VP of Engineering

PURPOSE

The Vice President of Engineering (VP of Engineering) will play a crucial leadership role in managing and scaling the engineering team while working closely with the CTO and Head of Engineering as well as other department heads to drive technical excellence. The role requires a blend of strategic vision, technical expertise, and strong people management skills to support the company’s mission and ensure the successful delivery of our platform.

As VP of Engineering, you will create and own the frameworks, systems, and processes that enable engineering leads to effectively manage and support their teams. Additionally, you will serve as a key escalation point for complex people management issues, ensuring they are resolved thoughtfully and in alignment with company values and goals.

OBJECTIVES (main duties and responsibilities)

• Take ownership of the engineering hiring pipeline (sourcing, screening, interviewing).
• Refine processes, tools, and metrics to measure drop-offs and interview quality.
• Coordinate dev teams and ensure consistent “A-player” hiring.
• Drive high-performance culture from day one.

Performance & Career Development

• Spearhead engineering KPIs/scorecards in line with company-wide HR practices.
• Define and refine individual engineering metrics and align them with broader performance goals.
• Own engineering career paths, outline progression frameworks, and set skill expectations for engineers.
• Champion Data-Driven Reviews: Schedule performance discussions, gather feedback, analyze results, and deliver board-level metrics for CEO/investor visibility.

Resource Planning

• Align with the CTO/CEO/CPO on engineering capabilities vs. product needs.
• Provide leadership on org changes, new roles, and growth strategies within engineering.
• Advocate for engineers’ needs, ensuring well-justified policy proposals.

• Foster a high-performance, feedback-driven culture; keep a pulse on morale.
• Collaborate with HR on company-wide structures, ensuring engineers have a supportive environment.
• Offer coaching, sustain an inclusive atmosphere, and act as an escalation point when issues arise.

• Design incentive frameworks for engineering (bonuses, raises, equity) in partnership with HR.
• Set guidelines for fair salaries and reward top performers.
• Regularly review market data to remain competitive.

• Set processes for 1:1s, coaching, and performance discussions with engineering leads.
• Identify training gaps or upskilling opportunities.
• Guide managers in handling complex performance issues and conflict resolution.

• Continuously improve engineering onboarding and offboarding workflows.
• Ensure onboarding is consistent and effective across all engineering teams.
• Track and improve metrics (e.g., time-to-productivity, bus factor).

• Willingness to travel between Stellenbosch and Johannesburg for one week every two months.
• Work from the Johannesburg or Stellenbosch office approximately twice a week for effective collaboration.

ROLE REQUIREMENTS

Formal Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Mathematics, Engineering, Information Systems, or equivalent experience.

Knowledge, Skills & Experience

• Experience as a software developer with a solid technical foundation, complemented by strong people management experience.
• Proven ability to lead and scale engineering teams, particularly in fast-paced SaaS or startup environments.
• Experience working with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure) and implementing modern software development practices (CI/CD, full SDLC).
• Experience with frameworks that help drive engineering alignment and continuous improvement, such as OKRs, KPIs, DORA metrics etc.
• Ability to assess technical trade-offs, evaluate process and resource planning choices, and make strategic decisions.

WHAT WE OFFER

• Competitive Compensation & Benefits: A market-leading salary, performance-based bonuses, life cover and death and disability cover
• Professional Growth: Access to professional development resources 
• Impact & Autonomy: A high-impact role with the autonomy to drive the engineering vision and shape the company’s technology strategy. 
• Innovative Culture: A dynamic, collaborative environment that embraces new ideas, experimentation, and continuous learning.

Languages

English
Afrikaans (Beneficial)

CULTURE

• Someone to enhance the positive company culture with a high emphasis on morals, values and diversity
• Preferably someone with a passion for/experience in the agriculture and /or logistics & technology industries
• A go-getter that can grow with the company.

COMPANY OVERVIEW

Visit our About Us page to discover more about our culture, work ethic, and vision.