Senior Director/Director of Engineering

Chaberton Professionals is currently supporting an international Deep Tech company experiencing strong growth in the search for a Senior Director / Director of Engineering.Our client is an innovative technology company characterized by a strong Engineering culture, an international footprint, and a distributed technology organization.As the company enters a further phase of growth and organizational development, we are looking for a senior engineering leader who can play a key role in scaling the organization, driving execution excellence, and shaping the evolution of its technology and products.This is a high-visibility leadership opportunity, with a direct impact on the evolution of the Engineering organization and on the development of the next generation of technical leaders.The RoleThe selected candidate will have end-to-end responsibility for delivery, architecture, and team performance across several core product areas, acting as a key engineering leader within the international organization.The role will lead an Engineering organization of approximately 100 professionals, primarily distributed across Europe, with responsibility for organizational development, leadership growth, and execution excellence.Reporting directly to the SVP of Engineering, the successful candidate will work closely with senior management and key business functions to translate company and product strategy into a scalable technology roadmap and clear, measurable Engineering outcomes.Key ResponsibilitiesOwn end-to-end technical and delivery accountability across major product areas, from architecture through production.Lead and develop an international Engineering organization of approximately 100 FTEs, fostering a culture of accountability, ownership, and delivery excellence.Build, develop, and scale the management layer, working closely with Senior Engineering Managers and Tech Leads while setting high standards for leadership, hiring, and performance.Set the technical direction for complex distributed systems and technology architectures, ensuring high standards of scalability, reliability, performance, and security.Translate company and product strategy into clear, scalable, and measurable technology execution plans.Partner closely with Product and other business functions to ensure strong alignment between technology evolution, product roadmap, and business priorities.Establish and uphold high Engineering standards across code quality, CI/CD, testing, observability, and operational readiness.Own the execution of complex cross-functional initiatives, establishing operating cadences, metrics, and checkpoints while proactively identifying and removing potential blockers.Coordinate activities across geographically distributed Engineering teams, fostering collaboration, alignment, and the sharing of best practices.Represent Engineering across Product, Business, and other key stakeholders within the organization.Contribute to the definition of the broader Engineering strategy, providing senior management with insights on execution, organization, technology, and talent development.Actively contribute to the development of the organization's Engineering leadership pipeline, identifying and developing the next generation of technical leaders.Candidate Profile10+ years of experience in Engineering Leadership, including at least 5 years managing organizations composed of managers and senior individual contributors.Proven track record leading and scaling international and geographically distributed Engineering organizations.Experience within Deep Tech, Technology, SaaS, or product-oriented companies, preferably in environments characterized by high technological complexity and strong growth.Proven experience delivering complex technology products at scale.Deep technical understanding of distributed systems, cloud platforms, containers, Kubernetes, and microservices, with the ability to engage at architectural level when required.Experience managing Engineering organizations through different stages of growth and transformation.Proven experience developing and delivering products or product capabilities based on AI/ML is considered a strong plus.Excellent leadership and people management skills, with a proven ability to develop managers and technical leaders.Strong execution orientation and experience managing complex cross-functional programs.Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to engage effectively with both technical and non-technical audiences.Inclusive, pragmatic, and empowering leadership style.Fluent English; additional European languages are considered a plus.What We Are Looking ForWe are looking for an Engineering leader, not simply an Engineering manager.A professional capable of combining technical depth, organizational leadership, and strong execution, with the ability to move seamlessly between strategic vision and operational detail.The ideal candidate has already led significant Engineering organizations in international and complex environments and has demonstrated the ability to build structures, develop leadership, and maintain high execution standards throughout periods of strong growth.Autonomy, decision-making ability, strategic thinking, and a strong results orientation will be key to succeeding in the role.Gross Annual Salary:€132,000 – €170,000, depending on experience and seniority + Performance bonus.Location: Milan, Flexible working model.