The VP of Engineering (VPE) should have at least 5 years experience as a senior developer and 2-3 years as a tech lead and would form part of a team of VPE’s. A VPE is responsible for realising the vision by developing and managing the technical teams, getting products ready for delivery on time, contributes and optimises internal processes and procedures that are documented in the company’s Playbook.

The VPE manages development and cross-functional teams, including but not limited to: UI / UX designers, QA engineers and testers, frontend and backend developers, devops engineers and business analysts. It’s his job to create an efficient, effective production line and keep it running smoothly. From time to time he will be very hands-on, but their primary role will be managerial, process driven and focused on optimising delivery as well as help scaling operations.

Reports to: CTO

Member of: Technical Board, Middle Management

Attributes

• Analytical mindset
• Problem solver
• Self-driven
• Teamplayer
• Good communicator
• Product oriented mindset
• Good business acumen
• Be an opportunistic intrapreneur
• Experience working with cross-functional teams and understand their workflow

Responsibilities

• Manage development

One of the primary responsibilities of the VPE is to oversee and manage the development process for any assigned projects. This includes but is not limited to:

• ensure that onboarding of new developers follows the rules of EPTI Playbook
• coaching and mentoring tech leads in their role
• assist in the setup coordination of new projects
• project and sprint planning
• ensure the use of best practices
• architectural decisions
• ensure with business leads that each member is occupied with meaningful work
• ensure technical expertise is at hand for every aspect of the project
• Manage cross functional teams and communication

As a VPE you will oversee and manage the communication and collaboration between cross functional teams, ensuring and encouraging good communication between the different team members. The objective of this is to minimize misinterpretations and understandings, reduce stress, tension and unnecessary emotional or personal attitude.

• Contribute and optimise internal processes and procedures

At EPTI we strive to be dynamic and ensure we grow with the demands and requirements both internally as well as externally. This means that none of the processes and workflows documented in the EPTI Playbook are written in stone. As a VPE you are required to observe the execution of processes and workflows, keep up-to-date with best practices and new emerging managerial practices. You are expected to be a good observer and provide constructive feedback on what works and what doesn’t and how to possibly improve processes and workflows at regular technical board meetings.

• Ensure product delivery is on time and in line with the product vision

As VPE you are expected to understand and facilitate communication between product stakeholders/business lead and the tech lead by understanding the product vision and values. Clear guidelines and decisions should be the result. Any high risk or critical technical challenges should be raised to the Technical Board level where appropriate so that they can be addressed and resolved efficiently.

Ensuring product delivery also means ensuring you make sure that stakeholders and business leads understand the impact of any requirements or change to requirements and if necessary reject any new requirements to ensure product delivery. In cases where requirements are determined to be business critical this should be raised to the level of the COO with possible options on how to achieve the goals so that an agreement can be reached on how to proceed.

• Nurture (mentor) and develop technical employees

As a VPE you are expected to assess and understand the level of standard each developer in your hierarchy has and to nurture and develop their skills so that they will continue to progress and improve over time. This entails:

• carry out regular performance reviews as per EPTI guidelines
• set clear goals using OKR (Objectives and Key Results) or other appropriate methodologies
• suggest study and research material according to the skillset of the developer and ensure they are being challenged
• provide constructive feedback on the work delivered on an ongoing basis
• identify talents for possible promotions to the next level
• Hands on development when needed

There are a number of scenarios where a VPE is expected to get hands-on, meaning to code. Those are:

• When solving challenges at Technical Board level
• When mentoring
• When there are technical challenges on projects that require his expertise or efficiency
• When there is a lack of resources on a project to ensure project delivery
• Providing proof of concepts or quick prototypes where applicable
• Assist HR in the recruitment process

HR handles and governs the overall organisation’s recruitment process but relies on the contribution and collaboration of VPE’s to suggest new sources of recruitment as well as review and interview potential candidates when they pass initial tests.

The VPE is also expected to ensure that HR has all the tools, including preliminary tests, to manage the pipeline for technical recruiting. This means the VPE should regularly review tests to ensure they are up to standard, include any technical requirements EPTI has as well as ensure the test is set at the right quality level.

• Contribute to and optimise the company’s technical strategy

As an active member of the technical board the VPE is expected to provide feedback on any technical aspects of the company. This means understanding the current EPTI Playbook procedures and processes, overseeing their implementation and execution as well as gathering feedback on how to improve any of them where applicable.

• Resource Planning

From time to time operations will initiate resource planning sessions in which people will be assigned to various projects, project roles will be assigned and resources needs identified. As VPE you are expected to participate and contribute to resource planning meetings and suggest best fit for projects and possible resolutions for any conflicts. Ensure every resource has a meaningful placement and provide possible opportunities for resources to transition to different work positions if so desired.

• Keeping abreast of technological developments and risks

It is essential to stay abreast of what is happening in the technological world, in particular where current EPTI projects are concerned. Subscribe to meaningful tech feeds and channels, search for events and courses that provide value.

In addition, be aware of current risk and security issues in the technological world to safeguard the interests of EPTI and its products and projects.

• Be an opportunistic intrapreneur

As VPE you are expected to behave like an intrapreneur, be proactive and when you see opportunity or the need, then raise it to the level of the Technical Board for discussion. This may apply to existing projects and products as well as to new ideas that you may develop.