VP of Engineering

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

📋 Description

• Take full responsibility for the platform migration from start to finish.

• Oversee 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 eliminating unexpected downtime.

• Make architectural decisions and manage trade-offs necessary for the transition from legacy to new systems, including data model alignment, service-by-service cutover, and parallel-run validation.

• Restore the foundational elements of the platform.

• Achieve target API and core platform latency of 1,000 RPS at under two seconds, with a goal to scale towards 10k RPS.

• Decrease database load, address stability regressions highlighted by recent releases, and increase release velocity to multiple deployments weekly.

• Lead the multi-chain platform effectively across 100+ chains, ensuring predictable integration timelines, accountable squad ownership, and clear SLAs with commercial partners.

• Revamp the engineering management structure.

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

• Establish the benchmark for effective engineering management at Crystal, focusing on predictable delivery, transparent planning, technical proficiency, and team development.

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

• Integrate AI into engineering as a tool for 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 utilization to organization-wide AI productivity, achieving measurable improvements in delivery throughput.

• Lower OpEx-to-revenue ratios through architectural enhancements, automation, and minimizing the manual operational workload.

• Collaborate closely with the business.

• Engage directly with product, go-to-market (GTM), customer success, and finance teams to translate engineering investments into customer results and revenue growth.

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

• Manage the engineering budget, hiring strategy, and vendor selection.

⛳️ Requirements

• A minimum of 10 years of engineering experience, with at least 5 years in leadership roles such as VP Engineering, Head of Engineering, or equivalent in platform, data, or infrastructure organizations.

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

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

• Proven experience integrating AI into engineering workflows, including agent-assisted development and AI-driven automation.

• Strong instincts for product partnership; you have influenced what is built and how it is delivered.

• A history of building accountable, high-ownership engineering teams.

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

🏝️ Benefits

• Health insurance

• Retirement plans

• Paid time off

• Flexible work arrangements

• Professional development