Kuda is a full service, app-based digital bank. Our mission is to be the go-to bank not just for those living on the African continent, but also for the African diaspora wherever they might live, anywhere in the world. Kuda is free of ridiculous banking charges and great at helping customers budget, spend smartly and save more. We raised the largest seed round ever seen in Africa, and completed a Series A funding round in February 2021, led by some of the world's smartest venture capital investors. With offices in London (our HQ), Lagos and Cape Town, and further offices opening across Africa during 2021, Kuda is fast becoming recognised as the leading 'Neobank' for Africans.
To help us grow into the company that can bring meaningful change to the way people across Africa get access to great financial products and services in order to take control of their personal finances, we are actively looking for bright, talented, driven people who are excited by our mission. If this sounds like a great way to spend your valuable time, then please get in touch with us.
We are recruiting to fill the position below:
Job Title: Vice President (VP) of Engineering
Location: Lagos
Job type: Full-time
Description
- As the VP of Engineering (VPE) at Kuda, you will lead a world-class engineering organization of 100+ software and quality engineers distributed across four countries.
- Your mission is built on three core pillars: Scale, Delivery, and Compliance.
- You will be the engine of internal execution, responsible for scaling our human organization, driving operational excellence, and ensuring our technical systems remain robust as we expand globally.
- You will bridge the gap between high-level technical strategy and daily execution, fostering a culture of psychological safety, technical excellence, and rapid innovation.
Key Responsibilities
Scaling the Human Organisation:
- Lead, mentor, and grow a diverse, distributed engineering team of 100+, ensuring high levels of engagement and professional development.
- Establish clear career frameworks and performance standards that reward technical excellence and leadership.
- Foster a culture of psychological safety where engineers feel empowered to take calculated risks and innovate.
Operational & Delivery Excellence:
- Own the internal execution of the product roadmap, ensuring high velocity without compromising on quality or security.
- Drive the adoption of modern engineering practices (e.g., GitOps, automated testing, CI/CD) to accelerate delivery cycles.
- Optimize engineering processes to reduce friction and improve the developer experience across all squads.
Technical Strategy & Scale:
- Oversee the architectural integrity of our cloud-native, high-throughput, and low-latency financial systems.
- Ensure our core banking systems and microservices are built to handle millions of global customers.
- Drive cloud infrastructure consolidation to simplify maintenance and improve cost-efficiency.
Compliance & Security:
- Partner with internal stakeholders to ensure all software delivery upholds the highest standards of security and financial compliance.
- Ensure readiness for evolving standards (such as ISO 20022, 22301, CBN Risk-Based Cybersecurity Framework, PCI-DSS, etc) and lead the implementation of advanced security features.
Requirements
- Seasoned Technologist with 10+ years of engineering experience with a demonstrable background in building and maintaining high-throughput, low-latency financial systems.
- Proven Leadership: Previous experience leading large engineering organizations (100+) and building high-performance squads in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.
- Cloud-Native Expertise: Deep understanding of modern cloud infrastructure and distributed systems.
- Regulatory Knowledge: Experience navigating the security and compliance mandates of financial regulatory bodies.
Hard Skills:
- Expertise in software delivery metrics (DORA metrics) and process optimization.
- Strong grasp of architectural patterns for scalable fintech applications (12 Factor Apps).
- Experience with automated regression testing and security-first development (DevSecOps).
Soft Skills:
- Clear Communication: Ability to translate complex technical challenges into business impact for executive and other business stakeholders.
- Empathetic Leadership: A commitment to fostering an inclusive, safe, and high-growth environment for engineers.
- Strategic Thinking: Ability to balance immediate delivery needs with long-term organizational health.