Head of Technology (Software Engineering)

We are looking for an experienced Head of Technology (HoT) to join our Software Engineering business in Cape Town.This is not a purely internal technology management role. The HoT is a senior technology leader who operates at the intersection of software engineering, client consulting, solution shaping, delivery and capability leadership.The successful candidate must come from a strong software development background and have progressed into senior engineering, architecture or technology leadership. They must be equally comfortable engaging with developers and architects as they are sitting across the table from a CIO, CTO or other C-level executive.We are looking for someone who can understand a client’s business and technology challenges, shape the right technology response, provide credible technical leadership and ensure that we deliver high-quality engineering outcomes.Key AccountabilitiesClient & Consulting Leadership· Act as a trusted technology advisor to clients and senior executives.· Engage confidently with CIOs, CTOs and other senior business and technology stakeholders.· Understand business challenges and translate them into pragmatic technology and software engineering solutions.· Facilitate technology, architecture and modernisation conversations with clients.· Challenge client thinking constructively and provide clear technology recommendations.· Build strong, long-term client relationships based on credibility and trust.Solution Shaping & Pre-Sales· Partner with Sales and Commercial teams during client pursuits.· Lead or contribute to discovery sessions, technical workshops, proposals and RFP responses.· Shape software engineering solutions, delivery approaches, architectures and teams.· Present proposed solutions to senior client stakeholders.· Help ensure solutions are technically sound, commercially viable and deliverable.Software Engineering Leadership· Provide technical leadership across software engineering engagements.· Maintain a strong understanding of modern software engineering practices, architecture, cloud and emerging technologies.· Drive engineering quality, maintainability, security and appropriate architectural practices.· Provide guidance and challenge to architects, technical leads and engineering teams.· Remain close enough to technology to have credible, detailed conversations with engineering teams without needing to be a day-to-day hands-on developer.Delivery & Technology Governance· Take accountability for the technology quality and technical outcomes of assigned client engagements.· Identify and manage technical risks across engagements.· Work closely with Delivery leadership to ensure successful client outcomes.· Support technical escalations and intervene where engineering quality or delivery is at risk.· Ensure teams apply appropriate engineering standards, practices and governance.Capability & People Leadership· Help build and strengthen our Software Engineering capability.· Mentor and develop architects, technical leads and senior engineers.· Support technical competency development and engineering communities of practice.· Participate in technical hiring and ensure we maintain a high engineering bar.· Identify skills and capability gaps and help develop the capabilities required for the future.· Promote a culture of engineering excellence, accountability, continuous learning and respect for the craft.Essential Experience· Significant professional experience within software engineering and technology.· A genuine background as a software developer/software engineer earlier in their career.· Experience progressing into technical leadership, architecture, engineering management or technology leadership.· Experience leading or influencing software engineering teams.· Strong understanding of modern application architecture and software engineering practices.· Experience working directly with enterprise clients and senior stakeholders.· Ability to communicate confidently at CIO/CTO/C-level.· Demonstrable consultative approach to solving client problems.· Experience shaping technology solutions rather than simply implementing predefined requirements.· Strong written, presentation and facilitation skills.Highly DesirableExperience within a technology consultancy, software engineering consultancy or professional services organisation would be highly advantageous.Exposure to some of the following would also be valuable:· Enterprise software development· Cloud-native engineering and AWS/Azure· Application and legacy modernisation· Software architecture· AI-enabled software engineering· DevSecOps and modern engineering practices· Large-scale digital transformation· Pre-sales and solution shaping· RFPs and proposals· Commercial technology engagements· Regulated enterprise environments such as financial services, telecommunications, healthcare or public sector