Director of Engineering, Cloud
Ditto
About Ditto:
Ditto is redefining how data moves at the edge. Our mission is to make it seamless for developers to build resilient, real-time applications, regardless of network conditions. Whether you're in a stadium, airplane, or remote military base, Ditto's peer-to-peer sync engine ensures devices stay connected and data stays consistent, even without internet. With more than $145 million in funding and trusted by organizations like Chick-fil-A, Delta Airlines, and the U.S. military, Ditto powers mission-critical experiences across aviation, retail, travel, hospitality, defense, and more. As a globally distributed, fast-growing startup, we’re committed to building a diverse and inclusive team that reflects the wide range of perspectives needed to solve the world’s hardest connectivity problems.
About the position
Ditto is at an inflection point. We're hitting a massive scaling phase, and we need an exceptional engineering leader to ensure our cloud product can support this hyper-growth journey. This is a unique opportunity to join a company at the beginning of its rapid expansion and shape the future of our technical foundation.
As Director of Engineering - Cloud, you will lead and unify our cloud product teams which build our cloud CRDT-based database, data integrations technologies (HTTP APIs, Kafka streams), CDC (change data capture) pipelines, and connectors to other database systems. You'll be responsible for converting the product vision into engineering reality and translating customer needs into highly resilient and scalable cloud-native designs, supported by world class teams, best in class observability, and a run-what-you-build mindset. You'll work closely with our Infrastructure group (Platform, Performance and Release Engineering, and SRE teams) and report to the VP of Engineering. Your mission will be to strengthen the bond between the cloud product teams and our SRE and platform teams, fostering collaboration, and building a world-class product supported by an operational mindset in support Ditto's ambitious growth plans.
You’ll oversee a rapidly growing organization currently composed of ~15 engineers across multiple teams, with an immediate doubling of headcount planned, and further significant investment in the next 12–18 months.
Unlike many cloud roles, this position places you at the intersection of cloud-native reliability and cutting-edge distributed database technologies (like CRDTs), powering real-time data sync across edge devices and the cloud. While this is a senior leadership role, the ideal candidate will have a strong technical backbone and may remain involved in architectural reviews and deep-dive design sessions as needed.
As Director of Engineering - Cloud, you will:
- Deliver a seamless cloud experience that powers real-time data sync and earns developer love
- Lead and manage our cloud database and product teams. Manage managers and key ICs such as architects and senior staff engineers
- Define and drive the vision for cloud product excellence—from architecture to operational maturity.
- Play a central role in evolving Ditto’s engineering culture to prioritize reliability and resilience in our mission-critical software. Evangelize this mission across the company—from all hands and strategy sessions to day-to-day execution.
- Develop and execute a comprehensive cloud-native strategy that prepares our product for massive scale based on current sales trajectory
- Strengthen the bond between cloud product and our SRE and Platform teams
- Ensure seamless integration of our cloud product with all major cloud service providers
- Build and mentor multiple high-performing teams of database and cloud engineers
- Collaborate with Product, Sales, and other Engineering teams to align our cloud capabilities with business needs
- Build and architect our cloud product with cost efficiency in mind
- Establish SLOs, monitoring, and alerting strategies to ensure reliability at scale
Requirements:
- 10+ years of experience in cloud engineering, with deep expertise in distributed systems or database internals
- 5+ years of experience with Kubernetes in production environments
- 5+ years of experience managing database or distributed systems teams
- Proven track record of managing teams of 15+ people and scaling engineering organizations
- Strong AWS experience is required. Experience with GCP and Azure is highly desired
- Advanced knowledge of cloud best practices and infrastructure automation
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to explain complex technical concepts to diverse audiences
- Strong conflict management and leadership skills
- Strategic thinking abilities with a focus on business outcomes
- Track record of successfully transforming early products into systems supporting massive scale
- Experience managing teams through hyper-growth and scale-up phases
Nice to have:
- Experience with database internals or in database product teams
- Experience with multi-region and multi-cloud architectures
- Background in edge computing, peer-to-peer systems, or distributed database technologies is a strong plus
- Previous experience working with enterprise customers with high reliability requirements
The Benefits of Building with Us
We offer competitive salaries and meaningful equity. We believe everyone on the team should have a stake in what we’re building. Benefits vary by region to make sure you're covered in the ways that matter most. In the US, that includes health, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance, plus a 401(k) and flexible spending accounts. In the UK, we offer private healthcare through Vitality, a pension plan, and region-specific coverage. For our team members elsewhere in the world, we work with our global employer platform to offer equitable benefits and coverage.
Regardless of where you live, everyone at Ditto can utilize flexible time off. And while we work remotely, our Atlanta and San Francisco offices are open if you ever want a place to work or meet up with teammates.
Apply Anyway
At Ditto, we believe success isn’t defined by a flawless resume, a set number of years of experience, or checking every box in a job description. What matters most to us are qualities like grit, resilience, and adaptability. If you're excited about our mission but don't meet every requirement, we encourage you to apply anyway. Use your application to tell us how you’ll make an impact here. We’re always looking for exceptional people ready to grow with us.
Equal Opportunity Employer
Ditto is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. We do not discriminate in hiring or any employment decision based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. Ditto is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application procedures. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please let us know.