At Poka, we’re transforming how frontline teams operate, learn, and solve problems.
Our connected worker platform is purpose-built for manufacturing, empowering frontline workers to share knowledge, collaborate in real-time, and drive continuous improvement. Think of it as the missing digital link, bringing the human interface into the stack of the Smart Factory, generating the right data and insights that drive entirely new scales of process improvements.
We’re proud to support global leaders like Nestlé, Bosch, Mars, and Danone in their digital transformation journeys and as part of the IFS family, our reach and impact continue to grow globally.
Director of Engineering (Product Engineering)About the role
We are looking for a Director of Engineering (Product Engineering) to lead and scale our product engineering organization.
You will oversee approximately 8 to 10 feature squads and lead a team of Engineering Managers. Your mission is to design and continuously improve the engineering system that enables our teams to deliver high-impact product outcomes, predictably, sustainably, and at high quality.
This role focuses on product engineering. Platform engineering (infrastructure, security, reliability) sits outside of this scope, but you will collaborate closely with architecture and platform leadership to ensure long-term system coherence.
This is a senior leadership role requiring 10+ years of engineering management experience, including experience managing managers.
What you will doBuild and evolve a high-performing product engineering organization
Lead and develop Engineering Managers
Build a strong leadership bench and succession pipeline
Set clear expectations around delivery accountability and people leadership
Foster a culture of ownership, collaboration, and continuous improvement
You scale through leaders, not through direct squad intervention.
Own delivery predictability at the organizational level
Ensure quarterly commitments across squads are realistic and aligned with capacity
Identify and address systemic risks that impact multiple teams
Improve visibility and transparency of delivery health
Balance ambition, sustainability, and quality
You are accountable for the performance of the system, not individual features.
Design the engineering operating model for velocity
Continuously improve how squads plan, execute, and collaborate
Remove friction that slows developers down
Clarify roles and responsibilities between Engineering Managers, Team Leads, Architecture, and Product
Standardize where it increases clarity and flow, without adding unnecessary process
Drive responsible and impactful adoption of AI to increase productivity and code quality
Your goal is simple: maximize impact per unit of engineering effort.
Protect long-term code sustainability
Ensure strong maintainability practices across squads
Prevent unnecessary duplication of logic, components, and services
Promote reuse and coherent patterns
Partner with Architecture to manage technical debt strategically
Balance short-term delivery pressure with long-term system health
You help teams move fast without breaking the future.
Partner deeply with Product and Design
Align engineering investment with product strategy and business objectives
Bring a strong product mindset to roadmap discussions
Challenge low-impact initiatives when necessary
Help engineering teams understand and connect to customer outcomes
You care about what we build and why we build it.
Collaborate with Architecture and Platform leadership
Ensure architectural guardrails are clear and efficient
Prevent architectural review from becoming a bottleneck
Maintain system coherence as we scale
Escalate structural friction early and constructively
You ensure autonomy and alignment coexist.
10+ years of experience in engineering leadership roles
5+ years of experience managing managers or multiple teams
Experience scaling product engineering organizations in a SaaS environment
Strong track record of improving delivery predictability and execution quality
Deep systems-thinking capability
Experience driving organizational change and operational improvements
Strong understanding of maintainability, technical debt, and scalable architecture principles
Product mindset and business awareness
Excellent communication skills at both technical and executive levels
Experience leveraging AI-enabled development practices is a strong asset
Why this role matters: As we grow, complexity increases, with more squads, more dependencies, and more surface area. This role is critical to ensuring that we scale intelligently while maintaining velocity, quality, and alignment without adding unnecessary friction.
What we offer:
- Dynamic and collaborative work environment.
- A generous vacation policy starting on your first day.
- Hybrid work policy - Employees who live within a 40 km radius of our Québec City office or a 15 km radius of our Montréal office are required to work in-office two days per week.
- 100% remote work if you do not live within the radiuses mentioned above.
- A truly flexible schedule that allows you to adapt your work hours.
- Group insurance from day one (dental, medication, disability, travel, etc.) with employer contributions, including access to telemedicine and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
- A retirement savings plan with employer contributions.
- A MacBook Pro and a $500 home office allowance upon hiring.
- Tasty snacks available at all times in our offices (fresh fruits, snacks, pastries, coffee, tea, etc.)
- Generous referral bonus.
- The tools, support, and opportunities you need to keep learning and progressing in your career.
*Certain benefits are exclusively accessible to employees in Canada.
Want to learn more about our culture? Click HERE.
Please note: An understanding of English is essential at Poka, as it is the language used during company-wide meetings and many internal communications, ensuring effective collaboration and decision-making. In addition, as Poka operates in an international environment, English is the primary language for communicating with our clients and partners, enabling us to better serve them and represent Poka in a professional manner.
