VP, Engineering & Technical Architect

Summary / Objective

Identity Digital Innovation Labs is seeking an innovative and strategic VP, Engineering & Technical Architect to lead creation, architecture and evolution of our next-generation DNS-Anchored Agentic Identity Platform - a system that unifies DNS, Web2 identity, and emerging Web3 technologies into a secure, scalable identity layer for the agentic internet.

You’ll lead the new Innovation Labs department, building a team from the ground up and function as the senior-most technical expert. Responsible for the platform’s architecture, scalability, and integration strategy, partnering with engineering teams, product leadership, and external collaborators to deliver and evolve this cornerstone service.

This role reports into the Identity Digital COO and will work closely with the IDIL General Manager to implement strategic initiatives.

What You'll Do

• Architecture & Technical Strategy

  • Set vision and direction for Innovation Labs engineering; define and evolve the long-term technical architecture for the DNS-Anchored Agentic Identity Platform.

  • Oversee cloud-native system design (AWS or equivalent), microservices, and APIs.

  • Provide guidance on identity, authentication, and certificate management strategies.

  • Establish and enforce standards for security, compliance, and performance across all platform components.

• Strategic Leadership

  • Serve as a strategic partner to executive leadership. Identify, plan, and execute strategic technical initiatives that drive platform evolution and business growth.

  • Partner with product, business, and engineering stakeholders to translate objectives into technical roadmaps and evaluate build-vs-buy decisions.

• Hands-on Technical Contribution

  • Architect and contribute to solutions for complex technical challenges in DNS-based identity, scalability, and cross-platform integration.

  • Partner with development teams to ensure design quality, implementation excellence, and system reliability.

• Team Leadership & Ecosystem Engagement

  • Hire, onboard, coach, and performance manage a high-performing team, foster a collaborative environment, and consistently model Identity Digital’s values.

  • Mentor engineers and establish best practices for modern, AI-assisted development approaches.

  • Represent technical perspectives in vendor evaluations, standards bodies, and community discussions.

Who You Are / What You Bring

• 10+ years of experience designing and delivering large-scale distributed systems and 5+ years people management experience.

• Proven ability to hire, retain, and develop diverse talent while cultivating an inclusive, positive culture of excellence.

• Deep understanding of cloud-native architectures, microservices, and APIs.

• Expertise in identity and access management (OAuth2, OIDC, SAML).

• Strong foundation in security architecture, PKI, and key management.

• Working knowledge of DNS, DNSSEC, and certificate authorities.

• Hands-on experience with:

  • Languages: Python, Go, or TypeScript/JavaScript

  • Databases: PostgreSQL or similar

  • Infrastructure: Kubernetes, Terraform, AWS (preferred)

  • Modern Development: AI-assisted development tools (GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Cline, or similar)

• Proven experience in technical leadership, mentoring, and architecture governance.

• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.

• Strong ability to present and explain complex technical topics, problems, alternative solutions to others.

Additional Preferred Qualifications

• Experience architecting multi-tenant SaaS or high-scale systems.

• Exposure to Web3, blockchain identity, or decentralized identifiers (DID).

• Familiarity with IETF, W3C, or open standards development.

• Background in domain registry, DNS operations, or related infrastructure.

Why This Role Matters

This position is mission-critical to Identity Digital’s transformation from a domain registry operator to a leader in DNS-anchored agentic identity services. The Principal Architect will shape the platform that enables trusted, verifiable identity at internet scale.

Salary Range

The U.S. ba