Head of Engineering (AI-First Platform & Infrastructure)

Fairview International School; Kuala Lumpur; On-site; MYR 240,000 - 420,000; Full time

Job summary

3cat is seeking a Head of Engineering to drive the AI-first platform and infrastructure strategy. You will own the architecture, engineering roadmap, and scale the cloud infrastructure to support rapid regional expansion, including new markets in the Philippines.

Direct collaboration with the CEO and leadership will shape technology that accelerates growth while embedding AI into the development lifecycle. You will lead a lean engineering team, ensure secure, reliable delivery, and align

Qualifications

• A proven track record of architecting and scaling complex, high-growth platforms.
• Experience leading engineering teams and defining technical strategy.
• Hands-on leadership with strong communication to senior stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Own architecture and engineering roadmap for growth.
• Embed AI agents, LLMs and automated tools into the software lifecycle.
• Lead cloud infrastructure, CI/CD, security and reliability at scale.
• Integrate inventory, retail POS, e-commerce and finance systems.
• Recruit, mentor and guide a lean, high-performing engineering team.
• Provide technical guidance and contribute to architecture and code.

Skills

Cloud & AI Development

Hands-on Technical Leadership

Adaptability

Business-First Engineering

AWS

GCP

Azure

Tools

AWS

GCP

Azure

Job description

Head of Engineering (AI-First Platform & Infrastructure)

Help us build the platform behind 3cat's next stage of growth.

3cat is on a mission to make secondhand tech the first choice.

We’re one of Malaysia’s fastest-growing circular-tech companies, building an omnichannel platform for pre-owned smartphones and electronics. Today we operate 22 stores, with plans to grow beyond 50 stores across the region, including our expansion into the Philippines.

We’re backed by leading international and strategic investors including AEON (Japan), Iterative VC, Golden Gate Ventures, Foxmont Capital, TheVentures and XOX Mobile.

As we enter our next stage of growth, we’re looking for a Head of Engineering to help us build the technology that can take us there.

The Role

This isn’t a role where you’ll inherit a finished platform and simply keep things running.

You’ll help build it.

The role combines technical ownership with business leadership, with responsibility for the architecture and engineering roadmap supporting our next phase of growth, including our expansion into the Philippines.

The decisions you make now will determine how fast, how far, and how reliably we get there.

Working directly with our CEO, founders and leadership team, you’ll lead engineering decisions and connect technology with business strategy in a fast-paced environment.

You’ll take ownership of:

• Engineering Execution: Drive fast, reliable shipping without compromising security or quality.
• AI-First Development: Embed AI agents, LLMs and automated tools into the full software development lifecycle.
• Infrastructure & Reliability: Own our cloud infrastructure, CI/CD, security and reliability as we scale.
• Systems Integration: Seamlessly connect inventory, retail POS, e-commerce and finance systems.
• Team Leadership: Recruit, mentor and lead a lean, high-performing engineering team.
• Hands-on Leadership: Provide technical guidance, solve complex problems, and contribute directly to architecture and code.

In your first year, two priorities will matter most:

• Speed & Efficiency through AI Embed AI agents and modern tooling into the workflow to measurably improve shipping speed and software quality.
• Scalable and Unified Systems. Evolve our platform architecture and cloud infrastructure to reliably support rapid expansion across new markets and stores, while seamlessly integrating our inventory, e-commerce, and financial data systems.

Who We’re Looking For

We’re looking for a builder, not just a manager.

Platform Scale.

A proven track record of architecting and scaling complex, high-growth platforms is what matters most. We care about the systems you’ve built, the teams you’ve led, and the technical bets you’ve made that paid off, not the years on your CV.

Cloud & AI Development.

Deep hands‑on experience with AWS, GCP or Azure is likely, along with experience using AI in real production workflows.

• Adaptability: Thrives in a fast-moving, high-growth environment, and isn’t afraid to tackle problems they haven’t encountered before.
• Lean Management: Brings structure to ambiguity without creating bureaucracy, and leads a lean team without heavy administrative overhead.
• Hands-on Technical Leadership: Sets technical direction and shapes architecture at the highest level, not just signs off on it.
• Business-First Engineering: Is commercially minded, comfortable working directly with senior leadership, and passionate about solving technical challenges that directly move the business forward.

If you’ve taken on increasingly complex challenges and delivered results, we’d like to hear from you, even if you don’t tick every box.

Why 3cat?

Build, don't maintain.

You’ll have genuine ownership over how our technology evolves as we scale.

Join at an inflection point.

We’re recently funded, expanding rapidly and entering new markets.

Work directly with the founders.

This is a highly visible leadership role with the ability to shape how the company scales.

Make an impact.

You’ll build the technology behind a significant regional business, while helping make secondhand tech a mainstream, more sustainable choice.

If you want to build platforms, solve hard problems and help shape a company during one of the most exciting stages of its growth, we’d love to meet you.

Come build the next chapter of 3cat with us.

3cat started in 2023 as a single store in Kuala Lumpur, selling one thing: pre-owned Apple products, done properly. Since then we’ve grown into one of Malaysia’s largest AI-native retailers of quality used electronics, with 20+ stores nationwide and a tech platform that powers everything we do, from how we price a device to how we serve a customer.

We believe great tech shouldn’t cost the earth. Every device we sell is up to 60% cheaper than new, backed by a 12-month warranty and a 15-day return policy. Every device we sell is also one less device in a landfill.

Our Vision

Make secondhand tech the first choice. It’s smarter, cheaper, and better for the planet.

First change your device, then change the world.

Life at 3cat: Our Values

Forget the posters on the wall. This is how we actually work, collaborate, decide, and win, every single day.

Speak Truth.

So problems don’t hide. No sugarcoating, no 'I’ll bring it up later. If something’s off, we say it, straight up, to the person who needs to hear it. Awkward conversations now beat bigger messes later.

Team as One.

So challenges become opportunities. There’s no ‘that’s not my department’ here. Store, HR, tech, ops, we’re one team chasing one scoreboard. When something breaks, we fix it together, not point fingers at each other.

Own It.

So accountability becomes action. See something broken? Fix it. Don’t wait for permission, don’t wait for someone else to notice. We hire people who take the wheel, not people who wait for directions.

Customer First.

So trust becomes loyalty. Every call we make starts with one question: does this make things better for the customer? Get that right often enough, and trust turns into people who keep coming back, and keep telling their friends.

Keep Moving.

So good becomes great. 'Good enough' isn’t a finish line here, it’s a checkpoint. We move fast, we learn faster, and we’re always asking what’s next.

This is the energy behind 3cat. If it sounds like your kind of workplace, you’ll fit right in.

Ready to Join Us?

We’re solving one of the world’s fastest growing waste problems while making good tech affordable. We’re just getting started, and we want you building the next chapter with us.