Software Engineering Manager

We are looking for a Software Engineering Manager who leads through coaching, not commanding. In our Agile organization, delivery planning, sprint execution, and cross-functional coordination are owned by our Technical Project Manager and Scrum Master. Your job is different: and more important. You are the person responsible for who our engineers become.

This is a full people-management role with HR accountability. You will own performance evaluations, skills assessments, career development plans, compensation recommendations, and the disciplinary and recognition conversations that shape how your team grows. You will set and enforce engineering quality standards, run a rigorous 1:1 and feedback cadence, and build the kind of psychologically safe environment where engineers do the best work of their careers.

The ideal candidate has walked the path themselves; you were a strong individual contributor who made the deliberate choice to invest in people over code. You understand what it takes to develop a junior engineer into a senior one, and you know how to have a hard performance conversation without destroying trust. You are energized, not drained, by the human complexity of this work.

THIS IS A PEOPLE MANAGER ROLE, NOT A PROJECT MANAGER ROLE

We operate in a mature Agile environment where the Technical Project Manager and Scrum Master own delivery planning, sprint ceremonies, and cross-functional coordination. The Engineering Manager's job is not to plan the work; it is to develop the people who do the work.

If you define your success by the number of tickets closed or milestones hit, this role is not for you. If you define your success by the growth of your engineers, the quality of your team's craft, and the health of your engineering culture. Read on.

This Role IS

• A talent development & coaching engine
• Responsible for career growth of engineers
• A servant leader who removes obstacles
• Owner of engineering quality & craft standards
• Accountable for HR, evals & performance
• A coach who develops through feedback & trust

This Role IS NOT

• A project tracker or delivery coordinator
• Responsible for sprint ceremonies or standups
• A gatekeeper who approves tasks
• A resource assigned to a feature team
• Someone who avoids hard conversations
• A commander who directs work top-down

• Individual growth plans for every direct report
• Strengths-based coaching and skill gap identification
• Career pathing from junior to principal levels
• Mentorship pairing and learning investment

• Engineering evaluations and performance reviews
• Skills assessments and leveling decisions
• PIP design and disciplinary documentation
• Compensation review and promotion recommendations
• Code review culture and quality bar ownership
• Technical best practices and documentation standards
• Definition of Done governance across teams
• Architecture pattern consistency and tech debt visibility

• Inclusive, blameless team environment
• Cross-team collaboration and knowledge sharing
• Recognition, retention, and team morale ownership

• Conduct structured, high-quality 1:1s with every direct report — not status updates, but genuine coaching conversations focused on growth, challenges, and career trajectory.
• Build and maintain individualized development plans (IDPs) for each engineer, mapping near-term skill gaps to long-term career goals with concrete, actionable milestones.
• Identify each engineer's current level against the engineering career ladder and actively work to develop the skills needed to advance to the next level.
• Pair engineers with mentors, learning resources, and stretch assignments that accelerate growth without sacrificing delivery quality.

• Own the full engineering performance review cycle — from mid-year check-ins through annual evaluations — producing written assessments that are specific, evidence-based, and growth-oriented.
• Design and administer skills assessments and technical competency evaluations to establish a clear, objective picture of each engineer's capabilities relative to their level.
• Lead…