Head of Software Engineering | Technology | Ogilvy Africa at Scangroup

, , Kenya -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

16 Apr, 26

Salary

0.0

Posted On

16 Jan, 26

Experience

10 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Software Engineering, Team Management, Agile Methodologies, Cloud Platforms, Data-Driven Solutions, Technical Architecture, Project Governance, Innovation, DevOps Practices, Stakeholder Management, Problem-Solving, Communication Skills, Security Practices, Continuous Improvement, Capacity Planning, Technical Leadership

Industry

Advertising Services

Description

Role Summary: Head of Software Engineering The Head of Software Engineering leads the end-to-end software engineering function for Ogilvy Africa, with responsibility for delivering high-quality, scalable and secure software solutions that power our marketing, data, and experience platforms. The role balances hands-on technical leadership with people management, strategic planning and operational excellence. You will: Lead, grow and coach a multi-disciplinary engineering team (web, mobile, backend, data/AI, DevOps); own the software delivery lifecycle for products, platforms and client solutions, ensuring on-time, on-budget and high-quality delivery; partner closely with the CTO, Product, Data, Experience and Client teams to turn business and client needs into robust technical solutions; and drive continuous improvement in engineering practices, tools and platforms, and foster a culture of innovation, experimentation and learning. Key Responsibilities & Accountabilities Leadership & Team Management Lead, mentor and develop a high-performing team of software engineers and engineering managers, creating clear goals, career paths and growth opportunities. Foster a culture of ownership, collaboration, psychological safety and continuous learning in line with Ogilvy’s beliefs. Ensure effective staffing, capacity planning and succession planning across projects and products. Promote a practitioner culture – leading by example with hands-on technical engagement where needed. Engineering Strategy & Architecture Translate the Technology and Ogilvy One strategy into a clear engineering roadmap (platforms, products, tools, architecture). Own the technical architecture for key platforms and applications (mobile, web, APIs, integrations), ensuring scalability, reliability, security and cost efficiency. Evaluate and select appropriate technologies, frameworks, and third-party services (including cloud, data, martech and AI/ML) aligned to business and client needs. Define and maintain reference architectures, coding standards, and best practices across teams. Software Delivery & Project Governance Oversee the full software development lifecycle (discovery, design, development, testing, deployment, operations) for both internal products and client-facing solutions. Ensure robust project governance: estimation, planning, resourcing, risk management, change control and progress tracking. Drive predictable, high-quality delivery using Agile/Iterative methods (Scrum, Kanban, etc.) and modern DevOps practices (CI/CD, automated testing, observability). Collaborate with Project Management, Client Services and Product teams to keep delivery on schedule, within scope and to budget, while managing trade-offs transparently. Cross-Functional & Client Collaboration Act as a key technical counterpart to business, product, data, creative, and account leadership. Translate non-technical requirements into clear technical specifications and architectures (including UX/UI, data models, integrations and security). Support pre-sales and solutioning for key client opportunities: participate in discovery, propose architectures, scope work, and present solutions to senior client stakeholders. Build and manage relationships with external technology partners, vendors and delivery partners across the region. Innovation, Data & Emerging Technologies Lead innovation initiatives in software, data and AI/ML aligned to Ogilvy Africa’s ambitions (e.g., personalization, real-time marketing, analytics, content automation, e‑commerce). Encourage and oversee proofs-of-concept (PoCs), pilots and experiments; facilitate “fail-fast, learn-fast” cycles and scale successful initiatives. Work with Data and Strategy teams to ensure data-driven design, analytics and measurement are embedded into solutions. Process, Quality & Operational Excellence Design, implement and continuously refine engineering processes that improve speed, quality and reliability (SDLC, code review, branch strategy, release management). Define and track key engineering KPIs (velocity, lead time, defects, reliability, uptime, incident MTTR, cost efficiency) and drive continuous improvement. Ensure robust quality assurance processes including automated/unit testing, integration testing, security and performance testing. Establish and enforce security-by-design and privacy-by-design practices, in line with client and regulatory requirements. Financial & Resource Management Participate in budgeting and resource planning for the engineering function (headcount, tools, cloud, licences, third-party services). Optimize cost of delivery through effective use of cloud, automation, open-source, and vendor negotiations. Contribute to pricing, effort estimation and cost models for software projects and managed services to ensure profitability and sustainable operations. Reporting & Stakeholder Communication Provide regular reporting to the CTO and senior leadership on engineering performance, project status, risks and mitigation plans. Communicate complex technical issues and trade-offs clearly to non-technical stakeholders. Represent the engineering function in internal forums and, where appropriate, in client and industry forums. Professional, Technical Skills and Experience Required Education Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Systems or a related field. Master’s degree and/or relevant professional certifications (e.g., cloud, agile, architecture) are an advantage. Experience 10–15+ years of progressive experience in software engineering, including significant hands-on development experience. At least 4–6 years in engineering leadership roles (e.g., Head of Engineering, Engineering Manager, Technical Director) managing multi-disciplinary teams. Proven track record of successfully delivering multiple complex software projects (web and mobile) across varied domains; agency, consulting or multi-client environments are an advantage. Experience running enterprise-scale projects and platforms, including vendor evaluation, contracting/SLAs, and coordinating with distributed teams. Demonstrated experience aligning technology initiatives with business goals and delivering measurable improvements in service delivery, customer experience and operational efficiency. Technical Skills Strong grounding in modern software engineering practices and architectures (e.g., microservices, APIs, event-driven, cloud-native). Proficiency in at least one major backend stack (e.g., Node.js, Java, .NET, Python) and modern frontend frameworks (e.g., React, Angular, Vue) and/or mobile (iOS/Android, cross-platform). Deep familiarity with cloud platforms and services (AWS, Azure, or GCP), including infrastructure-as-code, scalability and cost management. Experience with Agile methodologies and tools (e.g., Jira, Azure DevOps), source control (Git), CI/CD pipelines (e.g., Jenkins, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI), and containerization/orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes). Understanding of data platforms, analytics and AI/ML concepts; experience working with data engineers/scientists to deliver data-driven solutions is a strong plus. Solid understanding of information security, privacy, compliance and secure coding practices. Leadership & Soft Skills Strong people leadership skills with a demonstrable record of building, coaching and retaining high-performing engineering teams. Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to bridge technical and non-technical domains. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills; able to manage ambiguity and make sound decisions with imperfect information. High level of ownership, resilience and adaptability in a fast-paced, multi-client, multi-country environment. OGILVY AFRICA – Company Overview Ogilvy Africa is the largest network agency on the continent, operating in more than 40 countries with a team of over 900 people across Central, East and West Africa. Our regional office is based in Nairobi, Kenya, where we manage a portfolio of 100+ brands for clients such as AB InBev, Airtel, Bajaj, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Coca-Cola, Diageo, Equity Bank, European Union, KFC, Mastercard, NCBA, Nestle, Philips, PWC, Total Energies, UNICEF, Unilever and WWF, among others. Our proposition is anchored on true shared value – creating human (societal) value, employee value, and commercial value – across four mega-businesses: ABC (Advertising, Branding & Content), Experience (including CRM and e‑commerce), PR & Influence, and Media (focused on performance marketing). Through our “One Ogilvy” operating model, we simplify complexity for clients and deliver seamless omni-channel experiences, fuelled by the trinity of content, data and technology. In 20+ years in Africa, we have won numerous regional and global awards including Cannes Lions, Clio, Dubai Lynx, SABRE (Global & Africa), Loeries and WARC. Ogilvy is a leading WPP network and was ranked the #1 creative network in the world in the 2023 WARC rankings. Ogilvy Beliefs People need regular OS upgrades: Even the best OS will be obsolete tomorrow unless it is constantly upgraded. The same is true for people. We need more cows than milkmen: We are a culture of practitioners, not managers. We contribute before we comment. Creative about creativity: Creativity is, and will always be, our differentiator. Creativity now includes the trinity of Data–Content–Tech. Diversity is a competitive advantage: New profiles, new skills and new styles of leadership make us a stronger company. Collaborative advantage > Competitive advantage: We partner with those who are best at the skills we need. It’s the only way to scale at speed without pretending to have all the answers. Team > Individual: You get a lot more done when everyone stops worrying about who gets the credit at the end. Teams succeed; individuals fail. Fail often, fail fast: We see intrapreneurs in all our people and encourage a culture of pilots. Test, succeed and scale; or fail fast, learn, and start something new.

Responsibilities

The Head of Software Engineering leads the software engineering function, ensuring high-quality delivery of software solutions. Responsibilities include team management, overseeing the software development lifecycle, and collaborating with cross-functional teams.