability to collaborate effectively with executive leadership, stakeholders, and external partners.
Understanding of how technology drives business value and supports strategic goals.
Experience with budgeting, financial planning, and cost management related to technology investments.
Visionary thinking and a proactive approach to identifying and leveraging new technologies.
Adaptability and resilience in navigating fast-paced and evolving environments.
Lead, mentor, and manage the technology team, including software developers, engineers, IT staff, and other technical professionals.
Personal Attributes
Leadership and mentorship
Visionary thinking
Technical expertise
Business acumen
Team building
Project management
Ethical judgement
Customer orientation
Work Conditions
Occasional evening and weekend work to meet deadlines.
Physically able to participate in sessions, presentations, and meetings.
Some travel may be required for the purpose of offsite client/partner engagements and/or project support