VP, Engineering

Job Description:

Here at Rakuten Kobo Inc., we offer a casual working start-up environment and a group of friendly and talented individuals. Our employees rank us highly in terms of commitment to work/life balance. We realize that for our people to be innovative, creative, and passionate, they need to feel valued and supported. We believe in rewarding all our employees with competitive salaries, performance-based annual bonuses, stock options, and training opportunities.

If you’re looking for a company that inspires passion, personal, and professional growth– join Kobo and come help us make reading lives better.

The Role:

We are seeking a passionate individual to lead our talented eReader engineering teams in creating exceptional outcomes for Kobo and our customers.

As an experienced Engineering Manager, you’ll have the exciting opportunity to guide a dynamic team tasked with evolving our eReader software experience. Your leadership will be pivotal in driving the evolution of our market-leading eReaders. Your work will directly impact millions of readers worldwide.

Key Responsibilities:

• Shape Product Roadmap: Collaborate with product and design leaders to establish a compelling future vision for our products, crafting a strategic roadmap that integrates product, design, and engineering.
• Lead Engineering Execution: Drive engineering execution, ensuring the delivery of high-quality software and a seamless user experience on our e-Reading devices. Champion iterative development practices and foster a culture of continuous improvement.
• Grow and Scale the Team: Shape the team's composition, specify hiring needs, and source and onboard engineers whose diverse technical abilities and soft skills contribute to well-rounded, cohesive teams.
• Develop Teams: Guide and develop a high-performing team through leadership, coaching, and mentoring, fostering a culture of excellence and continuous improvement while ensuring inclusive development opportunities for all team members.
• Craft Technical Strategy: Develop a technical strategy and roadmap aligned with Kobo’s business and product needs, focusing on delivering high-quality, user-friendly, and high-performance reading experiences for our customers.

Required:

• 10+ years in software engineering, with significant experience in leading and expanding engineering teams during periods of high growth.
• 5+ years in an engineering leadership role, at least at one point overseeing multiple teams through managers and team leads
• Deep knowledge of modern software development practices, architecture, and infrastructure, with a background in building and scaling complex, high-availability systems.
• Experience working with software targeted for hardware devices
• Ability to drive technical strategy and make informed decisions that balance immediate needs with future goals.
• Exceptional skills in leading and communicating with teams, capable of inspiring and motivating engineers while effectively influencing stakeholders.
• Proven track record in attracting, hiring, and nurturing top engineering talent, with several years in people-management roles.
• Take pride in delivering an exceptionally high-quality product, ensuring outstanding functionality, while maintaining the platform's overall performance and reliability.
• You're excited to work collaboratively within engineering and across functional teams.
• Articulate, confident, and persuasive communication skills, coupled with the ability to listen and prioritize diverse perspectives.

Nice to have:

• Experience leading in organizations that leverage the Product Operating Model.

The Perks: 

• Flexible hours and remote working environment 
• 4 extended summer long weekends
• Full benefits starting from your first day 
• Paid Volunteer days, unlimited sick days, and 3% RRSP matching 
• Monthly commuting allowance for hybrid employees 
• Flexible health spending account 
• Training budget + Udemy account 
• Free Kobo device + free weekly e-book or audiobook 
• Weekly Kobo Tech University sessions 
• Maternity/paternity leave top up 
• 90 Day Work from Anywhere program 
• Daily lunch credit when in-office and in-office snacks 
• Dog friendly office

About Rakuten Kobo Inc.

Owned by Tokyo-based Rakuten and headquartered in Toronto, Rakuten Kobo Inc. is one of the most advanced global ecommerce companies, with the world’s most innovative eReading services offering more than 6 million eBooks and audiobooks to 30 million + customers in 190 countries. Kobo delivers the best digital reading experience through creative innovation, award-winning eReaders, and top-ranking mobile apps. Kobo is a part of the Rakuten group of companies.

Rakuten Kobo Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. Accessibility accommodations for candidates with disabilities participating in the selection process are available on request. Any information received related to accommodation needs of applicants will be addressed confidentially.

Rakuten Kobo would like to thank all applicants for their interest in this role however only qualified candidates will be shortlisted.

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