VP of Engineering

Role Overview

• As the VP of Engineering VPE at Kuda, you will lead a world-class engineering organization of 100+ software and quality engineers distributed across four countries. 
• Your mission is built on three core pillars: Scale, Delivery, and Compliance. 
• You will be the engine of internal execution, responsible for scaling our human organization, driving operational excellence, and ensuring our technical systems remain robust as we expand globally. 
• You will bridge the gap between high-level technical strategy and daily execution, fostering a culture of psychological safety, technical excellence, and rapid innovation.

Key Responsibilities

Scaling the Human Organisation:

• Lead, mentor, and grow a diverse, distributed engineering team of 100+, ensuring high levels of engagement and professional development.
• Establish clear career frameworks and performance standards that reward technical excellence and leadership.
• Foster a culture of psychological safety where engineers feel empowered to take calculated risks and innovate.

Operational & Delivery Excellence:

• Own the internal execution of the product roadmap, ensuring high velocity without compromising on quality or security.
• Drive the adoption of modern engineering practices e.g., GitOps, automated testing, CI/CD to accelerate delivery cycles.
• Optimize engineering processes to reduce friction and improve the developer experience across all squads.

Technical Strategy & Scale:

• Oversee the architectural integrity of our cloud-native, high-throughput, and low-latency financial systems.
• Ensure our core banking systems and microservices are built to handle millions of global customers.
• Drive cloud infrastructure consolidation to simplify maintenance and improve cost-efficiency.

Compliance & Security:

• Partner with internal stakeholders to ensure all software delivery upholds the highest standards of security and financial compliance.
• Ensure readiness for evolving standards such as ISO 20022, 22301, CBN Risk-Based Cybersecurity Framework, PCI-DSS, etc and lead the implementation of advanced security features.

Requirements

• Seasoned Technologist: 10+ years of engineering experience with a demonstrable background in building and maintaining high-throughput, low-latency financial systems.
• Proven Leadership: Previous experience leading large engineering organizations 100+ and building high-performance squads in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.
• Cloud-Native Expertise: Deep understanding of modern cloud infrastructure and distributed systems.
• Regulatory Knowledge: Experience navigating the security and compliance mandates of financial regulatory bodies.

Hard Skills:

• Expertise in software delivery metrics DORA metrics and process optimization.
• Strong grasp of architectural patterns for scalable fintech applications 12 Factor Apps.
• Experience with automated regression testing and security-first development DevSecOps.

Soft Skills:

• Clear Communication: Ability to translate complex technical challenges into business impact for executive and other business stakeholders.
• Empathetic Leadership: A commitment to fostering an inclusive, safe, and high-growth environment for engineers.
• Strategic Thinking: Ability to balance immediate delivery needs with long-term organizational health.