Director of Engineering

Overview Translated is a leading provider of AI-powered language solutions. Founded in 1999 by a linguist and a computer scientist we are on a mission to allow everyone to understand and be understood in their own language. We envision a world where people from different cultures can communicate seamlessly gaining unprecedented access to knowledge, cultural exchange and opportunity. To make this possible we combine proprietary translation AI (Lara Translate) with advanced text, audio and video translation technologies (Matecat Matesub and Matedub) and the worlds largest network of vetted native-speaking language professionals. We welcome complex technical challenges from our customers and engineer tailored solutions that often become part of our core products—whether integrated into our enterprise localization platform, the tools designed to support translators or Lara Translate our online AI translator for teams and individuals. Everything we build reflects a simple principle: technology should amplify human potential not replace it. We believe in humans. We’re looking for a Director of Engineering to lead multiple backend and platform teams building our next generation of AI solutions for translation including a new consumer product. You will own engineering strategy and execution, grow and coach high-performing teams and ensure we ship quickly with high quality, reliability and security. This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who can move from org design to architecture reviews and unblock teams to deliver. Translated is hosted at Pi Campus, a working environment immersed in nature where 5 luxury villas in Rome (Italy) have been converted into functional offices to foster talent growth. Pi Campus is also a venture firm created by Translated to reinvest part of its profits into promising AI startups. Responsibilities Set engineering vision strategy and architecture; balance speed with maintainability and cost. Build lead and scale high-performance teams: hire exceptional talent, develop managers, set career paths and drive a culture of ownership and continuous improvement. Drive rapid iteration and execution: implement lean/agile practices, short feedback loops and experimentation. Lead delivery of Lara our new consumer product while evolving our core APIs used by enterprise customers (e.g. Airbnb, Uber and others). Ensure operational excellence: uptime, incident response, observability, performance, security, privacy (e.g. GDPR) and cost optimization. Partner closely with Product Design and GTM to define roadmaps, make data-driven tradeoffs and hit customer outcomes. Guide technical program management across teams; manage dependencies and communicate progress to executives and stakeholders. Maintain and evolve data stores and pipelines (MySQL, Redis, Kafka); uphold data integrity and security. Engage directly with C-level leaders and key stakeholders: translate business strategy into technical roadmaps, communicate trade-offs and progress, align budgets and headcount and represent engineering in executive reviews. Raise the engineering bar through reviews, standards, documentation and hands-on coaching; dive into code or design reviews when needed. Requirements Masters degree in Computer Science/Software Engineering or equivalent experience. 10 years in software engineering; 5 years leading teams; 2 years managing managers and multi-team programs. Proven track record building and operating large-scale distributed systems (millions of requests/day) and shipping quickly with quality. Strong understanding of asynchronous programming, event-driven architectures, microservices and API design. Practical hands-on experience with TypeScript/ (you can read/write code and review deeply when necessary). Experience with Relational DBMS (MySQL) and NoSQL/streaming systems (Redis, Kafka). Proficiency with cloud (AWS/GCP), containers/Kubernetes, CI/CD, Git/GitHub workflows and observability. Demonstrated ability to improve engineering performance (e.g. cycle time, release cadence, incident reduction) and lead high-performing teams through rapid iteration. Experience with security, privacy and compliance for consumer and enterprise products. Excellent communication and cross-functional leadership skills. Bonus: AI/ML product experience and/or human-in-the-loop systems. About Translated Translated is a leading provider of AI-powered language solutions. Founded in 1999 by a linguist and a computer scientist we are on a mission to allow everyone to understand and be understood in their own language. We envision a world where people from different cultures can communicate seamlessly gaining unprecedented access to knowledge, cultural exchange and opportunity. To make this possible we combine proprietary translation AI (Lara Translate) with advanced text, audio and video translation technologies (Matecat Matesub and Matedub) and the worlds largest network of vetted native-speaking language professionals. We welcome complex technical challenges from our customers and engineer tailored solutions that often become part of our core products—whether integrated into our enterprise localization platform, the tools designed to support translators or Lara Translate our online AI translator for teams and individuals. Everything we build reflects a simple principle: technology should amplify human potential not replace it. We believe in humans. We’re looking for a Director of Engineering to lead multiple backend and platform teams building our next generation of AI solutions for translation including a new consumer product. You will own engineering strategy and execution, grow and coach high-performing teams and ensure we ship quickly with high quality, reliability and security. This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who can move from org design to architecture reviews and unblock teams to deliver. Benefits and Perks At Translated we see our people as athletes and Pi Campus as the place where they can reach their full potential. This vibrant environment fosters talent aggregation and continuous growth of mind, body and spirit. We nurture and support the teams personal and professional development every day through growth-oriented initiatives like personalized learning paths and networking events with industry leaders, health-oriented initiatives like massages, sauna and workouts in our gym and swimming pool as well as relaxation rooms, open meeting rooms, a cafeteria and fully equipped kitchens. In every case of need every team member has access to psychological, legal and financial support. Learn more about our company: Statement At Translated we proudly embrace and celebrate each individuals unique qualities to our team regardless of race, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other differences. We recognize that these diverse perspectives empower us to overcome challenges, foster innovation and drive excellence. As an inclusive and equal-opportunity employer we are committed to cultivating an environment where everyone feels welcome, valued and supported to achieve their full potential. Required Experience: Director Key Skills Go Lean Management Experience React Node.js Operations Management Project Management Research & Development Software Development Team Management GraphQL Leadership Experience Employment Type : Full-Time Department / Functional Area: Engineering Experience: years Vacancy: 1 Director of Engineering Onsite • Rome, Italy #J-18808-Ljbffr