SVP of Engineering

The SVP will be a direct partner to the CEO in shaping the division's strategic direction, driving platform modernization from legacy on-premise architectures to cloud-native SaaS, building and scaling world-class engineering teams across Paris and global delivery centers, and serving as a trusted technology advisor to CIO/CTO-level executives at the world's largest retailers, CPG companies, and supply chain operators. Key Responsibilities Technology Vision & Platform Strategy

• Define and own the multi-year technology roadmap for SymphonyAI's Supply Chain platform, encompassing both System of Execution (warehouse, transport, order management) and System of Intelligence (demand planning, supply optimization, decision analytics)
• Architect the transformation from legacy monolithic systems to a composable, API-first, cloud-native SaaS platform built on microservices, event-driven architecture, and modern data infrastructure (Snowflake, Databricks, Azure, GCP, AWS)
• Establish the AI-first product engineering philosophy: every module, feature, and workflow should be built with embedded AI/ML as a foundational design principle, not a bolt-on
• Lead the integration of generative AI and large language models into the supply chain platform - including AI copilots for planners, natural language query interfaces, autonomous exception handling, and agentic workflows that can reason, plan, and act across supply chain processes
• Design the platform's intelligence layer to serve as a unified decision engine - analogous to a "CINDE for Supply Chain" - that connects demand signals, inventory positions, transportation plans, and supplier data into a single source of truth with AI-driven recommendations
• Own the technical due diligence and integration strategy for M&A targets, technology partnerships, and build-vs-buy decisions

Engineering Leadership & Operational Excellence

• Build, lead, and scale a world-class engineering organization across Paris headquarters and global development centers, with a target team of 150-300+ engineers
• Establish modern software development practices: CI/CD pipelines, automated testing, infrastructure-as-code, feature flagging, canary deployments, and observability-first engineering culture
• Drive engineering velocity and quality metrics - deployment frequency, lead time, MTTR, change failure rate - to match best-in-class SaaS benchmarks
• Implement platform reliability standards: 99.95%+ uptime SLAs, SOC 2 Type II compliance, GDPR/data sovereignty controls, and enterprise-grade security architecture
• Champion "vibe coding" and developer experience innovation - adopt AI-assisted development tools (Copilot, Claude Code, Cursor), internal developer platforms, and rapid prototyping workflows that compress the build cycle from months to weeks
• Own the technical debt reduction roadmap with clear milestones for decommissioning legacy components while maintaining production stability for existing enterprise clients

AI & Innovation Agenda

• Serve as the division's chief architect for applied AI, responsible for the strategy and execution of ML/AI capabilities across demand forecasting, inventory optimization, transportation routing, supplier risk, and supply chain digital twins
• Lead the adoption of generative AI across the product suite: LLM-powered planning assistants, automated report generation, anomaly explanation in natural language, and conversational supply chain analytics
• Build the agentic AI framework for supply chain - autonomous agents that can monitor, reason, and take corrective actions across the supply chain (e.g., auto-rebalancing inventory, triggering expedited shipments, adjusting forecasts based on real-time signals)
• Evaluate and integrate emerging architectural patterns - including privacy-preserving routing, tool sandboxing, and modular skill frameworks - adapting proven approaches from the broader AI ecosystem while maintaining domain-specific intellectual property
• Establish an innovation lab function that runs rapid proof-of-concepts with key clients, translating experimental AI capabilities into productized features within 90-day cycles
• Stay deeply current with the AI research landscape, competitive technology moves, and open-source developments; build a point of view on when to adopt, adapt, or build proprietary

Client-Facing Technology Leadership

• Serve as the senior technology executive in engagements with the world's largest retailers and CPG companies - presenting directly to CIOs, CTOs, CDOs, and SVPs of Supply Chain at Fortune 500 accounts
• Lead strategic technology discussions during major deal pursuits, RFP responses, proof-of-value engagements, and contract renewals - translating complex platform capabilities into business outcome language
• Build trusted advisor relationships with client technology leaders, positioning SymphonyAI as the long-term strategic platform partner versus point solution vendors
• Co-create technology roadmaps with strategic accounts, ensuring platform evolution is informed by real-world supply chain operational challenges at scale
• Represent SymphonyAI at industry conferences (NRF, Gartner Supply Chain Symposium, Shoptalk, GroceryShop), analyst briefings (Gartner, Forrester, IDC), and executive roundtables as the authoritative voice on AI-powered supply chain technology
• Support competitive displacement engagements - articulate SymphonyAI's differentiated architecture and production-proven capabilities versus legacy SCM vendors and emerging competitors

Legacy-to-Modern Transformation

• Lead the complete platform re-architecture from legacy on-premise, database-centric systems to modern multi-tenant SaaS - including data model modernization, API gateway design, and tenant isolation architecture
• Define the migration strategy for existing enterprise clients: parallel-run approaches, phased cutover plans, data migration tooling, and backward compatibility layers that protect revenue while enabling platform evolution
• Modernize the data architecture to support real-time streaming (Kafka, Flink), graph-based supply chain modeling, and a unified analytics layer that serves both operational dashboards and AI model training
• Transform the release management model from quarterly waterfall releases to continuous deployment with feature flags, ensuring large enterprise clients receive stability while innovation accelerates
• Build the organizational change management capability within engineering - retrain legacy teams, hire modern talent, and create a culture that embraces rapid iteration and experimentation

Strategic & Organizational Leadership

• Partner directly with the CEO on division strategy, annual planning, investment priorities, and technology-driven growth initiatives
• Collaborate with Product Management to ensure technology investments are tightly aligned with market demand, competitive positioning, and ARR growth targets
• Own the technology budget and resource allocation, making disciplined build/buy/partner decisions that maximize return on engineering investment
• Build a diverse, high-performance engineering culture that attracts top AI and supply chain technology talent in the competitive Paris/European tech market
• Establish and chair the Technical Advisory Board with external supply chain and AI experts to pressure-test the technology strategy

• 15+ years in enterprise software engineering and technology leadership, with at least 5 years at VP Engineering, SVP, or CTO level in a supply chain, retail, or CPG technology company
• Deep domain expertise in supply chain systems spanning both System of Execution (WMS, TMS, OMS, yard management, last-mile) and System of Intelligence (demand planning, supply planning, S&OP, IBP, network design, inventory optimization)
• Proven track record of leading a major platform transformation from legacy/on-premise to modern cloud-native SaaS architecture at enterprise scale (100+ enterprise clients, $50M+ ARR platform)
• Direct experience building and scaling AI/ML capabilities within enterprise software products - not as a research function, but as production-grade, customer-facing AI features deployed at scale
• Hands-on familiarity with the competitive landscape of supply chain technology: deep understanding of the architectures, strengths, and limitations of platforms from Blue Yonder (JDA legacy + Luminate), Relex Solutions, o9 Solutions, Kinaxis, Manhattan Associates, Körber (HighJump), Coupa, E2open, SAP IBP/APO, Oracle SCM Cloud, and Infor
• Experience working in or selling to retailers and CPG companies - understanding the specific supply chain challenges of grocery, convenience, general merchandise, and fast-moving consumer goods
• Demonstrated ability to operate as a client-facing technology executive - presenting to, persuading, and building relationships with CIO/CTO/CDO-level stakeholders at global enterprises

Technical Depth

• Strong architectural fluency in modern SaaS platform design: microservices, API-first design, event-driven architecture, multi-tenant data isolation, Kubernetes/container orchestration, serverless patterns
• Working knowledge of cloud data platforms (Snowflake, Databricks, BigQuery, Azure Synapse) and real-time data streaming (Kafka, Flink, Spark Streaming)
• Practical experience with ML/AI engineering: model training and serving infrastructure, MLOps pipelines, feature stores, A/B testing frameworks, and model monitoring in production
• Familiarity with generative AI architectures: LLM fine-tuning, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), prompt engineering, function calling, and agentic framework design
• Understanding of graph database and knowledge graph technologies for supply chain network modeling
• Proficiency in establishing DevOps/SRE practices at scale: CI/CD, infrastructure-as-code (Terraform, Pulumi), observability stacks (Datadog, Grafana), and incident management

Leadership Qualities

• Builder mentality - has built and scaled engineering organizations from the ground up, not just inherited large teams
• Intellectual curiosity and continuous learning orientation - personally experiments with new AI tools, coding approaches, and technology patterns; leads by example in adopting innovation
• Executive presence and communication skills - can translate complex technical concepts into compelling business narratives for board-level, investor, and C-suite audiences
• Bias for action with strategic patience - drives urgency on high-impact initiatives while maintaining a multi-year architectural vision
• Collaborative and ego-light - works effectively with Product, Sales, Customer Success, and external partners without territorial behavior
• Comfort with ambiguity - thrives in a fast-growth, private-equity-paced environment where speed and decisiveness are valued alongside rigor, * Experience at one or more of the following supply chain technology companies (in an engineering or technology leadership capacity): Blue Yonder, Relex Solutions, o9 Solutions, Kinaxis, Manhattan Associates, Körber, SAP SCM, Oracle SCM, Infor, E2open, Coupa, GAINS, Logility, Anaplan, ToolsGroup
• Experience at a major retailer or CPG company in a supply chain technology or digital transformation role (e.g., Carrefour, Tesco, Walmart, Kroger, Unilever, P&G, Nestlé, L'Oréal, LVMH)
• Prior experience leading technology for a data monetization or supplier intelligence platform - building products that generate revenue from CPG/supplier partners through analytics, media, or insights
• Familiarity with retail media networks and the intersection of supply chain data, shopper analytics, and advertising technology - understanding how supply chain intelligence feeds into retail media activation
• Experience with outcome-based pricing models - designing technology platforms that support SaaS + performance-based commercial structures tied to measurable supply chain KPIs
• Track record in a multi-geography engineering organization with teams in Europe, India, and/or Asia-Pacific
• Fluent in French and English; additional European languages a plus
• Advanced degree (MS/PhD) in Computer Science, Engineering, Operations Research, or a related quantitative field

SymphonyAI is one of the fastest-growing enterprise AI companies in the world, building purpose-built AI solutions for the retail, CPG, financial services, manufacturing, and supply chain sectors. Backed by founder Dr. Romesh Wadhwani, SymphonyAI operates at the intersection of deep domain expertise and cutting-edge artificial intelligence, serving many of the world's largest retailers, manufacturers, and consumer goods companies. The Supply Chain Division is a critical growth engine within SymphonyAI, responsible for delivering AI-powered planning, execution, and decision intelligence solutions to global supply chain organizations. Our platform spans demand forecasting, inventory optimization, warehouse management, transportation planning, supplier collaboration, and end-to-end supply chain visibility - all unified by a modern, cloud-native intelligence layer. We are seeking a transformational Chief Technology Officer based in EMEA to lead the next era of our Supply Chain technology platform - a leader who can bridge the legacy world of traditional supply chain systems with the modern frontier of generative AI, agentic intelligence, and composable SaaS architectures. Job Description: The Opportunity This is not a maintenance SVP role. This is a transformation mandate. The SVP will own the complete technology vision, architecture, engineering execution, and innovation agenda for SymphonyAI's Supply Chain Division. The ideal candidate is equally fluent in the deeply operational world of supply chain execution systems (WMS, TMS, OMS) and the emerging world of AI-powered decision intelligence - demand sensing, autonomous planning, prescriptive analytics, and generative AI copilots.