Job Description

Head of Engineering

Digital Experience & Innovation Agency | Cape Town

About Our Client

Our client is a well-established and fast-growing digital agency based in Cape Town, delivering high-quality technology solutions across web, mobile, platform engineering and financial technology. They are a creative, people-first organisation that invests deeply in craft, quality and the growth of their team. As they scale, they are looking for an exceptional engineering leader to step into a newly created role and take full ownership of their engineering function.

The Opportunity

This is a newly created senior leadership position, which means the successful candidate will have the rare opportunity to shape the role, the team structure and the engineering culture from the ground up. You will lead a multi-disciplinary engineering team spanning full stack development, backend and CMS engineering, QA, delivery operations and fintech and you will be the most senior engineering voice in the business.

You will report directly to the executive leadership team and work closely with account management, marketing & design, strategy and project management to ensure engineering capability is always aligned to business ambition and client delivery.

This is not a purely technical role. Our client is looking for someone who leads with both technical authority and people intelligence — someone who can set direction, grow a team and hold the bar high across everything that gets built.

Who You Will Lead

You will lead a team of direct reports across disciplines including, but not limited to:

• Full Stack Development
• QA, Scrum and Engineering Operations
• Backend and CMS Engineering (Umbraco / .NET)
• Fintech and Financial Technology

Key Responsibilities

Engineering Leadership

• Set and own the technical direction, engineering standards and architectural principles across all disciplines within the engineering function
• Drive best practice across the team including clean code, version control, code reviews, security standards, documentation and CI/CD workflows
• Lead architectural decision-making ensuring solutions are scalable, maintainable and aligned to client and business requirements
• Champion innovation by actively tracking emerging technologies and AI-assisted development tools and bringing relevant insights back into the team's practice
• Build and maintain the engineering identity of the organisation — shaping how the team works, what it stands for and how it is perceived internally and externally

People Management and Development

• Directly manage a team of senior direct reports across full stack, backend, QA, fintech and engineering operations disciplines
• Conduct regular one-on-ones, monthly performance check-ins and annual reviews in line with the organisation's structured performance framework
• Identify development focus areas for each team member and co-create actionable growth plans
• Foster a culture of technical excellence, psychological safety, continuous learning and shared accountability
• Lead the onboarding of new engineering hires and maintain effective handover processes as the team evolves
• Actively support recruitment and team growth as the engineering function scales

Delivery Oversight

• Oversee end-to-end engineering delivery across client and internal projects, ensuring work is delivered on time, within budget and to the quality standards expected by the business and its clients
• Monitor billable time targets across the engineering team and take proactive corrective action where targets are at risk
• Review and sign off on technical proposals, solution architectures and development scopes before client submission
• Identify and resolve delivery bottlenecks, technical debt, scope creep and workflow inefficiencies before they impact output
• Ensure thorough brief interpretation and structured QA processes are embedded in every delivery workflow

Financial and Commercial Contribution

• Take accountability for the engineering function's contribution to business financial performance including billable output, delivery efficiency and cost management
• Contribute to business development through technical input on proposals, client pitches and solution scoping
• Implement engineering efficiencies that reduce rework costs, improve delivery speed and minimise unnecessary external expenditure
• Track and report on engineering performance metrics to the executive leadership team

Innovation and Research and Development

• Lead internal R&D initiatives including proof-of-concepts, shared component libraries, internal frameworks and engineering experiments
• Evaluate and integrate AI-assisted development tools and approaches to elevate the team's output and the organisation's technical offering
• Take calculated technical risks that push the boundaries of what the team delivers, while remaining aligned to client needs and business constraints

Cross-functional Collaboration

• Work closely with design, account management, strategy and project management teams to ensure cohesive, integrated delivery
• Communicate technical risks, capacity constraints and architectural considerations clearly to non-technical stakeholders
• Represent the engineering function in leadership and strategic conversations, translating business direction into technical roadmaps

What We Are Looking For

• Proven experience in a senior engineering leadership role within a digital agency, technology consultancy or product environment
• A strong hands-on engineering background, ideally across full stack development with exposure to backend, CMS and/or fintech disciplines
• Demonstrated ability to manage, mentor and grow a multi-disciplinary team of mid-to-senior level engineers
• Deep understanding of software engineering best practices including architecture, clean code, version control, security, QA and documentation
• A track record of delivering complex digital projects on time and within budget
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines, deployment workflows and engineering operational systems
• Comfort operating at the intersection of technical leadership, people management and business strategy
• Strong communication skills with the ability to engage confidently with both technical teams and non-technical stakeholders
• Experience with structured performance management and people development frameworks
• A growth mindset and genuine curiosity for emerging technologies including AI-assisted development

What Is On Offer

• A newly created role with genuine scope to build and shape the engineering function
• A collaborative, people-first culture that values craft, quality and meaningful work
• A multi-disciplinary team with strong foundations and real potential for growth
• Competitive remuneration package commensurate with experience
• Direct access to and influence on executive leadership

Please note: the job title for this role may change as the organisation continues to evolve.