Head of Software Engineering
Job in
Cape Town, 7100, South Africa
Listed on 2026-07-17
Listing for:
ATS Client
Full Time
position Listed on 2026-07-17
Job specializations:
-
Software Development
Software Architect, DevOps, Software Project Mgr/ Lead, Cloud Engineer - Software
Job Description & How to Apply Below
About the job - Head of Software Engineering ABOUT THE ROLE
Were 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.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Strategic technical leadership- Define and execute 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 modernisation of legacy systems
- Evaluate and adopt emerging technologies to maintain competitive technical advantages
- 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
- Build and lead a team of software engineers and technical leads
- Recruit top-notch 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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, Cloud Formation), and Dev Ops tooling
- Experience with modern frontend frameworks (React, Angular, Vue.js) and backend technologies
- 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
- Understanding scalable system design, performance optimisation and reliability engineering
- Experience with database technologies (relational and No
SQL), data architecture and analytics platforms - Knowledge of security best practices, compliance frameworks and privacy regulations
- Understanding of monitoring, logging and observability tools (e.g., Data Dog, New Relic, App Dynamics)
- Experience with automated testing strategies, quality assurance processes and deployment practices
Note that applications are not being accepted from your jurisdiction for this job currently via this jobsite. Candidate preferences are the decision of the Employer or Recruiting Agent, and are controlled by them alone.
To Search, View & Apply for jobs on this site that accept applications from your location or country, tap here to make a Search:
To Search, View & Apply for jobs on this site that accept applications from your location or country, tap here to make a Search:
Search for further Jobs Here:
×