VP of Engineering

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in New York.

📋 Description

• Take full ownership of the platform migration from start to finish.

• Lead the integration of the new data pipeline across all Crystal products, including Crystal Expert, Crystal Foresight, Monitor, Risk Check API, Data Intelligence, and Crystal Light.

• Plan the migration sequence to maintain revenue and customer trust, ensuring no SLA regressions, avoiding rollback issues, and preventing unexpected downtime.

• Drive architectural decisions and trade-offs required for the transition from legacy to new systems, including data model alignment, service-by-service cutover, and validation through parallel runs.

• Ensure alignment among engineering, product, and customer success teams on a unified migration roadmap, with clear milestones affecting customers.

• Restore the foundational elements of the platform.

• Bring API and core platform latency back to target levels: achieving 1,000 RPS at under two seconds latency, with a goal of scaling towards 10,000 RPS.

• Decrease database load, resolve stability regressions identified by recent updates, and increase release frequency to multiple deployments each week.

• Manage the multi-chain platform with discipline across 100+ chains, ensuring predictable integration timelines, responsible squad ownership, and clear SLAs for commercial partners.

• Reconstruct the engineering management layer.

• Collaborate with existing engineering leadership to create clear accountability among squad leads, engineering managers, and platform teams.

• Establish a benchmark for effective engineering management at Crystal, focusing on predictable delivery, transparent planning, technical expertise, and people development.

• Make necessary hiring, performance, and structural decisions to elevate the organization to meet the platform's demands.

• Integrate AI into engineering processes as a means of enhancing productivity.

• Develop shared infrastructure for AI-assisted engineering, including code generation, automated testing, agent-based migration tools, and internal knowledge systems.

• Transition Crystal from individual AI tool usage to an organization-wide approach to AI productivity, resulting in measurable improvements in delivery throughput.

• Lower operational expenses relative to revenue through architectural enhancements, automation, and a reduction in manual operational tasks.

• Collaborate with the business side.

• Work directly with product, go-to-market (GTM), customer success, and finance teams to translate engineering investments into customer outcomes and revenue generation.

• Clearly communicate trade-offs, risks, and progress to the executive team and board.

• Take responsibility for the engineering budget, hiring strategy, and vendor decisions.

⛳️ Requirements

• Over 10 years of engineering experience, with more than 5 years in leadership roles within platform, data, or infrastructure organizations as VP of Engineering, Head of Engineering, or similar positions.

• Successfully led at least one significant platform migration or large-scale rebuild while maintaining continuous customer service.

• Experience operating low-latency, high-availability distributed systems with multi-tenant SaaS workloads at a production scale.

• Hands-on experience in integrating AI into engineering workflows, encompassing agent-assisted development and AI-driven automation.

• Strong instincts for product partnership - you have influenced what gets developed and how it is delivered.

• Proven history of building accountable and high-ownership engineering organizations.

• Direct experience in one or more relevant sectors, including blockchain or cryptocurrency, fintech, payments, fraud or risk platforms, regulatory technology, or large-scale data platforms.

🏝️ Benefits

• Comprehensive health insurance.

• 401(k) matching program.

• Flexible working hours.

• Paid time off.

• Opportunities for professional development.