Engineering Director: Fulfilment

The Takealot Group is seeking an experienced Engineering Director to spearhead its fulfilment division, a critical pillar of South Africa’s largest online retail operation. This is a senior strategic role based in Cape Town, tasked with overseeing the core systems that orchestrate the complex intersection between warehouse operations and logistics. As the retail landscape in South Africa continues to evolve, the individual in this position will play a pivotal role in ensuring that the technology stack remains robust, scalable, and capable of handling high-transaction volumes.

About the role

This leadership position is designed for a seasoned technical expert who understands the nuances of managing high-performing software engineering teams. You will be responsible for guiding three distinct engineering squads, ensuring that the technology supporting fulfilment remains efficient and secure. The role demands a balance between high-level architectural oversight and the day-to-day management of human capital.

You will act as the technical heartbeat of the fulfilment division, setting the long-term vision and ensuring that technical debt is managed while simultaneously pushing for innovation. A significant portion of your time will be spent mentoring engineering managers, fostering a culture of technical excellence, and ensuring that the systems architecture is resilient enough to support the group’s ambitious operational goals.

What you’ll do

The successful candidate will be responsible for aligning engineering outputs with broader business objectives. Your day-to-day focus will involve:

• **Strategic Leadership:** Defining and executing the technical roadmap, with a specific focus on scalability, uptime, and system performance.
• **Team Development:** Building, mentoring, and retaining high-calibre engineering teams. This includes managing individual performance, facilitating career growth, and promoting a culture of inclusivity and trust.
• **Operational Oversight:** Ensuring that the orchestration between warehouse management systems and logistics platforms functions seamlessly.
• **Technical Advocacy:** Leading by example in adopting best practices, contributing to documentation, and keeping the team aligned with international industry standards.
• **Recruitment:** Setting clear hiring objectives and actively participating in the talent acquisition process to grow the department.

What they’re looking for

To be successful in this role, you will need a solid foundation in computer science principles coupled with extensive leadership experience. The organisation requires a candidate who can navigate complex, distributed, high-transactional systems with confidence.

• **Education:** A Bachelor’s Degree or an Advanced Diploma in Engineering, Information Technology, or a closely related field.
• **Experience:** A minimum of 10 years of professional experience, with at least 5 years dedicated specifically to managing engineering teams.
• **Technical Proficiency:** A strong background in building microservices and RESTful API web services, along with proven experience in architectural ownership.
• **Domain Knowledge:** While not strictly mandatory, prior exposure to logistics or supply chain technology will be considered a significant advantage.
• **Soft Skills:** Proven ability to influence stakeholders, manage cross-functional relationships, and lead through periods of rapid growth.

For an Engineering Director level position within a large-scale South African tech firm, compensation is typically highly competitive, often reflecting the senior nature of the role with significant performance-based incentives and market-related benefits. Careers in e-commerce fulfilment at this level offer a clear trajectory toward executive leadership (CTO or VP level) within the broader retail or logistics tech space. Applicants should note that this role is heavily weighted toward high-scale system reliability, making it an ideal challenge for someone who has previously navigated the complexities of "always-on" retail environments.

• Bachelor's Degree or Advanced Diploma in IT, Engineering, or related area of study.
• At least 10 years of experience, of which 5 years should be managing engineering teams.
• Experience managing strategic technology roadmaps with customer focus.
• Experience with building RESTful API web services and microservices.
• Significant technical experience and a proven track record of architectural ownership.
• A thorough understanding of computer science fundamentals.
• Experience in developing distributed high-transactional systems.
• Experience in supply chain and/or logistics would be advantageous.