Head of Engineering

The Head of Engineering leads Mercans global software development organization, defining its strategy, structure, processes, and performance standards. The role ensures effective delivery, develops engineering talent, manages resources and budgets, and promotes innovation, security, quality, and continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities
Engineering Leadership
Define and execute the global engineering vision, strategy, and annual plan.
Lead distributed development teams and align delivery with company objectives and the product roadmap.
Plan resources, team structures, roles, and capabilities to meet current and future needs.
Guide engineering leaders and support team performance and professional development.
Partner with HR on recruitment, workforce planning, succession, and performance reviews.
Support client, sales, and business-development discussions when technical expertise is required.
Performance and Process Management
Establish measurable engineering goals aligned with industry standards and business priorities.
Track and report team and individual performance metrics.
Analyze delivery data to identify inefficiencies, risks, and improvement opportunities.
Define, document, and improve engineering procedures and process maps.
Coordinate cross-functional processes with Product, Security, Compliance, and other departments.
Maintain clear governance, communication, and accountability across engineering teams.
Financial and Resource Management
Own engineering budgets, forecasts, cost reporting, and resource allocation.
Identify opportunities to optimize infrastructure, tooling, staffing, and delivery costs.
Ensure resources are available for strategic priorities and roadmap commitments.
Security, Quality, and Risk
Align development practices with ISO 9001, ISO 20001, ISO 27001, ISO 27017, ISO 27018, OWASP, SOC 1, and SOC 2 requirements.
Support security, compliance, certification, and audit activities.
Maintain the engineering Risk Framework, Risk Register, and Risk Matrix.
Ensure technical and operational risks are identified, monitored, and actively mitigated.
Maintain clear engineering-process documentation for clients and external stakeholders.
Requirements
At least five years of relevant engineering or technology leadership experience.
Bachelors or masters degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
Proven success leading global software teams and large-scale engineering projects.
Strong experience in IT management, resource planning, performance measurement, and process optimization.
Excellent analytical, decision-making, problem-solving, and communication skills.
Fluent written and spoken English.
Preferred Experience
Enterprise software development and architecture.
Cloud technologies, DevOps practices, and security frameworks.
HR, payroll, or workforce-management software.
Performance Goals
Improve key engineering performance metrics by at least 10% year over year, with quarterly reviews and action plans.
Achieve at least 10% annual process optimization through automation, workflow redesign, and reduced non-development activity.
Maintain at least 75% of engineering capacity on development-related work, reviewed quarterly.
Reduce time spent on rework by 30% by year-end through code reviews, automated testing, static analysis, and coding standards.
Reduce total backlog items by 30% by year-end and ensure every remaining item has a clear priority and acceptance criteria.