VP of Engineering
Qdrant · Germany
- Hybrid
- Full-time
- $250,000 / year
- Germany
Job highlights
- Lead and scale engineering for AI vector search.
- Drive cloud platform and enterprise features.
- Build high-performance, reliable AI infrastructure.
- Manage distributed teams and foster culture.
- Shape technical direction post-Series B.
About the role
About Qdrant
Qdrant is the leading open-source Vector Search Engine powering the next generation of AI applications. From semantic search and RAG to recommendation systems and AI agents, Qdrant enables developers and enterprises to build intelligent systems that deliver high performance, scalability, and reliability.
We're looking for an exceptional VP of Engineering to lead and grow our engineering organization at a pivotal moment — post-Series B, as we scale from a beloved open-source tool into the definitive vector search platform for enterprise AI. You will partner directly with our CEO and leadership team to shape technical direction, build an engineering culture, and ship products that developers and enterprises trust for their most critical workloads.
The Role
This role combines technical leadership, organizational scaling, and ownership of product delivery. You will be responsible for building and operating our cloud platform, delivering commercial features, and ensuring enterprise-grade reliability, security, and scalability — while staying deeply aligned with our open-source core.
You will work closely with the executive team, Product, and Go-to-Market functions to translate the company's strategy into engineering execution.
Your Tasks
- Lead and scale a distributed engineering organization across core database infrastructure, cloud platform, and developer experience — owning hiring, culture, and team design
- Partner with the leadership team on product roadmap and architectural decisions, translating company strategy into executable engineering plans
- Drive reliability, performance, and velocity across Qdrant's core engine, Qdrant Cloud, Hybrid Cloud, and emerging products like Cloud Inference and Qdrant Edge
- Establish engineering excellence: code quality standards, incident response, observability, and the operational rhythm needed to run a production database at scale
- Work closely with Product, Developer Relations, and Customer Success to ensure engineering efforts are tightly aligned with the needs of Qdrant's developer community and enterprise customers
- Define and own the engineering hiring plan to meet aggressive growth targets, with a focus on Rust, distributed systems, and ML infrastructure talent
- Champion a culture of rigor, ownership, and craft — the kind of culture that builds a custom storage engine from scratch because the off-the-shelf solution isn't fast enough
Requirements
Experience
- 10+ years in engineering leadership, including senior roles in cloud/platform engineering
- Experience building and scaling B2B SaaS platforms
- Proven track record in managing distributed teams
- Deep experience with Kubernetes and cloud-native architectures
- Experience operating high-scale, production-critical infrastructure
- Experience with enterprise security and compliance frameworks
Technical Depth
- Strong background in distributed systems
- Experience running large-scale infrastructure in AWS/GCP/Azure
- Deep knowledge of observability, reliability engineering, and automation
- Strong understanding of DevOps, CI/CD, and infrastructure-as-code
Leadership Traits
- Strategic thinker who can also dive deep technically
- Strong decision-making in high-growth, fast-changing environments
- Clear communicator across technical and business stakeholders
- Data-driven and customer-focused
Nice to Have
- Experience with search engines, databases, storage systems, or data infrastructure
- Experience in open-source companies
- Familiarity with AI/ML infrastructure or vector search systems
Benefits
- Shape the future of AI infrastructure
- Lead cloud strategy at a fast-growing open-source company
- Work with a globally distributed, high-talent engineering team
- Competitive compensation + equity
- Remote-first culture
Application Instructions
Candidates, please submit a short non-AI-generated cover letter and explain why you think you are a great fit for this role.
Key skills/competency
- VP of Engineering
- Engineering Leadership
- Cloud Platform
- Distributed Systems
- B2B SaaS
- Kubernetes
- DevOps
- AI/ML Infrastructure
- Open Source
- Rust
Skills & topics
- VP of Engineering
- Engineering Leadership
- Cloud Platform
- Distributed Systems
- B2B SaaS
- Kubernetes
- DevOps
- AI Infrastructure
- Open Source
- Rust
- Team Scaling
- Product Delivery
- SRE
- High-Scale Infrastructure
- Technical Strategy
How to get hired
- Tailor your resume: Highlight experience in engineering leadership, cloud/platform engineering, and scaling B2B SaaS.
- Craft a compelling cover letter: Explain your fit for the VP of Engineering role, emphasizing non-AI-generated insights.
- Showcase technical depth: Detail your experience with distributed systems, Kubernetes, and high-scale infrastructure.
- Demonstrate leadership: Provide examples of managing distributed teams and strategic decision-making in fast-paced environments.
Technical preparation
Deep dive into distributed systems concepts.,Review Kubernetes and cloud-native architecture.,Prepare examples of managing critical infrastructure.,Familiarize with Rust, CI/CD, and IaC.
Behavioral questions
Describe scaling an engineering team remotely.,How do you balance open-source and commercial needs?,Give an example of a strategic technical decision.,How do you foster a culture of ownership?
Frequently asked questions
- What is Qdrant and what does it do?
- Qdrant is an open-source Vector Search Engine designed for AI applications such as semantic search, RAG, recommendation systems, and AI agents. It enables developers and enterprises to build high-performance, scalable, and reliable intelligent systems.
- What are the primary responsibilities of the VP of Engineering at Qdrant?
- The VP of Engineering will lead and scale the engineering organization, shape technical direction, build engineering culture, and oversee product delivery for Qdrant's core engine, cloud platform, and emerging products.
- What technical experience is required for the VP of Engineering role?
- Required technical experience includes 10+ years in engineering leadership, experience with B2B SaaS platforms, distributed teams, Kubernetes, cloud-native architectures, high-scale infrastructure, and enterprise security frameworks. A strong background in distributed systems and cloud infrastructure (AWS/GCP/Azure) is also essential.
- What kind of engineering culture does Qdrant champion?
- Qdrant champions a culture of rigor, ownership, and craft. This involves establishing high standards for code quality, incident response, observability, and operational rhythms to ensure the reliability and performance of their production database at scale.
- Does Qdrant prefer candidates from specific geographic regions for this remote role?
- Yes, while the position is remote-first, candidates from Europe will be given preference for this VP of Engineering role.
- What is the application process for the VP of Engineering position at Qdrant?
- Candidates are asked to submit a short, non-AI-generated cover letter explaining their suitability for the role. Specific instructions for recruiters are also provided.
- What makes Qdrant's Vector Search Engine stand out?
- Qdrant stands out as a leading open-source Vector Search Engine that powers next-generation AI applications, offering high performance, scalability, and reliability for both developers and enterprises. It's known for enabling complex AI tasks like semantic search and RAG.
- What is Qdrant's current stage of growth?
- Qdrant is at a pivotal growth stage, having recently closed a Series B funding round. They are scaling from an open-source tool into a definitive vector search platform for enterprise AI.