Software Engineering Manager - Customer Data Platform

Sweetwater, the number one online retailer in music instruments and pro audio gear, is looking for an experienced Software Engineering Manager to lead the development of Sweetwater’s Customer Data Platform! In this role, under the direction of our Software Engineering Director, you will be responsible for leading teams of Software Engineers that are building and scaling cutting edge software and deploying for our internally facing customer database.

• Lead and mentor a team of software engineers, focusing on their individual career development, performance, and well‑being through consistent coaching, feedback, and 1:1s
• Work closely with Product Managers, Sales Engineers, and other internal stakeholders to define and prioritize feature development
• Oversee the software development lifecycle, ensuring timely and quality releases
• Provide technical leadership, including code reviews, architectural guidance, and hands‑on support when needed
• Foster an environment of technical excellence, ownership, and continuous improvement, where every team member is empowered to solve complex problems
• Collaborate with IT, QA, and Dev Ops to ensure smooth deployments and support
• Participate in recruiting, onboarding, and performance management of engineering staff

• 5‑7+ years of professional experience in software development
• 3+ years of experience in a formal people management role
• Hands‑on experience developing and maintaining complex desktop or enterprise‑level applications.
• A deep understanding of the full software development lifecycle, from requirements gathering to deployment and maintenance.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to translate business needs into technical solutions
• Proven ability to lead teams through complex projects from planning to release
• Familiarity with agile methodologies and tools (e.g., Jira, Git, CI/CD pipelines)
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or equivalent experience
• Experience working on or managing web applications and developing in languages such as GoLang, C, C++, Rust, Java etc.
• Passion for music, gear, or pro audio (we love gear‑heads!)

• WOWs The Customer – Deep passion and desire for creating amazing customer & colleague experiences
• Gets Things Done – Great work ethic and moves with a sense of urgency
• Obsesses over the Details – committed to paying attention to the details
• Drives Continuous Improvement – Always focusing on effective and efficient work and way to get better
• Develops the Future – committed to pursuit of growing personally & professionally and has a focus on bringing your colleagues along with you on that journey

We function best as a unified team, so relocation to our state‑of‑the‑art campus in Fort Wayne, IN is required.