Head of Engineering (m/w/d)

Who We Are We are Menlo79, a Berlin-based startup founded in 2019. Our software, WILSON, is a comprehensive workforce management solution that helps railway companies plan shifts, respond to short-term staffing changes, comply with regulatory requirements, and take employee preferences into account. Our platform provides real-time insights and optimization capabilities to improve workforce efficiency. Our mission is to modernize the railway industry and drive innovation. We aim to help railway companies across Europe move away from outdated methods such as Excel spreadsheets and whiteboards. As we enter the next phase of our growth, we are looking for an experienced leader to refine and drive our technological vision in close collaboration with the CEO and CPO. As Head of Engineering, you will play a key role in advancing our AI-first strategy while ensuring that our engineering organization operates in a structured, motivated, and highly effective way. You combine strategic thinking with operational excellence and lead the team through the next scaling phase of our platform. The Role You lead and develop a team of 10–15 software engineers across frontend, backend, and professional services, providing both technical and disciplinary leadership. You personally ensure the stable, secure, and scalable operation of our AWS-hosted SaaS platform, WILSON—hands-on and with direct ownership. You are responsible for evolving our software development processes (e.g., CI/CD, testing, DevOps) as well as our system and software architecture—with a strong focus on prototyping and AI-native approaches. You drive the efficient and high-quality development of our platform in close collaboration with product management and other stakeholders. You establish best practices in code quality, deployment, monitoring, and incident management. You actively shape the company’s technology and innovation strategy and translate it into concrete initiatives. You are part of the management team and bring the engineering perspective into strategic decision-making. You foster a high-performance, collaborative engineering culture with a strong focus on ownership, speed, and quality. Your profile Professional: Several years of experience leading and developing small to mid-sized engineering teams. Strong expertise in building, operating, and scaling cloud infrastructure, ideally on AWS. Experience with modern software architectures (e.g., microservices, event-driven systems) and DevOps practices. Proven track record in implementing AI-first strategies, particularly integrating AI components into existing SaaS products. Experience with rapid prototyping approaches and transitioning them into stable production systems. Solid experience with release, deployment, and maintenance processes for complex software solutions. Strong understanding of product development and the close collaboration between engineering and product management. Fluency in English is required; German is a strong plus. Personal: AI-first mindset: You actively leverage modern AI tools to increase development efficiency and productivity. Hands-on mentality: You stay close to the technology and support your team operationally when needed. Strong people leadership: You build trust, act as a key point of contact, and support your team’s professional and personal growth. Execution-driven: You focus on delivering results and sustainable solutions, not just vision. Sense of ownership: You ensure platform stability, performance, and reliability at all times. Strong communication skills: You can clearly communicate technical topics to different audiences—from engineers to management. Our Offer A compelling compensation package consisting of a fixed salary, performance-based annual bonus, and VSOPs—allowing you to directly participate in the company’s long-term success. We are in an exciting scale-up phase with a team of around 50 employees, where you can shape structures, drive growth, and have a real impact on both product and organization. Work from our bright, modern office in Berlin-Kreuzberg with great views, combined with flexible remote and home-office options. Join an experienced, ambitious team with deep industry expertise and a strong network in mobility, transport, and logistics. Flat hierarchies, fast decision-making, and close collaboration with the CEO and CPO give you the opportunity to significantly influence both technology and team strategy. Additional benefits such as subsidies for meals, mobility, or fitness, as well as regular team events—from relaxed evenings to multi-day offsites—round out our offering. If you’re excited to drive our AI-first strategy, build and lead a high-performing engineering team, and shape the technological foundation of our next growth phase, we’d love to hear from you.