Smollan - Head of Engineering - Enterprise Architecture

Description :

About the job :

We are seeking a seasoned Head of Engineering with deep enterprise architecture expertise to lead end-to-end development of large-scale mobile, web, and cloud-based applications.

This leader will own the technical vision, engineering roadmap, system architecture, and cross-functional delivery, ensuring scalable, secure, and high-performance platforms that support global field-force and retail operations.

The role demands a rare combination of top-tier engineering capability, strategic thinking, product partnership, stakeholder management, and people leadership.

You will guide multiple engineering pods, mentor technical leads, collaborate with product and operations teams, and shape the long-term technology direction for enterprise-grade applications.

Key Responsibilities :

1. Technology Vision & Enterprise Architecture :

- Define and maintain the long-term architectural vision for mobile, web, APIs, backend, and cloud infrastructure.

- Establish standards for scalability, availability, security, automation, and performance.

- Enable future-proof systems through modular design, microservices, integrations, and best practices.

- Evaluate emerging technologies and recommend strategic investments.

2. Engineering Leadership & Delivery Excellence :

- Lead multiple engineering teams across backend, frontend, mobile, DevOps, QA, and integrations.

- Build and execute engineering roadmaps aligned with product strategy.

- Ensure predictable, high-quality delivery through strong sprint discipline and engineering governance.

- Implement coding standards, code reviews, architectural reviews, and CI/CD best practices.

3. Stakeholder Management & Cross-Functional Alignment :

- Act as the primary engineering representative in discussions with product, operations, analytics, and business teams.

- Translate business requirements into technical direction and engineering plans.

- Communicate risks, timelines, architectural decisions, and trade-offs to leadership and partners.

- Build strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

4. Platform Governance & System Reliability :

- Own platform stability, uptime, monitoring, and reliability.

- Oversee data flows, integrations, pipelines, and cloud infrastructure.

- Ensure adherence to compliance, security policies, and data governance requirements.

- Drive proactive improvements to reduce tech debt, optimize performance, and prevent outages.

5. People Leadership & Engineering Culture :

- Mentor technical leads, architects, and engineers across domains.

- Build high-performing, collaborative engineering culture with focus on quality and innovation.

- Lead talent development, recruitment, and upskilling initiatives.

- Foster accountability, ownership, and engineering excellence.

6. Strategic Planning & Innovation :

- Provide engineering input into long-term business and product strategy.

- Identify opportunities to leverage AI/ML, automation, new frameworks, and cloud capabilities.

- Drive architectural evolution to support future expansion into new markets, features, and capabilities.

- Champion innovation, scalability, and continuous improvement across engineering.

7. Risk Management & Technical Decision-Making :

- Identify architectural risks, integration challenges, and scaling bottlenecks.

- Make trade-off decisions balancing speed, quality, and strategic direction.

- Build contingency plans, disaster recovery approaches, and reliability safeguards.

Required Skills & Experience :

Core Engineering Expertise :

- 1015+ years of experience in software engineering with at least 5 years in engineering leadership roles.

- Deep understanding of enterprise architecture, system design, API strategy, cloud engineering, and security.

- Strong experience with:

- Mobile app development (Flutter/Android/iOS)

- Web platforms (React or similar)

- Backend (Node.js or equivalent)

- Cloud platforms (GCP, AWS, or Azure)

- CI/CD, DevOps, automation frameworks

Business & Industry Knowledge :

- Experience delivering large-scale solutions for retail, field-force, consumer electronics, or similar domains.

- Understanding of sales workflows, integrations, partner ecosystems, and operational dependencies.

- Ability to translate business KPIs into technical outcomes.

Technical & Analytical Skills :

- Strong architectural documentation, design patterns, and modelling skills.

- Experience with data engineering, analytics pipelines, and API integrations.

- Ability to troubleshoot complex distributed systems.

- Strong command of security principles, compliance, and governance frameworks.

Soft Skills :

- Excellent communication and executive-level presentation skills.

- Strong stakeholder alignment, negotiation, and influence.

- High ownership mindset and problem-solving ability.

- Ability to operate in fast-paced environments with shifting priorities.

- Strategic thinker who balances long-term vision with near-term execution.

Preferred Qualifications :

- Experience in multi-region deployments or complex enterprise ecosystems.

- Background in SaaS, digital transformation, or scaled tech programs.

- Exposure to AI/ML integrations or cloud-based intelligent systems.

- Prior experience leading distributed engineering teams.