Head of Software Engineering

Ogilvy Africa is the largest network agency on the continent, operating in more than 40 countries with a team of over 900 people across Central, East and West Africa. The Head of Software Engineering leads the end-to-end software engineering function for Ogilvy Africa, with responsibility for delivering high-quality, scalable and secure software solutions that power our marketing, data, and experience platforms. The role balances hands-on technical leadership with people management, strategic planning and operational excellence. You will lead, grow and coach a multi-disciplinary engineering team (web, mobile, backend, data/AI, DevOps); own the software delivery lifecycle for products, platforms and client solutions; partner closely with the CTO, Product, Data, Experience and Client teams; and drive continuous improvement in engineering practices, tools and platforms. This role is part of WPP Scangroup's technology leadership team, managing a portfolio of 100+ brands for clients such as AB InBev, Airtel, Coca-Cola, Diageo, Equity Bank, Mastercard, Nestle, and UNICEF. Leadership and Team Management: Lead, mentor and develop a high-performing team of software engineers and engineering managers, creating clear goals, career paths and growth opportunities. Engineering Strategy and Architecture: Translate the Technology and Ogilvy One strategy into a clear engineering roadmap (platforms, products, tools, architecture). Software Delivery and Project Governance: Oversee the full software development lifecycle for both internal products and client-facing solutions. Cross-Functional and Client Collaboration: Act as key technical counterpart to business, product, data, creative, and account leadership. Translate non-technical requirements into clear techni