Head, Software Engineering

Job Description

We are seeking a visionary and execution driven Head of Software Engineering to lead the development of next generation aviation technology platforms powering mission critical systems across the aviation ecosystem.

This role will define and execute the technology roadmap aligned with our long term aviation vision, ensuring the delivery of secure, scalable, high availability systems that meet stringent regulatory, operational, and safety standards.

As a key member of the leadership team, you will shape business strategy, drive engineering excellence, and build world-class software systems supporting real time aviation operations, customer experiences, and enterprise-grade platforms.

Roles & Responsibilities

• Lead the technical direction, delivery, and execution of the technology roadmap aligned with business objectives and aviation operational goals.

• Serve as a key member of the leadership team, contributing technical expertise to strategic business decisions and long term aviation innovation initiatives.

• Champion aviation grade reliability, security, scalability, and compliance standards across all platforms.

• Oversee architecture and design of robust, scalable, secure, and fault tolerant systems supporting aviation operations and mission critical environments.

• Drive best practices across software development, DevSecOps, quality engineering, testing automation, and release governance.

• Ensure systems meet high availability, real time processing, and 24x7 uptime requirements.

• Guide the evolution of distributed systems, microservices architecture, APIs, and data platforms to support enterprise grade aviation solutions.

• Define and implement performance engineering, capacity planning, scalability strategies, and risk mitigation frameworks for high-traffic and operationally sensitive systems.

• Own end-to-end delivery of aviation software platforms across web, mobile, and enterprise applications.

• Act as a “Scrum of Scrums” leader across multi-team agile programs, coordinating planning, development, and feature rollouts across engineering, product, and architecture teams.

• Define release plans, milestones, KPIs, risk management frameworks, and mitigation strategies to ensure predictable and high-quality delivery.

• Establish measurable engineering metrics to assess product quality, reliability, execution velocity, and operational success.

• Build, mentor, and scale high-performing engineering teams while developing strong engineering managers and technical leaders.

• Foster a culture of trust, accountability, belongingness, innovation, and engineering excellence.

• Create structured career development frameworks, succession planning, and performance management systems.

• Inspire teams to push the boundaries of aviation technology innovation while maintaining uncompromising engineering standards.

• Ensure alignment with aviation regulatory, compliance, and security frameworks where applicable.

• Drive disciplined SDLC processes tailored for enterprise-grade and safety-sensitive environments.

• Partner cross-functionally with Operations, Product, Security, Compliance, and other business units to ensure seamless execution and operational excellence.

Qualifications

• 15+ yrs of engineering experience with 10+ years in product engineering management.

• Deep understanding of enterprise grade technologies for software engineering.

• Strong understanding of agile software development processes and practices with experience guiding teams through planning, development, and rollout. Prior experience with Waterfall or Spiral are helpful.

• Experience delivering real-time distributed computing systems, microservices architecture, technology stacks (React, Node.js, .NET, RDBMS, NoSQL) and cloud technologies (GCP).

• Experience with Object-Oriented Design and Programming, data structures, algorithm design, and cyclomatic complexity analysis.

• Experience with performance engineering, capacity planning, scalability, and keeping high traffic systems up in production.

• Experience with AI-assisted and/or vibe coding (Cursor AI, Figma Make, Gemini, Claude etc) will be an added advantage, familiar with the process or have had hands-on experience.

• Experience with Machine Learning, AI, Deep Learning and Data Science will be an added advantage.

• Experience with large team capacity planning, budgeting and resource allocation based across business demand, technology stacks and/or domains including timesheet and billing management.

• Willingness to explore new ways for working to improve speed of delivery and evolve SDLC frameworks.

• Willingness to explore new technologies and tools in the area of AI-assisted and/or vibe coding.

• Able to define and articulate big-picture goals and milestones to C-suites and senior management while maintaining strong attention to detail for all audiences.

• Strong track record of being able to innovate, develop and set release plans, track deadlines, deliverables, issues / risk management including creation of mitigation strategies as needed to deliver quality products on time.

• Keep self aware & updated with new industry level trends and best practices, with the ability to advocate for and achieve continuous change and evolution.

• Thrive in fast-changing environments and ambiguity while being execution-oriented, hands-on, pragmatic, focused on results.

• Is an inspiring leader with a track record of building a culture of trust, belongingness & meritocracy where high-calibre teams can thrive and achieve audacious goals. Maintains high performing engineering teams.

• Is obsessed with customer experience and uncompromising engineering standards.

• Highest level of integrity and exceptional professionalism.