Director, Engineering

Liferaft is looking for a highly skilled and visionary Director, Engineering to lead and shape the future of our product and technology stack. This role will be hybrid in Halifax, NS, or fully remote within the Eastern , or  Atlantic time zones within Canada. 

Reporting to the Chief Technology Officer (CTO), you will lead a growing team of software and data engineers to develop scalable, secure, and user-centric solutions for our threat intelligence platform.This role will play a critical part in defining the technology vision, improving engineering processes, and managing both team performance and architectural integrity. This role requires a high degree of collaboration, people leadership, and technical foresight.

What you do as the Director, Engineering at Liferaft

Leadership & People Management:

• Build, inspire, and manage a high-performing engineering team with a focus on professional development, mentorship, and career growth.
• Foster a collaborative, innovative, and inclusive engineering culture.
• Collaborate closely with the CTO, and broader engineering leadership team to set the vision and roadmap for data collection technology and practices.
• Provide ongoing coaching, performance feedback, and goal setting for engineering team members.

Technology Strategy & Execution:

• Define and implement engineering best practices, tools, and processes to manage technical debt and drive efficiency.
• Lead the architecture, design, and implementation of scalable and secure backend and data systems.
• Guide the continued evolution of our React-based front-end, ensuring a consistent and intuitive user experience.
• Evaluate and adopt emerging technologies that enhance infrastructure, scalability, and performance.

Data Engineering & Architecture:

• Lead a team of data engineers responsible for building and maintaining robust data pipelines and architectures.
• Design and manage scalable data storage, processing, and retrieval infrastructure across cloud and on-prem environments.
• Oversee the development and optimization of ETL processes and data integration pipelines.
• Collaborate with data science, analytics, and business intelligence teams to support advanced data initiatives.

Product Collaboration:

• Partner with product leadership to translate customer and market requirements into technical execution.
• Align engineering outputs with product vision and business goals.

Security, Compliance & Infrastructure:

• Work closely with IT, security, and compliance teams to ensure high standards for data privacy, system security, and regulatory adherence.
• Implement robust disaster recovery and backup strategies in coordination with infrastructure teams.
• Manage relationships with third-party vendors, service providers, and infrastructure partners.

Reporting & Continuous Improvement:

• Generate and present performance metrics related to system performance, data quality, and engineering productivity.
• Lead continuous improvement efforts to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the engineering organization.

Requirements

What You Need to Get the Job Done

• 10+ years of progressive experience in software engineering, with a focus on managing and leading teams.
• Proven experience in a leadership role within a data engineering or related function (Senior Manager level or above) - Strong people management and mentorship skills.
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related field. Advanced degrees (Master’s or Ph.D.) preferred.
• Experience with PHP (or Python or Ruby) as well as Javascript and React. 
• In-depth knowledge of software architecture and system scalability.
• Experience in developing and executing strategic plans for data engineering initiatives.
• Track record of successfully managing complex software engineering projects from conception to completion.
• Hands-on experience with cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP) and infrastructure management.
• Knowledge of best practices for scalable and resilient software architecture in cloud environments.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to effectively communicate complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
• Experience collaborating with cross-functional teams, including data science, analytics, and business units.
• Demonstrated commitment to staying current with industry trends and advancements in data engineering.

Benefits

Why Liferaft?

We pride ourselves on our innovative spirit and determination to help solve new challenges developed by the complexities of open source data. LifeRaft provides a threat intelligence and investigations platform, Navigator, to corporate security teams around the world, including some of the biggest brands you've probably referenced today! Navigator is designed to identify, track, and validate issues from open source channels (surface, deep web, and darknet) related to executive safety, fraud prevention, and asset & infrastructure protection. Our technology is helping keep these companies, their people, and their operations safe – making a real impact in the world we all live in.

The diversity of our team is integral to our success. We are a team of passionate and supportive individuals and pride ourselves in fostering a collaborative, innovative, and fun culture. 

We offer our team:

• Competitive compensation plan & benefits
• Investment in personal and professional growth
• Remote work/office space with flexible hours
• Flexible time off – Take a minimum of 15 days/year with no cap beyond!
• $750 Yearly Lifestyle Subsidy
• Diversity & Inclusion Committee
• Authentic, engaged team, who value work life balance

We’re building a company future generations can be proud of. Diversity at Liferaft  means fostering a workplace in which individual differences are recognized, appreciated, respected and responded to in ways that fully develop and utilize each person's talents and strengths. We welcome all qualified applicants regardless of race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, family status, genetic characteristics, disability, or any other protected characteristic.