Head - Software Engineering

Role: Director - Software Engineering Location: IBC Knowledge Park, Bengaluru Reporting to: CDIO Team name: Digital Operations and Engineering (DOPE) About the Team and the Role: The Digital Operations and Engineering (DOPE) team at Ather is responsible for architecting, building, and delivering software products across front end, back end, quality engineering, cloud vehicle data pipelines, and over-the-air updates. This role is for a Director of Software Engineering to own the end-to-end software craft, design an AI-native engineering organization, establish system-level architecture, and lead scalable full-stack engineering teams across the entire software delivery lifecycle. Responsibilities Own the reference architecture across front end, back end, and services, setting guardrails for scalable, secure, and privacy-by-design software products. Function as the single accountable leader across backend engineering, QA, and release management to close operational seams. Drive CI/CD pipelines, trunk-based workflows, automated quality gates, and DORA delivery metrics for fast and reversible releases. Architect an AI-native SDLC by embedding AI capabilities into coding, test generation, code reviews, documentation, and release workflows. Establish quality and reliability by design through automated testing discipline, observability, coverage standards, and error budgets. Formulate long-term software product strategies and technology roadmaps while actively tracking and retiring tech debt. Oversee cloud vehicle data pipelines, sub-millisecond latency architectural optimizations, and over-the-air (OTA) update deployments. Build and scale a pod-based value-stream engineering organization using data-centric metrics to drive velocity and craft standards. Experience and Qualifications Strong educational foundation with a degree in Computer Science or related Engineering discipline. 15-20+ years of software engineering experience in product-based companies with a track record of leading full-stack engineering organizations at scale. Must Have Competencies Architecture and development expertise in modern full-stack technologies including Node.js, Java, Spring Boot, React, and Firebase. System design capabilities for cloud platforms, NoSQL databases, Redis, Kafka, and Spark to support real-time vehicle data pipelines. Execution of automated CI/CD pipelines, trunk-based delivery models, and DORA-grade engineering metrics. Implementation of Secure-SDLC frameworks, privacy-by-design architectures, and DPDP compliance standards. Good to Have Competencies Integration of AI-assisted engineering tools and workflows across the software development lifecycle. Technical architecture and deployment optimization for Over-The-Air (OTA) software updates. Engineering design for ultra-low latency systems requiring sub-millisecond execution constraints. Application of data-centric engineering metrics and evidence-based operational governance. Want to know more? At Ather, we’ve built India’s first intelligent scooter, from scratch. Based on the philosophy of clean design and smart technology, we are transforming the urban commute experience. We are expanding in India, and in the coming years, we look forward to scaling up and launching more products globally. Today, our product offerings include the Ather 450X, 450S, 450 Apex, and Rizta. Beyond the product, we are also setting up an extensive charging network and re-imagining end-to-end ownership experience. To know more, check out our Careers site and our Substack. Be You, With Us The Ather story doesn't write itself - our people do. We believe everyone is equal, but not the same. Diversity is our strength, and building an inclusive and equitable workplace begins with acknowledging and embracing our differences. We are an equal opportunity employer, and our team reflects a wide range of identities, experiences, and perspectives - all united by a shared passion to shape the Ather journey.