Role Overview for VP, Software Engineering with a Cloud Data Platform – Mountain View, CA
JRG Partners is proud to partner with a trailblazing, data-centric technology company in Mountain View, CA, in their search for a transformative VP of Software Engineering. Our client is at the forefront of their industry, leveraging artificial intelligence and massive datasets to redefine what’s possible. Their success is built upon a foundation of data, and they are seeking a visionary leader to own, scale, and innovate their core Cloud Data Platform. This is not merely a leadership role; it is a pivotal position with the authority to shape the company’s technical direction and competitive advantage for the next decade.
As the VP of Software Engineering for the Cloud Data Platform, you will be the executive responsible for the entire lifecycle of data—from ingestion and processing to storage, access, and governance. You will lead multiple teams of brilliant engineers tasked with building and operating a petabyte-scale, multi-cloud infrastructure that serves as the central nervous system for the entire organization.
Your strategic vision will empower product teams, data scientists, and machine learning engineers to build next-generation products and extract critical insights with unparalleled speed and reliability. You will be a key member of the engineering leadership team, reporting directly to the CTO, and your influence will extend across the entire company. We are looking for a leader who is not only technically profound but also a master of building high-performing, inclusive teams and fostering a culture of relentless innovation and operational excellence.
Key Responsibilities of VP, Software Engineering with a Cloud Data Platform – Mountain View, CA
Strategic and Technical Leadership
Define, articulate, and execute a long-term technical vision and strategy for the cloud data platform. Drive architectural decisions to ensure the platform is scalable, reliable, cost-effective, and secure, aligning with the company’s ambitious growth targets.
Team Building and Mentorship
Lead, mentor, and grow a world-class organization of software and data engineers. Champion a culture of engineering excellence, psychological safety, and continuous learning. Attract, hire, and retain top-tier talent in a competitive market.
Execution and Delivery
Oversee the end-to-end development lifecycle for all data platform services. Implement and refine agile development processes to ensure timely and high-quality delivery of the product roadmap. Foster a DevOps mindset, ensuring teams own their services from inception to production.
Architectural Excellence
Guide the teams in designing and implementing robust, distributed systems capable of handling massive data volumes. Make critical decisions regarding technology stacks, frameworks, and design patterns, ensuring the long-term health and evolvability of the platform.
Operational Rigor
Uphold the highest standards for platform availability, performance, and efficiency. Implement comprehensive monitoring, alerting, and incident response protocols. Drive a data-driven approach to optimizing cloud costs and resource utilization.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Act as a key partner to leaders in Product, Data Science, and other Engineering departments. Understand their needs and translate them into a cohesive data platform roadmap that accelerates their work and drives tangible business outcomes.
Innovation and Evangelism
Stay on the cutting edge of cloud and data technologies. Encourage experimentation and research, and champion the adoption of new tools and techniques that can provide a competitive edge. Represent the company’s data engineering prowess at industry events and conferences.
Requirements for the VP, Software Engineering with a Cloud Data Platform – Mountain View, CA
Executive Leadership Experience
A minimum of 15 years of experience in the software industry, with at least 7 years in a senior leadership capacity (Director, Senior Director, or VP) managing multiple software engineering teams. Proven experience managing managers and leading organizations of 50+ engineers.
Deep Technical Expertise
Extensive, hands-on experience designing, building, and operating large-scale, distributed data systems in the cloud. You must have deep familiarity with the ecosystem of a major cloud provider (AWS, GCP, or Azure), including their core data services (e.g., S3, Redshift, EMR, Kinesis, BigQuery, Dataflow, ADLS).
Modern Data Stack Fluency
Profound knowledge of modern data processing frameworks and technologies such as Apache Spark, Kafka, Flink, and Presto/Trino. You should have practical experience with the principles and implementation of a modern data lakehouse architecture.
Proven Scalability Success
A demonstrated track record of scaling data platforms to handle petabyte-level data and high-throughput, low-latency workloads. You have successfully navigated the challenges of data growth, performance tuning, and cost management at scale.
Exceptional People Skills
You are an empathetic leader who inspires and empowers your teams. You possess outstanding communication skills, with the ability to articulate a complex technical vision to both technical and non-technical audiences, from individual contributors to the board of directors.
Strong Business Acumen
Ability to think strategically and connect the dots between technical initiatives and business objectives. You understand how a data platform drives value and can effectively prioritize work based on business impact.
Educational Background
A Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field is strongly preferred. Equivalent extensive practical experience will be considered.
Benefits & Perks Offered
Our client believes in investing in their people and offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package designed to support your professional and personal life.
Executive Compensation
A highly competitive base salary, annual bonus, and a significant equity package commensurate with a VP-level role.
Comprehensive Health Coverage
Premium medical, dental, and vision insurance plans for you and your dependents with minimal employee contribution.
Retirement Planning
A robust 401(k) plan with a generous company match to help you plan for your future.
Flexible Time Off
An unlimited paid time off policy, encouraging you to take the time you need to rest and recharge.
Family Support
Generous paid parental leave for all new parents.
Continuous Learning
A substantial annual budget for professional development, including conferences, certifications, and courses.
World-Class Campus
A modern, collaborative office environment in the heart of Silicon Valley, featuring catered lunches, a fully-stocked kitchen, and state-of-the-art equipment.
Wellness and Perks
A monthly wellness stipend for gym memberships, fitness classes, mental health resources, and more. Relocation assistance is available for qualified candidates.
How to Apply
This is a retained search being conducted exclusively by JRG Partners. If you are a visionary engineering leader with a passion for building transformative data platforms, we encourage you to apply. We are seeking a candidate who is ready to make a lasting impact on a rapidly growing organization. To express your interest, please submit your resume and a cover letter detailing your experience in scaling data engineering teams and platforms. For more information or to explore other opportunities within our portfolio, please visit our Technology & Engineering Leadership practice page. We look forward to connecting with you.
