Key Skills

Job Description

About the job As Head of Engineering at Harlem Next, you turn our technology and AI direction into a high-performing engineering organisation that delivers. Working closely with the CTO, you translate our technological direction into clear priorities, structures and ways of working. You create focus, strengthen engineering leadership and ensure teams have what they need to deliver effectively. A key part of your role is developing our engineering leaders and building an environment with clear ownership and accountability. At the same time, you bring a strong business perspective to technology, advising and challenging the CTO and senior management on technical opportunities, feasibility and execution risks. If you enjoy combining technology, leadership and execution in a fast-moving environment, this role might be for you! What you’ll doEngineering Leadership & Execution Translate the technology and AI direction into clear engineering priorities and executable plans; Create focus and structure and drive predictable delivery across engineering; Coach and develop engineering leaders, strengthening ownership, accountability and decision-making; Continuously improve the structure, capabilities and ways of working of the engineering organisation. Technology & Innovation Turn technological and AI opportunities into solutions that create value for both the business and IT; Provide direction on complex technical and organisational challenges and remove obstacles to progress; Challenge technical choices and connect engineering decisions to broader business priorities. Quality & Technical Sustainability Ensure quality, security and Secure Development are embedded in engineering ways of working; Work with the CTO and CISO to translate technical and security frameworks into engineering practices; Ensure technical debt and associated risks are visible and appropriately prioritised. About Harlem Next As part of our team, you will continuously develop the online entertainment industry. Harlem Next creates high-traffic web applications used by millions of unique users every day across all continents. With the volumes running through our applications, we rank among the top users of Google Cloud Services worldwide. We offer a challenging technology environment where scalability, innovation and smart technical choices truly matter. We are also closely following the rapid development of AI and its potential to transform both our technology and the online entertainment landscape. About you You are an experienced engineering leader who combines technical credibility with a strong business-first mindset. You know how to bring structure and direction to a dynamic technology environment and are comfortable moving between strategy and execution. You bring: A relevant Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, IT or a related field; 7+ years of relevant software engineering experience, including substantial leadership experience; Experience leading engineering teams in a dynamic technology environment; A strong technical foundation in modern software development, architecture, cloud platforms, APIs, integrations, data and security; Knowledge of Secure Development and technical debt management; An understanding of AI and process automation and their potential across business and IT; Strong leadership and stakeholder management skills; Fluency in Dutch and professional proficiency in English. What we offer A senior leadership role with significant impact on our engineering organisation; A challenging and dynamic technology environment with plenty of room for initiative; Excellent employment conditions, including pension, 8% holiday allowance and travel expenses; Incentive trip, NS Business Card, sportive team outings, bicycle plan, healthy snacks and a delicious healthy lunch; An informal company culture with short lines and high autonomy. Apply for the job Are you excited about building a high-performing engineering organisation and turning technology and AI ambitions into results? Then we would love to hear from you. Apply now and help shape the future of engineering at Harlem Next!

Core Responsibilities

Translate the technology and AI direction into engineering priorities, strengthen engineering leadership, and drive focused, predictable delivery. Guide technical and organisational decisions while embedding quality, security, Secure Development, and technical debt management into engineering practices.

Requirements

Requires a relevant bachelor's or master's degree and at least seven years of software engineering experience, including substantial leadership experience in a dynamic technology environment. Candidates should have a strong foundation in modern software development, architecture, cloud platforms, APIs, integrations, data, and security, along with knowledge of Secure Development, technical debt, AI, and process automation; fluency in Dutch and professional proficiency in English are required.

Benefits

• Pension
• Holiday Allowance
• Travel Expenses
• Incentive Trip
• Public Transport Business Card
• Team Outings
• Bicycle Plan
• Healthy Snacks
• Healthy Lunch