Head of R&D

Description We are seeking a hands-on Head of R&D to lead our Software Engineering, Product, and Data Science teams. This role will be responsible for accelerating product delivery, strengthening technical execution, and ensuring alignment between our AI roadmap and customer-facing products. This is a player-coach role, combining technical leadership, software architecture, team management, and execution ownership. Responsibilities Lead and manage multidisciplinary R&D teams across Software, Product, and Data Science. Own the execution of the company’s technology and product roadmap. Define and drive software architecture, scalability, reliability, and engineering best practices. Work closely with Product and AI teams to translate innovation into commercial products. Improve development workflows, team productivity, and delivery velocity. Remove technical and organizational bottlenecks. Mentor team leads and foster a culture of ownership, accountability, and excellence. Participate directly in architecture reviews and key technical decisions. Requirements B.Sc. in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field. 8+ years of hands-on software development experience, with deep expertise in software architecture, system design, and technical execution. 3+ years of experience leading multidisciplinary R&D teams across Software Engineering, Product, and Data Science. Proven experience building and scaling cloud-based SaaS products using Python, JavaScript/TypeScript, Node.js, React, Docker, Kubernetes, and major cloud platforms. Advanced hands-on experience with AI coding tools (Cursor, Claude Code, or Codex) and AI-native engineering workflows, including development, debugging, code review, and automation. Strong knowledge of distributed systems, relational and NoSQL databases, CI/CD, and GitOps, including GitLab CI and Argo CD. Ability to lead from the front through direct involvement in architecture, coding, prototyping, code reviews, troubleshooting, and critical engineering initiatives. Strong communication and execution skills, with fluent English. Preferred Qualifications Experience with production AI/ML systems, model serving, inference pipelines, MLOps, data platforms, or high-scale, data-intensive environments. Background in healthcare, biotechnology, or life sciences. Experience scaling R&D organizations in fast-growing startups. What Success Looks Like Faster and more predictable product delivery. Strong collaboration between Software, Product, and Data Science teams. Scalable engineering processes and architecture. Successful translation of AI capabilities into customer-facing products. A high-performing R&D organization aligned with business objectives.