Head Of Software Engineering

Media24 (Pty) Ltd; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 1 200 000 - 1 500 000; Full time

Job summary

A dynamic technology company in Cape Town seeks a Head of Software Engineering to lead software development and drive innovation. The ideal candidate has over 10 years of experience, with at least 5 years in leadership roles managing large engineering teams. The role involves defining a technology roadmap, implementing robust processes, and fostering a culture of technical excellence. Candidates with extensive experience in cloud platforms and software engineering are preferred.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of software development experience with increasing responsibility.
• 5+ years in engineering leadership roles managing teams of 15+ engineers.
• Extensive experience with CI / CD pipelines and infrastructure as code.

Responsibilities

• Lead and define technology roadmap aligned with business objectives.
• Implement robust software development processes and coding standards.
• Build and lead a team of software engineers, fostering a culture of innovation.

Skills

Cloud platform expertise (AWS, Azure, GCP)

Software engineering expertise

Containerization experience (Docker, Kubernetes)

Microservices architecture knowledge

DevOps tooling knowledge

Frontend frameworks experience (React, Angular, Vue.js)

Backend technology knowledge

Leadership skills

Strategic thinking

Analytical and problem-solving skills

Education

Honours degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Electronic Engineering

Tools

Terraform

CloudFormation

Job description

Overview

We're looking for a Head of Software Engineering to lead our software development efforts and drive technical excellence across our engineering teams.

Reporting to the Chief Information Officer, this role is perfect for a seasoned engineer who thrives on delivering innovative software solutions that power business growth.

Responsibilities

Strategic technical leadership: Define and execute a comprehensive technology roadmap aligned with business objectives and market opportunities; drive design decisions for cloud-native applications, microservices and distributed systems; establish technical vision for scalable, secure and maintainable software platforms; lead digital transformation initiatives and modernization of legacy systems; evaluate and adopt emerging technologies to maintain competitive technical advantages.

Engineering excellence & operations: Implement robust software development processes; establish and enforce coding standards, code review protocols and automated testing frameworks; oversee CI / CD pipeline architecture, infrastructure as code and deployment automation; drive quality assurance processes, performance optimisation and system reliability initiatives; manage technical debt reduction and continuous improvement programs.

Team leadership & development: Build and lead a team of software engineers and technical leads; recruit engineering talent and establish clear career development pathways; foster a culture of innovation, collaboration and technical excellence; conduct performance reviews, provide mentorship and drive professional growth; create inclusive engineering culture that promotes diversity, learning and continuous improvement.

Cross-functional collaboration: Collaborate with other technology and business teams to ensure seamless system integration; work with design and UX teams to deliver exceptional user experiences; coordinate with security teams to implement robust cybersecurity measures and compliance standards; present technical strategy and progress updates to executive leadership and stakeholders.

Delivery & performance management: Ensure on-time delivery of high-quality software products and features; manage engineering resources, project timelines and risk mitigation strategies; establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) for productivity and quality; drive incident response, post-mortem analysis and system reliability improvements; optimise development velocity while maintaining code quality and system stability.

Required Qualifications, Experience And Competencies

Education & experience: Honours degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Electronic Engineering or related technical field; 10+ years of software development experience with progressively increasing responsibility; minimum 5 years in engineering leadership roles managing teams of 15+ engineers; proven track record of scaling engineering organisations through rapid growth phases; experience in technology companies, SaaS platforms, or high-growth startups preferred.

Technical expertise: Deep hands-on experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and cloud-native architecture patterns; strong software engineering expertise; extensive experience with containerisation and orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes, EKS / AKS); expert knowledge of microservices architecture, API design, and distributed systems; advanced understanding of CI / CD pipelines, infrastructure as code (Terraform, CloudFormation), and DevOps tooling; experience with modern frontend frameworks (React, Angular, Vue.js) and backend technologies.

Leadership & Management Skills: Exceptional leadership abilities with demonstrated success building and scaling engineering teams; strategic thinking and ability to translate business objectives into technical roadmaps; excellent communication and presentation skills for technical and non-technical audiences; experience managing engineering budgets, vendor relationships and partnerships; proven ability to drive cultural change; data-driven decision-making approach with strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

System & architecture knowledge: Understanding of scalable system design, performance optimisation and reliability engineering; experience with database technologies (relational and NoSQL), data architecture and analytics platforms; knowledge of security best practices, compliance frameworks and privacy regulations; understanding of monitoring, logging and observability tools; experience with automated testing strategies, quality assurance processes and deployment practices.

Preference will be given to suitable candidates from designated groups, in line with Media24's employment equity policy.