Engineering Manager

Matchbox; Sydney; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working environment

4 weeks annual leave

Karbon Days off

Job summary

Karbon is seeking an Engineering Manager in Sydney to grow high-impact teams that balance speed with quality. You’ll hire, onboard, coach, and set clear expectations, while raising the bar on technical excellence and operational standards.

You’ll drive delivery across two product-focused engineering teams, own reliability with SLOs/SLIs, and push toward continuous delivery. Experience with distributed systems, data integrity at scale, and collaboration across time zones is essential.

Qualifications

• Senior IC turned manager with leadership experience.
• Proven track record improving quality and speed via tech/process changes.
• Strong background in distributed systems and data integrity at scale.

Responsibilities

• Hire and coach high-performing engineering teams.
• Raise the bar on technical excellence and design.
• Improve delivery speed and reliability.
• Lead toward Continuous Delivery.
• Own reliability with SLOs/SLIs and blameless reviews.

Skills

Senior IC

Engineering management

Distributed systems

Data integrity

Sprint planning

Education

CS degree

Job description

# Engineering ManagerKarbonOn-site • Sydney, NSW, AustraliaFull-time## Role OverviewAbout KarbonKarbon is the global leader in AI-powered practice management software for accounting firms. We provide an award-winning cloud platform that helps tens of thousands of accounting professionals work more efficiently and collaboratively every day. With customers in 40 countries, we have grown into a globally distributed team across the US, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the Philippines. We are well-funded, ranked #1 on G2, growing rapidly, and have a people-first culture that is recognized with Great Place To Work certification and on Fortune magazine's Best Small WorkplacesTM List.Karbon builds practice management software used by accounting firms worldwide, with a collaborative cloud platform and customers in 34+ countries supported by a globally distributed, fast-growing team.We’re hiring an Engineering Manager who grows high-impact teams that balance efficiency with excellence, value autonomy and creativity, and thrive in a collaborative, inclusive environment.You will be responsible for driving delivery and people growth across two of our product focused engineering teams.What you’ll do* Build world-class teams: hire exceptionally, onboard well, coach growth, and set clear expectations and feedback loops.* Raise the bar on technical excellence: clean boundaries, sound designs, high operational standards.* Improve delivery quality & speed: reduce lead time and change failure rate; keep customer impact front and centre.* Lead us toward Continuous Delivery (we’re not quite there yet).* Own reliability with the team: SLOs/SLIs, observability, system health, and blameless incident reviews.* Create autonomy with accountability: align goals and decision rights; foster strong cross-team collaboration.Our tech* Frontend: React, TypeScript and Ember.* Backend: .NET (C#, .NET Core, Web API) with SQL Server.* Systems: distributed systems (messaging, event-driven, consistency).What you’ll bring (must-haves)* Previously a Senior+ IC before moving into management.* 2+ years experience in Engineering Management.* Proven record leading teams to improve quality and speed through technical + process change.* Depth in distributed systems and data integrity at scale.* Skill planning and delivering sprints with Product and Tech Leads, balancing new work, enhancements, bugs, and maintenance.* An attitude that embraces AI and how it can be used to unlock new possibilities plus examples where you have done this yourself.* Excellent communication across locations/time zones.* Degree in CS or equivalent experience.Nice to have* Experience using AI technology to improve the way your teams deliver software.* Implementation of large scale technical migrations.* Experience transitioning towards continuous delivery.Why Work at Karbon?* Gain global experience across the USA, Australia, New Zealand, UK, Canada and the Philippines* 4 weeks annual leave plus 5 extra \"Karbon Days\" off a year* Flexible working environment* Work with (and learn from) an experienced, high-performing team* Be part of a fast-growing company that firmly believes in promoting high performers from within* A collaborative, team-oriented culture that embraces diversity, invests in development, and provides consistent feedback* Generous parental leaveOur Engineering StandardsBalance Speed and QualityEngineers are expected to balance delivery speed with a strong commitment to quality, meeting agreed timelines while producing reliable, maintainable, and well-tested solutions. Sound judgment in making trade-offs between velocity and long-term sustainability is essential.Collaborate EffectivelyEngineering is collaborative by default. Team members are expected to contribute constructively in design discussions, reviews, and planning, communicate clearly about progress and risks, and support shared team outcomes in both hybrid and distributed environments.Build and Maintain SystemsEngineers are responsible for building new capabilities while maintaining and improving existing systems. This includes designing scalable solutions, reducing technical debt, supporting operational stability, and contributing to continuous improvement.Operate with AutonomyA high degree of autonomy is expected. Given clear objectives, engineers should independently translate problems into actionable technical approaches, proactively identify improvements, and continuously expand relevant technical expertise.Ownership and AccountabilityOwnership is fundamental. Engineers are accountable for the quality, performance, and customer impact of their work from design through post-release support, and are expected to follow through on commitments.AI-Enabled EngineeringAI is reshaping how software is built, and we are committed to leveraging it as a force multiplier for creativity, impact, and capability. Engineers are expected to confidently apply strong technical fundamentals while embracing AI tools and approaches to enhance productivity, problem-solving, and innovation. Curiosity, adaptability, and enthusiasm for integrating AI into meaningful product development are essential.Contribute to Team CultureEngineers contribute positively to a culture of professionalism, transparency, low bureaucracy, and mutual respect, strengthening team performance through authenticity, curiosity, and collaboration.Please be aware that Karbon will only contact you via email from our domain, karbonhq.com. If you receive an email from any other domain, please do not click any of those links.Karbon embraces diversity and inclusion, aligning with our values as a business. Research has shown that women and underrepresented groups are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single criteria. If you've made it this far in the job description but your past experience doesn't perfectly align, we do encourage you to still apply. You could still be the right person for the role!We recruit and reward people based on capability and performance. We don’t discriminate based on race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, lifestyle, age, educational background, national origin, religion, physical or cognitive ability, and other diversity dimensions that may hinder inclusion in the organization.Generally, if you are a good person, we want to talk to you. If there are any adjustments or accommodations that we can make to assist you during the recruitment process, and your journey at Karbon, contact us at [e-mail] for a confidential discussion.At this time, we request that agency referrals are not submitted for this position. We appreciate your understanding and encourage direct applications from interested candidates. Thank you!