Engineering Director

Engineering Director • London, England, UK

Join Proton and build a better internet where privacy is the default.

At Proton we believe that privacy is a fundamental human right and the cornerstone of democracy. Since our inception in 2014, founded by a team of scientists from CERN, we have dedicated ourselves to providing free and open‑source technology to millions worldwide, ensuring access to privacy, security and freedom online.

Proton began with Proton Mail, the largest secure e‑mail service worldwide, and has since expanded to include Proton VPN, Proton Calendar, Proton Drive and Proton Pass. These tools empower individuals and organisations to take control of their personal data, break away from Big Tech’s invasive practices and defeat censorship. Our services have even helped save lives by enabling secure communication in high‑risk situations.

Purpose of the role

Proton continues to grow rapidly as more people seek greater privacy controls. To accelerate our growth we are seeking a senior leader to drive engineering for one of our many existing or upcoming products. This role involves setting and executing technical strategy, managing teams and working closely with senior product managers to ensure high‑velocity delivery of new products.

What you will do

• Set technical direction and vision for one of our products
• Lead technical design and platform discussions
• Drive continuous improvement in our DevSecOps practices, improving lead times and time‑to‑market while maintaining exceptional quality standards
• Hold yourself and the team accountable for timely delivery of scalable, quality‑focused user experiences and features
• Develop efficient processes and motivate the team to operate with high velocity, ownership and accountability
• Lead through others and develop the next generation of engineering leaders at Proton
• Inspire, coach and develop your team
• Optimize organizational structure and continuously raise the bar on hiring
• Build strong relationships with senior leaders and advance long‑term platform and engineering vision
• Contribute to Proton’s technology and open‑source communities
• Foster an inclusive and diverse environment for your team
• REST APIs, HTTP networking, SQL, Redis, PHP (Symfony), Rust, Python, Web (TypeScript React), Desktop (C#, Swift), Infrastructure (MySQL, Ceph)

Our Tech Stack

• Applied cryptography (PGP, TLS, etc.)
• REST APIs
• Event architectures
• HTTP networking
• SQL, Redis
• PHP (Symfony), Rust, Python
• iOS/macOS (Swift)
• Android (Kotlin Jetpack)
• Web (TypeScript React)
• Desktop (C#, Swift)
• Infrastructure: MySQL / Ceph

We need you to have

• Experience in software engineering in progressively complex roles
• Direct experience leading and managing engineers
• Demonstrable experience as a manager of managers
• History of collaboration with senior leaders in engineering and product to develop strategy
• Excellent empathy and collaboration skills with resilience
• Curious, passionate and growth‑oriented mindset
• Hands‑on experience creating well‑crafted, maintainable systems
• Mobile‑first background (ideally former mobile developer)
• Practical experience leading DevOps and SRE initiatives and driving best practices
• Experience with cryptography preferred
• Bonus points for each of the following:
  • Performance tuning and scaling across client‑backend infrastructure
  • Working closely with C‑level executives to align on direction, vision and execution
  • Operating at global scale with millions of customers while thriving in chaotic growth phases

What We Offer

• Office First: Collaboration is easier and more effective in person which is why we have offices in Geneva, Zurich, Prague, Barcelona, Paris, London, Vilnius, Skopje and Taipei. You can also work from home up to 30 % of the time while enjoying great company during our three core days in the office.
• Technology: We provide all the devices and software you need to excel in your role.
• Food: Lunch and snacks are provided by Proton every day at our offices.
• Transport: We support transport costs through subsidising public transport, bike allowances or parking spaces based on your office location.
• Stock Options: At Proton we are all owners of the company and you get stock options when you join us.
• Flexible Working: Define your own working hours as long as it works with team meetings.
• Learning and Development: Committed to your professional growth with training programmes, conferences and events.
• Employee Benefits: Comprehensive health insurance, retirement savings, generous vacation and leave policies and wellness programmes.
• Work that Matters: Community‑first organisation; our only source of revenue is user subscriptions. Over 100 million people trust us and we put our users first in everything we do. Read more about our impact here.

Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

At Proton we believe diversity drives innovation and strengthens our mission to provide privacy as a default for all. We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where all individuals—regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, physical ability or socio‑economic background—feel valued and empowered. We strive to create equal opportunities, promote open dialogue and support continuous learning to ensure every voice is heard and respected.

If you need any extra support or reasonable adjustments during the hiring process please let your talent partner know.

Candidate Privacy Notice

When you apply for a position, refer a candidate or are considered for a role at Proton Technologies AG, your information is stored in Greenhouse in accordance with our Privacy Policy. It is used to evaluate your suitability for the posted position and may be retained for consideration for future roles that you may apply for or that we believe may align with your background and skills. If we no longer have a legitimate business need to process your information, we will delete or anonymise it. If you have inquiries about how we use or manage your information or wish to access or delete your data, please contact our privacy team.

Proton does not accept unsolicited resumes from any sources other than directly from candidates. We will not pay a fee for any placement resulting from an unsolicited offer even if the candidate is subsequently hired by Proton.

To learn more about our privacy policy please visit our privacy policy page .

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
Experience: years
Vacancy: 1

#J-18808-Ljbffr