Director R&D, Shopper Intelligence

At Similarweb, we empower the world’s leading brands to win online. Our digital intelligence solutions offer unmatched visibility into the online world, enabling smarter, faster growth. A key part of this mission is the Shopper Intelligence solution—helping eCommerce leaders unlock insights into digital shelf dynamics, pricing strategies, and shopper behavior across marketplaces and retailers.

About The Role

As the R&D Director of Shopper Intelligence, you’ll lead a fast-scaling, multidisciplinary product group with startup energy and enterprise impact. You’ll own the technical and organizational direction of the team, guiding multiple squads of engineers and data scientists building one of Similarweb’s most strategic offerings.

You will oversee the development of full-stack platforms and advanced ML models, working closely with Product, Design, Business, and Go-To-Market (GTM) teams to shape and execute a bold vision for Shopper Intelligence.

What You’ll Do

Leadership & Strategy

• Define and drive the technical vision, structure, and roadmap for the Shopper Intelligence R&D group.
• Lead multiple cross-functional teams composed of full-stack engineers, data engineers, and data scientists.
• Serve as a key stakeholder in product, engineering, and business planning—owning both delivery and innovation.
  
  

• Collaborate deeply with Product, Business, and GTM stakeholders to co-own product vision and long-term strategy.
• Oversee the design and development of web-based applications using React and TypeScript, with strong focus on user experience and performance.
• Lead backend development with Node.js, NestJS, and microservice architecture supporting scalable APIs and data flows.
• Guide implementation of robust Python-based data pipelines and microservices using orchestration tools like Airflow and data processing frameworks like Spark.
• Ensure world-class engineering practices around CI/CD, monitoring, testing, and DevOps using Kubernetes, Docker, GitHub Actions, and Terraform on AWS.
  
  

• Manage teams developing advanced machine learning models across domains such as signal processing, inference, and LLM-based architectures (e.g., transformers, RAG).
• Oversee data science workflows from exploration and analysis to model training, validation, deployment, and monitoring.
• Leverage and extend high-scale analytical environments built on SQL, Firebolt, Snowflake, and real-time data engines.
• Support the development of AI-powered features that deliver intuitive, decision-ready insights to our customers.
  
  

• Build, coach, and scale teams of highly capable tech leads, senior engineers, and data scientists.
• Establish a strong engineering culture focused on innovation, quality, ownership, and continuous learning.
• Partner across functions to ensure alignment between technical capabilities and product/market strategy.
  
  

• 10+ years in software engineering, with 5+ years in engineering leadership roles (including managing managers).
• Deep expertise in both data-driven product development and full-stack engineering.
• Proficiency in:
• Frontend: React, TypeScript, JavaScript
• Backend: Node.js, NestJS, Python
• Data: Airflow, Spark, SQL, Firebolt, Snowflake, Redshift
• Cloud & DevOps: AWS, Docker, Kubernetes, Terraform, CI/CD
• Proven success delivering products that leverage ML/AI pipelines, including LLMs, inference, and statistical modeling.
• Excellent analytical thinking; experience in data analysis, experimentation, and model evaluation techniques is a strong advantage.
• Ability to thrive in a cross-functional, fast-paced environment with ownership and strategic impact.
• Background in eCommerce, online marketplaces, or digital analytics – an advantage.
• BSc in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field. MSc or MBA – advantage.
  

• Lead a strategic, innovation-driven product group with end-to-end ownership.
• Build scalable data and AI systems powering decisions for the world’s biggest brands.
• Collaborate with world-class teams across R&D, Product, and GTM.
• Influence product strategy, business direction, and Similarweb’s next phase of growth.