VP of Engineering

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

📋 Description

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

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

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

• Lead architectural decisions and trade-offs necessary for the transition from legacy to new systems, including aligning data models, executing service-by-service cutovers, and validating parallel runs.

• Ensure alignment among engineering, product, and customer success teams on a unified migration roadmap that includes clear customer-impact milestones.

• Reinstate the foundational elements of the platform.

• Restore API and core platform latency to target levels: achieving 1,000 RPS with sub-two-second latency, while scaling towards 10k RPS.

• Decrease database load, address stability issues uncovered by recent releases, and enhance release velocity to facilitate multiple deployments each week.

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

• Reconstruct the engineering management structure.

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

• Set a benchmark for exemplary 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 the standards demanded by the platform.

• Propel the integration of AI into engineering 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 isolated AI tool usage to organization-wide AI-driven productivity, with measurable improvements in delivery throughput.

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

• Collaborate with the business.

• Engage directly with product, GTM, customer success, and finance teams to convert engineering investments into tangible customer outcomes and revenue.

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

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

⛳️ Requirements

• Over 10 years of engineering experience, with more than 5 years in leadership roles in 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, maintaining continuous customer service throughout the process.

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

• Practical experience in integrating AI into engineering workflows, including agent-assisted development and AI-enabled automation.

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

• Proven track record of creating accountable, high-ownership engineering organizations.

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

🏝️ Benefits

• Flexible work arrangements.

• Opportunities for professional development.