Head of Engineering

Engineering at memoQ is changing. Want to lead it?

We’re looking for a new Head of Engineering to lead memoQ’s engineering organisation. In this role, you’ll lead 38 engineers in 5 teams, work with the CTO to turn our technical strategy into excellent software, and transform how we build it for the AI era. You’ll fit right in if you’re a hands-on technologist who loves growing autonomous, self-organising teams, and if agile ways of working and continuous improvement are how you naturally operate.

And here’s what’s on our side: an organisation with solid foundations, which means real room to build on these and grow even further and to shape an engineering culture for the AI era instead of inheriting someone else’s. Your colleagues come from engineering, product, support and the language industry, and they give honest, constructive feedback and expect the same from you. Learning here is expected rather than squeezed in, and we back your advancement every day.

You already meet the requirements if you have:

• A strong technical background and a solid grasp of modern software engineering practices and tools
• Experience leading an engineering team of a similar size
• Successful hands-on experience with agile methodologies such as Scrum
• Hands-on experience with AI tools in software development

What you’ll do in this position at memoQ

You’ll own how we build software, not just what we ship. In practice, that looks like:

• Shape and implement memoQ’s technical strategy together with the CTO, in line with the company’s long-term goals
• Lead 38 engineers in 5 teams: set clear goals together with them, then grow autonomous, self-organising teams that own their goals and results
• Lead the transformation of our engineering culture for the AI era, helping teams adopt AI-assisted ways of working to build better software, faster
• Champion agile practices and a culture of continuous improvement, so teams keep getting better at how they plan, build and deliver
• Make technical and organisational decisions where needed, and delegate decision-making to the appropriate level whenever you can
• Work with your peers, especially the Head of Product, as well as your team leads and engineers, to continuously improve how we build excellent quality software
• Present plans and results inside and outside your team, including the reasoning behind them and not only the conclusion
• Get into the technical details when it matters, and help teams solve complex technical challenges

What we think will help you succeed in this role

Nobody ticks every box, but here is what makes a real difference:

• Analytical thinking: you see the whole landscape, break large problems into smaller ones, and bring out the best in others
• Leadership through motivation and partnership: you set clear goals with your team, and your default is to give them autonomy in how to reach them
• A team that feels safe enough to disagree with you, where people ask for help, challenge assumptions and experiment with new approaches
• Confident decision-making: you know when to make the call yourself and how to build buy-in
• Excitement about AI’s potential in software development, and a sense of how to help teams use AI tools well
• A drive to help teams continuously improve their ways of working, quality and delivery
• Openness to alternative solutions, even when you know the established best practice
• Conscientious and organised: you deliver what you promise, and you’re happy to dive into the details when needed
• Comfortable with change and ambiguity: you change course flexibly when it makes sense
• Confident written and spoken English, since it’s our working language
• Living near Budapest or being able to travel there regularly, so you can spend some days a week in our head office

The terms on our side of the table

You’re evaluating us too. Here’s the pitch:

• An international company spread across 10 countries, serving clients in 15+ languages
• Real onboarding: a buddy, a plan, and no expectation of you figuring it out alone
• A department with no micromanagement, and the autonomy to make your own decisions
• Remote-friendly, with an office worth coming in for
• Annual learning budget for courses, certifications, conferences
• Private health insurance and AYCM access to keep you well, in every sense
• Annual salary reviews
• And the one that matters most: actual work-life balance. Doctor’s appointment at 11? Go. Finished everything by 3? Don’t sit there until 5. We hire you for your output, not your hours

Why memoQ?

Every time a global company launches a product in a new market, someone’s translation technology is doing quiet, load-bearing work behind the scenes. Often, it’s ours.

memoQ is a global market leader in translation technology and one of the 500 fastest-growing SaaS companies in the world. Our software sits inside the workflows of enterprises, such as ASUS, HubSpot, or DHL. This is memoQ, handling work most people never think about and no product launch can happen without.

It’s a niche industry. It’s also a fascinating one, and the problems are unusually good: decades-old file formats, real-time collaboration, machine translation quality that nobody can measure cleanly, and users who know their own craft far better than we know it. Many engineers have never heard of this industry, but the ones who find their way in tend to stay.

How to apply

If you think you possess the necessary skills and experience, please apply with your CV, cover letter (in English), and your expected salary range.

You’ve applied. What’s next?

We want all of our candidates to have a smooth and efficient experience with us, which is why we aim to get back to you regarding your application within a short time.

As we receive numerous applications for our positions, if your profile corresponds to our requirements to continue the process, we will contact you. Please be aware that we might not be able to reach out to everyone whose profile was not selected.

The first step of the selection process is a screening call with a member of the recruitment team. This is followed by an online meeting with the hiring manager and a relevant stakeholder or depending on the nature of the role, sometimes we ask for some test/home assignment. The final step is a chance to meet some of your potential teammates, it can be done in person in the office or online.