Job description
Who are we?
IOG, is a technology company focused on Blockchain research and development. We are renowned for our scientific approach to blockchain development, emphasizing peer-reviewed research and formal methods to ensure security, scalability, and sustainability. Our projects include decentralized finance (DeFi), governance, and identity management, aiming to advance the capabilities and adoption of blockchain technology globally.
We invest in the unknown, applying our curiosity and desire for positive change to everything we do. By fueling creativity, innovation, and progress within our teams, our products and services are designed for people to be fearless, to be changemakers.
What the role involves:
You will provide group-wide leadership for how engineering is defined, executed, and assured across IOG and its ventures.
Bringing advanced strategic and systems thinking, you will set and evolve the company’s engineering operating system-the standards, architectures, processes, and tooling that guide all software development, while embedding a culture of quality assurance, formal methods, and AI-enabled engineering practices to enhance reliability, scalability, and security.
Fostering a culture of continuous delivery, efficiency, and disciplined engineering, defining what good engineering looks like, specifying the tools and methods to use, and ensuring their consistent application across the entire technology stack. With strong people leadership, the VP leads a small, high-impact team that maintains accountability and drives engineering performance.
This is a senior enterprise role that integrates insights from competitive intelligence, research, and architecture into actionable standards and is accountable for ensuring these standards are adopted, applied, and continuously improved across the organisation.
By combining deep analytical and synthesis capabilities with strong executive communication and enterprise leadership, you will enable innovation at scale while safeguarding consistency, compliance, and long-term business impact. Recognising the transformative role of AI in software development, you will define how AI is integrated into engineering practices, including AI-generated code, automated testing, and continuous improvement.
Enterprise Engineering Vision and Governance
- Define and own the organisation-wide Engineering Operating System – the principles, standards, processes, and tooling that dictate how engineering is performed across IOG and its ventures.
- Ensure these standards are implemented, adopted, and consistently followed across all engineering teams, providing enterprise-level technical assurance.
- Monitor adoption and drive remediation where standards or best practices are not met.
Engineering Operating System
- Set the architectural and technical guardrails that enable innovation while ensuring scalability, maintainability, and security.
- Oversee and govern the selection, approval, and lifecycle management of programming languages, frameworks, and engineering tools, establishing the rules and processes for their use.
- Establish clear success metrics and ensure continuous application and improvement of standards for predictable, high-quality delivery.
- Integrate outputs from Competitive Intelligence, Research, and Applied Research & Creative Engineering into the operating system so that new insights are quickly reflected in standards and processes.
- Continuously benchmark against elite engineering organisations by participating in conferences and industry networks, ensuring that IOG’s standards, architectures, tooling reflect global best practices.
AI- Enabled Engineering
- Define the strategy for AI integration into engineering practices, including AI-assisted code generation, automated testing, and predictive quality assurance.
- Ensure AI-enabled tools are safely and effectively adopted to improve speed, maintainability, and innovation while retaining quality and compliance.
Quality Assurance
- Establish and lead group-wide quality assurance practices, including formal methods, advanced testing frameworks, and secure software development life-cycle standards.
- Define and monitor KPIs for software quality, delivery performance, and overall engineering health; act swiftly to address gaps.
- Provide enterprise-level assurance that all software meets or exceeds organisational, industry, and regulatory standards.
Internal Engineering Platform and Delivery Operations
- Own and manage the organisation’s internal engineering platform, including group-wide CI/CD pipelines, build and release management systems, and shared developer tools to guarantee reliable, efficient, and secure software delivery.
- Ensure CI/CD practices and supporting tooling evolve in line with the engineering operating system and quality standards.
Leadership of the Engineering Excellence Function
- Instil a culture of delivery, efficiency, and engineering excellence, ensuring all teams embrace accountability and performance discipline.
- Build and mentor a senior leadership team capable of scaling engineering excellence and embedding standards throughout the IOG.
- Influence technology strategy and major engineering investments as a key member of the senior technology leadership team.
Strategic Collaboration and Influence
- Partner with Product, Research, and Operations executives to align engineering standards with product strategy and long-term technology planning.
- Communicate complex technical strategies and risk/benefit trade-offs to the CEO, Board, and external stakeholders with clarity and authority.
External Engagement and Thought Leadership
- Represent IOG in global engineering forums and standards bodies, shaping industry best practices and reinforcing IOG’s reputation for engineering leadership.
- Stay at the forefront of emerging engineering trends and formal methods by engaging with elite engineering organisations and incorporate relevant advances into IOG’s operating system.
Who you are:
Typically 15+ years of progressive engineering leadership, including significant tenure in global executive roles (SVP/EVP/CTO or equivalent).
At least 5 years in senior leadership roles, with a track record of successfully managing cross-functional teams
Proven record of setting and enforcing enterprise-wide engineering standards and operating models, and ensuring their organisation-wide adoption.
Demonstrated success in owning and managing CI/CD platforms and governing the selection and lifecycle of programming languages and key tools.
Proven ability to manage budgets and resources effectively in a complex, multi-stakeholder environment
Strong track record of shaping corporate technology strategy and influencing board-level decisions.
Advanced degree in computer science, software engineering, or a closely related field;
Proven ability to manage budgets and resources effectively in a complex, multi-stakeholder environment.
Strategic and systems thinking – Anticipates long-term technology trends and integrates them into the company’s engineering operating model and enterprise strategy.
Engineering operating system leadership
- Designs, implements, and continually evolves organisation-wide engineering standards, processes, architectures, and tooling; ensures adoption and sustained compliance across all teams and ventures.
- Understands and applies AI/ML concepts to improve engineering processes, including intelligent automation, predictive analytics for CI/CD, and AI-assisted quality assurance.
Quality assurance mastery – Applies formal methods, advanced testing frameworks, and secure development life-cycle practices to achieve reliable, scalable, and secure software delivery.
Analytical and synthesis capability – Evaluates complex technical, operational, and organisational data, extracting insights that guide enterprise decisions and engineering investments.
Executive communication and influence – Communicates complex engineering and assurance topics with clarity and impact to the CEO, Board, and senior stakeholders, enabling evidence-based decision making.
Enterprise leadership – Builds and leads the Engineering department, develops senior engineering leaders, and fosters a culture of excellence, accountability, and continuous improvement.
Cross-functional collaboration – Partners effectively with research, product, security, and operations leadership to integrate standards and quality practices into product and platform development.
Data-driven decision making – Defines and monitors KPIs to assess adoption, compliance, product quality, and engineering health; adjusts strategies based on measurable outcomes.
Adaptability and resilience – Leads through change and uncertainty, maintaining strategic clarity and operational discipline while enabling innovation.
Ethical and evidence-based judgement – Grounds all engineering and organisational decisions in integrity, transparency, and verifiable data.
Remote work
Laptop reimbursement
New starter package to buy hardware essentials (headphones, monitor, etc)
Learning & Development opportunities
Competitive PTO
At IOG, we value diversity and always treat all employees and job applicants based on merit, qualifications, competence, and talent. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.
