Director of Engineering

My client is seeking a seasoned Director of Engineering to drive their engineering function's strategy, growth, and operational excellence. This leader will bring extensive experience in Ruby on Rails, GitLab, and CI/CD pipelines, with a progressive approach to AI-driven code generation. As a core member of their leadership team, this individual will play a pivotal role in shaping the technology roadmap, managing high-level vendor relationships, and ensuring a seamless integration of customer-focused product development and technical innovation.

Key Responsibilities

As a Strategic Leader

• Set Engineering Vision and Roadmap: Develop and execute a strategic vision for the engineering team, aligning technical goals with business objectives to drive scalable growth and innovation.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with Product, Sales, and Customer Success teams to translate business needs into technical requirements, ensuring the platform remains at the cutting edge of digital literacy and data-driven solutions.
• Stakeholder Engagement and Communication: Actively participate in executive discussions, providing strategic insights and technical guidance to internal and external stakeholders.
• Resource Planning and Budgeting: Oversee engineering budget, resource allocation, and vendor management to optimize efficiency and scale effectively.

As a People Leader

• Team Development and Mentorship: Lead, mentor, and inspire a high-performing engineering team. Foster a continuous learning and career growth culture, empowering team members to tackle complex challenges and drive innovative solutions.
• Talent Acquisition and Retention: Recruit and retain top engineering talent, establishing a compelling vision of the company’s mission to attract and engage candidates.
• Performance Management: Implement performance metrics and development plans that encourage growth, accountability, and alignment with company goals.

As a Thought Leader

• Infrastructure Strategy: Define the infrastructure roadmap, prioritizing initiatives that support platform scalability, maintenance, and robust security.
• Code Quality and Security: Establish and enforce best practices for code quality, security, and technical debt management, creating a resilient and efficient codebase.
• AI-Driven Development: Champion the use of AI in day-to-day tasks, integrating advanced AI-driven code generation and testing practices to enhance productivity and code quality.

As a Hands-On Contributor (where needed)

• High-Performance Product Delivery: Ensure that engineering output balances quality and speed, driving product releases that meet customer needs while adhering to high reliability standards.
• Customer-Driven Innovation: Stay attuned to customer feedback, industry trends, and emerging technologies to anticipate market needs and drive user-centered development.
• Technical Expertise and Oversight: Oversee technical standards and frameworks, ensuring seamless integrations with vendors like AWS, Heroku, AppCues, AppSignal, and Nibuild.

Qualifications

• Proven Leadership: 8 years of engineering experience, with at least 3 years in a senior leadership role (Director level or above), managing cross-functional teams in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.
• Technical Proficiency: Deep expertise in Ruby on Rails, GitLab, and CI/CD pipelines, with active use of AI-driven coding tools.
• Strategic Vision: Demonstrated ability to align engineering strategies with organizational goals, making data-driven decisions that propel growth.
• Vendor and Budget Management: Experience overseeing vendor relationships, managing budgets, and optimizing resources to balance innovation with cost efficiency.
• Customer and Market Insight: Strong grasp of user-centered design principles and customer needs within the tech industry, with a focus on creating impactful solutions.

Why Join Us?

My client is reshaping the landscape of data literacy and digital skills through cutting-edge technology and personalized learning experiences. As Director of Engineering, you’ll lead a team that’s building solutions to empower individuals and organizations alike, driving digital transformation and AI fluency.

Benefits

• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• Simple IRA Plan contribution and matching
• Paid Time Off & holidays