Director of R&D – Software

About the Role We are seeking a Director of R&D – Software to lead the architecture, execution, and scaling of our global software platform. This role owns backend systems, cloud infrastructure, mobile applications, and security, while providing strong people leadership to a distributed, cross-border engineering organisation. Based in San Jose, this leader will work closely with executive leadership, product, hardware, AI, and design teams in the US, while directly leading and managing the core software R&D team in Shenzhen. Fluency in Mandarin is required to enable direct communication, technical reviews, and people management without reliance on translation. This is a hands-on leadership role, not a pure people-manager position. The ideal candidate combines deep technical judgement with exceptional management discipline, capable of driving execution at scale while raising the bar for engineering quality, security, and delivery predictability. Key Responsibilities Technical & Platform Leadership • Own the end-to-end software architecture across: • Cloud & backend services • Mobile applications (iOS & Android) • APIs, data pipelines, and integrations • Security, privacy, and compliance frameworks • Define and evolve scalable, secure, and reliable system architecture to support global consumer products and future AI-driven capabilities • Establish engineering standards for code quality, testing, CI/CD, reliability, and security • Partner with Product and Hardware leaders to ensure tight software–hardware integration across the full product lifecycle People & Org Leadership • Lead, mentor, and grow backend, app, and security engineering teams, with the core execution team based in Shenzhen • Manage managers and senior ICs across regions, setting clear expectations, accountability, and career paths • Drive a culture of ownership, engineering excellence, and continuous improvement • Conduct performance reviews, talent calibration, and succession planning across US and China teams • Communicate fluently in Mandarin and English for technical discussions, 1:1s, and team forums Execution & Delivery • Translate product and business goals into clear technical roadmaps and execution plans • Own delivery predictability, balancing speed, quality, and long-term platform health • Drive cross-functional execution with Product, AI, Hardware, QA, and Operations teams • Identify and resolve technical debt, scalability risks, and security vulnerabilities Security & Compliance • Own platform-level security architecture and best practices • Ensure compliance with relevant data privacy, security, and regulatory standards • Lead incident response planning, audits, and continuous security improvements Global Collaboration • Act as a primary bridge between US leadership and China R&D teams • Establish strong operating rhythms across time zones • Ensure alignment on architecture, priorities, and execution between San Jose and Shenzhen • Represent software R&D in executive and cross-functional forums in both languages Required Qualifications • 10+ years of software engineering experience, including 5+ years in engineering leadership roles • Proven experience leading backend, cloud, and mobile app teams at scale • Strong understanding of distributed systems, cloud infrastructure, APIs, and data platforms • Solid background in security best practices, system reliability, and privacy-by-design • Demonstrated success managing international or cross-border engineering teams • Fluency in Mandarin Chinese and English (Required) — written and spoken • Strong people-management skills with a track record of building high-performing teams • Ability to operate at both strategic and hands-on technical levels • Excellent communication skills with technical and non-technical stakeholders Preferred Qualifications • Experience in consumer technology, IoT, or hardware-connected platforms • Familiarity with mobile + cloud ecosystems supporting global consumer products • Experience scaling platforms from growth stage to global scale • Exposure to AI/ML platform integration is a plus