VP of Engineering (Remote)

Crystal Intelligence
Charing Cross, United Kingdom
5 days ago

Role details

Contract type
Permanent contract
Employment type
Full-time (> 32 hours)
Working hours
Regular working hours
Languages
English
Experience level
Senior

Job location

Remote
Charing Cross, United Kingdom

Tech stack

API
Artificial Intelligence
Automation of Tests
Big Data
Software as a Service
Code Generation
Databases
Distributed Systems
Data Intelligence
Knowledge-Based Systems
Blockchain
BIG-IP Global Traffic Manager (GTM)
Low Latency
Data Pipelines

Job description

  • Lead the integration of the new data pipeline into all Crystal products: Crystal Expert, Crystal Foresight, Monitor, Risk Check API, Data Intelligence, and Crystal Light
  • Sequence the migration to preserve revenue and customer trust: no SLA regressions, no rollback drama, no surprise downtime
  • Drive the architectural decisions and trade-offs that the legacy-to-new transition requires, including data model alignment, service-by-service cutover, and parallel-run validation
  • Hold engineering, product, and customer success aligned on a single migration roadmap with clear customer-impact gates

Restore platform foundations

  • Bring API and core platform latency back to target: 1,000 RPS at sub-two-second latency, scaling toward 10k RPS
  • Reduce database load, fix stability regressions exposed by recent releases, raise release velocity to multiple deployments per week
  • Lead the multi-chain platform with discipline across 100+ chains: predictable integration timelines, accountable squad ownership, clear SLAs to commercial partners

Rebuild the engineering management layer

  • Partner with the existing engineering leadership to establish clear accountability across squad leads, engineering managers, and platform teams
  • Set the standard for what good engineering management looks like at Crystal: predictable delivery, transparent planning, technical depth, people development
  • Make the hiring, performance, and structural decisions required to bring the organization to the level the platform demands

Drive AI into engineering as a productivity lever

  • Build shared infrastructure for AI-assisted engineering: code generation, automated testing, agent-based migration tooling, internal knowledge systems
  • Move Crystal from individual AI tool usage to organization-wide AI productivity, with measurable impact on delivery throughput
  • Reduce OpEx-to-revenue through architectural improvements, automation, and reduction of manual operational load

Partner with the business

  • Work directly with product, GTM, customer success, and finance to translate engineering investments into customer outcomes and revenue
  • Communicate trade-offs, risks, and progress clearly to the executive team and board
  • Own the engineering budget, hiring plan, and vendor decisions

What Success Looks Like (12 Months)

  • New data pipeline architecture is in production powering Crystal's core products
  • Customer SLAs are met or exceeded throughout the migration; no customer churn attributable to platform instability
  • Latency restored and improved; release cadence shifted from monthly to weekly or faster
  • Engineering management layer operating with clear accountability and predictable delivery
  • AI-assisted engineering infrastructure deployed and measurable productivity gains realized
  • OpEx-to-revenue ratio meaningfully reduced toward target

Requirements

Do you have experience in SaaS?, * 10+ years engineering experience, with 5+ years leading platform, data, or infrastructure organizations as VP Engineering, Head of Engineering, or equivalent

  • Led at least one major platform migration or large-scale rebuild, with continuous customer service maintained throughout
  • Operated low-latency, high-availability distributed systems with multi-tenant SaaS workloads at production scale
  • Production experience integrating AI into engineering workflows, including agent-assisted development and AI-driven automation
  • Strong product partnership instincts - you have shaped what gets built and how it ships
  • Track record of building accountable, high-ownership engineering organizations
  • Direct experience in one or more relevant domains: blockchain or crypto, fintech, payments, fraud or risk platforms, regulatory technology, or large-scale data platforms

About the company

Crystal Intelligence is a blockchain analytics and compliance intelligence company serving exchanges, financial institutions, regulators, and law enforcement across 100+ blockchains. Our customers depend on us for low-latency, high-availability risk and transaction intelligence that powers operational decisions. Crystal is entering the most consequential platform shift in its history: a full migration from our current data architecture to a new, AI-native data pipeline that will define the company's next decade of scale, speed, and product capability. This is the role that owns it.

Apply for this position