Head of Engineering

Hidden Gems Talent; Malaysia; On-site; MYR 320,000 - 520,000; Full time

Job summary

Hidden Gems Talent is seeking a Head of Engineering based in Kuala Lumpur to own end-to-end delivery for Distribution and Claims, leading distributed squads across Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and the Philippines. You will drive sprint execution, partner integrations, and squad management while the CTO retains architecture, AI, and security priorities.

You will own release cadences, engineering standards, and the adoption of AI-assisted coding tools to maximize velocity and accountability

Qualifications

• 8+ years in software engineering with 3+ years leading teams of 10+.
• Hands-on ability to review and debug code alongside the team.
• Proven track record transforming an unpredictable delivery org into a high-accountability team.
• Hands-on experience deploying AI-assisted coding tools across teams with measured results.
• Experience managing distributed squads across Southeast Asia.
• Pragmatic, high-urgency mindset focused on shipping impact today.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end scope, estimates, committed dates, and release cadences for Distribution and Claims.
• Establish predictable sprint cadences, capacity views, and engineering standards with high accountability.
• Chair delivery reviews with firm release dates tied to measurable business outcomes.
• Drive partner integration builds and legacy platform modernization.
• Manage, mentor, and elevate delivery leads and QA across regional squads (MY, SG, ID, PH).
• Cross-train talent to eliminate single points of failure across teams.
• Drive hiring, performance management, and team structure optimization.
• Implement CI/CD, testing, and code review practices.
• Deploy AI-assisted development tools at team scale to maximize output.
• Prune low-impact tasks that do not move core business metrics.
• Own delivery execution across Distribution and Claims, squad line management, partner integrations, timelines, and engineering practices.

Skills

Engineering leadership

Code review

AI tooling

Distributed teams

Delivery focus

Job description

Our client is an award-winning InsurTech enterprise provider headquartered in Singapore. Operating across Distribution and Claims / ClaimHub, their platform powers digital insurance distribution, partner integrations, and automated claims management globally.

The Role

Seeking a delivery-focused Head of Engineering (KL-based) to take full accountability for engineering delivery and team execution across both product lines. Reporting directly to the CEO, you will lead distributed squads across Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and the Philippines to drive velocity, predictability, and operational rigor.

This role features a clear split: while the CTO owns target-state architecture, AI, and security, you hold full ownership of what ships and when - leading sprint execution, partner integration builds, and squad management.

Key Responsibilities

Delivery & Execution

• Own end-to-end scope, estimates, committed dates, and release cadences for Distribution and Claims.
• Establish predictable sprint cadences, capacity views, and engineering standards with high accountability.
• Chair written delivery reviews where teams commit to firm release dates tied to measurable business outcomes.
• Drive partner integration builds (insurers, distributors, claims) and legacy platform modernization.
• Manage, mentor, and elevate delivery leads and QA across regional squads (MY, SG, ID, PH).
• Cross-train talent to eliminate single points of failure across teams.
• Drive hiring, performance management, and team structure optimization.
• Implement pragmatic practices across CI/CD, testing, and code reviews.
• Deploy AI-assisted development tools at team scale to maximize output.
• Prune low-impact tasks that do not move core business metrics.
• You Own: Delivery execution across Distribution and Claims, squad line management, partner integrations, timelines, and engineering practices.
• CTO Owns: Solution architecture, AI & "Forward" engineering, platform infrastructure, tech stack choices, and IT/security.
• Architecture & Delivery Tension: You hold authority to decline architectural designs on grounds of cost, timeline, or risk, offering written alternatives to safeguard delivery.

Requirements

Must-Haves

• Experience: 8+ years in software engineering, with 3+ years leading teams of 10+ (including managing leads).
• Technical Depth: Hands-on ability to review and debug code alongside the team.
• Turnaround Track Record: Proven success transforming an unpredictable delivery org into a high-accountability team.
• AI Tooling: Hands-on experience deploying AI-assisted coding tools across teams with measured results.
• Regional Experience: Track record managing distributed squads across Southeast Asia.
• Pragmatic Mindset: High-urgency approach focused on shipping impact today over over-engineering for the future.

Nice-to-Haves

• Scaleup experience in InsurTech, claims, payments, or fintech.
• Experience modernizing legacy platforms alongside active new builds in Series A/B setups.

Not a Fit

• Pure program/project managers without deep hands-on technical depth.
• Leaders needing full architectural authority or greenfield-only environments.
• Soft-spoken leaders or those relying on theoretical knowledge of AI tooling.