Head of Development

AppNation; Fatih; On-site; TRY 600,000 - 1,000,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Work-from-home Wednesdays

Premium health insurance

Meal and commute compensation

Comprehensive relocation support

Day off for birthday

Job summary

A leading technology company is seeking a hands-on leader to define and drive the technical vision and execution. In this role, you'll manage the development cycle across various platforms while ensuring high performance in products used by millions. The ideal candidate has over 8 years in software development and proven engineering leadership experience. Responsibilities include setting engineering standards, collaborating with cross-functional teams, and driving AI-first development practices. The role offers competitive compensation and exceptional benefits.

Qualifications

• 8+ years in software development with 2+ years of engineering leadership.
• Experience with distributed systems handling millions of concurrent users.
• Hands-on experience with Kubernetes, Docker, and CI/CD pipelines.

Responsibilities

• Define and drive the engineering vision, architecture, and technology roadmap.
• Manage the development cycle across Backend, Frontend, Mobile and QA.
• Collaborate with Marketing, Product, Data and AI leaders.
• Oversee Backend, Frontend, Mobile and QA cycles, including hiring and onboarding.

Skills

Leadership

Node.js

Event-driven architectures

Cloud platforms (GCP, AWS, Azure)

Kubernetes

Communication in English

Education

BS/MS in Computer Science

Tools

Flutter

Docker

CI/CD pipelines

Kubernetes

Docker

Job description

About the Role

We’re looking for a hands‑on leader to own AppNation’s technical vision and execution. You’ll lead the development cycle across Backend, Mobile, Frontend, and QA, building high‑performance products used by millions of users worldwide. This isn’t a “sit‑back‑and‑delegate” role; you’ll stay close to the code, set the engineering bar, and embed AI‑first development practices into our daily DNA. Working directly with leadership, you will align our tech stack with business growth while fostering a fast‑paced culture where people take radical ownership of their work.

What You’ll Do

• Technical Strategy: Define and drive the engineering vision, architecture, and technology roadmap across all products.
• Lead by Example: Set a high bar for quality. Don't just manage from a distance, get into the code, review high‑impact PRs, and show the team what great engineering looks like.
• AI‑First Development: Standardize how the team uses tools like Cursor. Keep us ahead of the curve by integrating the latest AI workflows into our daily dev cycle.
• Team & Cycle Leadership: Manage the development cycle across Backend, Frontend, Mobile and QA. Own the full lifecycle—hiring, onboarding, and performance. Build a culture where people take ownership and ship high‑impact work.
• Technical Excellence, Security & Compliance: Own the health of our entire stack. Monitor and optimize everything: Crash rates, ANRs, startup times, API latencies and infra utilization. Build the workflows to catch vulnerabilities before users do, and ensure AppNation apps remain secure and compliant with global regulations.
• Efficiency & Velocity: Design workflows that maximize team speed, remove bottlenecks, and ensure scalable growth.
• Strategic Partnership: Collaborate with Marketing, Product, Data and AI leaders to align technical efforts with business goals.
• Executive Communication: Maintain a straight, honest line of communication with founders and leadership. No fluff, just clarity.

What We Look For

• Experience: BS/MS in Computer Science; 8+ years in software development with 2+ years of proven engineering leadership.
• Scale Mastery: You’ve built and operated distributed systems that handle millions of concurrent users in production.
• Tech Stack: Deep expertise in Node.js, event‑driven architectures, microservices, and cloud platforms (GCP, AWS, or Azure).
• Mobile: Practical experience with Flutter or native iOS/Android. You understand the mobile lifecycle and can hold your own in technical discussions with the mobile team. We also expect you to keep sharpening your mobile expertise to stay ahead of our product strategy.
• Infrastructure: Hands‑on experience with Kubernetes, Docker, CI/CD pipelines, and observability tools.
• AI‑Native: Active practitioner of AI tools with a commitment to emerging LLM trends.
• Communication: Excellent communicator in English; You can explain a complex technical mess to a non‑technical stakeholder without losing them.
• Mindset: You take full ownership of outcomes. You value direct feedback, high standards, and getting things done.

What We Offer

• Work with exceptional people. At AppNation, you’ll collaborate with small, autonomous, results‑driven teams alongside some of the most talented minds in the mobile app industry.
• A platform for growth. We go above and beyond to hire individuals with extraordinary potential and provide them with the opportunities, resources, and challenges to thrive. At AppNation, young professionals often take on leadership roles in projects that reach millions of users. If you’ve got the drive, you’ll quickly find yourself playing a pivotal role in shaping our success.
• Competitive compensation. We offer salaries that are above the standard for our sector, ensuring that you’re rewarded fairly for your skills, dedication, and impact. Compensation grows rapidly as you contribute more to the team’s success, ensuring your financial growth matches your career progress.
• Unmatched benefits. Work‑from‑home Wednesdays, premium private health insurance, meal and commute compensation, comprehensive relocation support, and even a day off to celebrate your birthday. We’re dedicated to creating an environment where you can do your best work—and enjoy the journey.