VP - Engineering

Karya’s mission is to leverage the AI revolution to create dignified earning and learning opportunities for low-income communities across the world. In India, our smartphone-based digital work platform has enabled over 120,000 people to build language datasets and evaluate AI models while earning fair wages. With pilots in Kenya and Ethiopia and partnerships with leading AI labs, we are advancing language technologies for underrepresented communities. By combining dignified digital work with frontier AI innovation, Karya hopes to build a new AI economy that is equitable, inclusive, and community-driven.

About the Role:

We are seeking a dynamic and strategic VP of Engineering to lead and manage Karya’s engineering team. This executive will play a pivotal role in scaling our technology infrastructure by managing both the people and processes within the technology team.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as a hands-on technical leader overseeing the technical team and all engineering operations including architecture, design, software development processes and pipelines, and making individual contributions when necessary.
• Develop and implement strategies to drive innovation, scale technology, and ensure product quality and performance.
• Monitor, analyze, and continuously improve engineering KPIs, including delivery predictability, sprint velocity, incident resolution time, and defect rates, to ensure high performance and alignment with organizational goals.
• Collaborate closely with product, design, and other cross-functional teams to define product roadmaps and ensure timely delivery of features.
• Own the architecture and technical decision-making for major projects, ensuring scalability, reliability, and security of the technology stack.
• Foster a culture of technical excellence, continuous improvement, and agility within the engineering teams.
• Act as a key partner in strategic planning and growth initiatives, offering technical expertise and insights to shape the company’s direction.
• Ensure the engineering team is adaptive and stays on course with industry trends, adopting new technologies and tools when appropriate.
• Assist the CTO in mentoring team leaders and individual contributors, providing guidance on career development and technical growth.

Ideal Candidate

• Proven experience as an engineering leader in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.
• Strong technical background with experience in software engineering, systems architecture, and technology operations.
• Experience with cloud platforms, distributed systems, and scaling technology solutions.
• Experience managing, mentoring, and developing high-performing engineering teams.
• Deep understanding of the software development lifecycle, from ideation through to deployment and support.
• Expertise in modern software engineering practices.
• Strong leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work effectively with senior management and technical teams. 

Compensation

• Competitive Salary:
  We offer a competitive compensation package commensurate with experience, designed to attract top talent in the industry.
• Benefits & Growth:
  Enjoy flexible work options, comprehensive benefits, and ample opportunities for career growth. Be part of a mission-driven team with the chance to make a significant social impact while advancing your career.

Karya is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability. If you require a reasonable accommodation during the application process, please contact [email protected].

Join us and help build a platform that empowers communities and transforms the way work is delivered at scale.