Senior Software Engineering Manager

Propeller; Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 210,000 - 270,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee share options

Professional development budget and le

Mentorship program

Mental health resources

Hybrid work arrangements

Job summary

Propeller is seeking a Senior Software Engineering Manager to own the outcomes, structure, and health of a group of engineering teams, leading through Engineering Managers who oversee autonomous squads. This is a people-and-process role focused on upskilling, mentoring, and challenging managers so their teams stay healthy and perform at their best.

You will hire, develop, and performance-manage Engineering Managers, ensuring alignment with the organization's goals while fostering a culture of

Qualifications

• Experience managing Software Engineering Managers, including performance management, growth and development, and hiring.
• Strong software engineering background with hands-on development prior to leadership.
• Ability to structure and empower groups for autonomous squads while aligned with goals.
• Passion for people leadership, coaching, and mentorship.
• Empathetic leadership with openness to feedback and a safe work environment.
• Positive, curious mindset towards AI and applying it to help teams.
• Strong collaboration with Product, Design, and other Engineering leaders.
• Technical depth to understand teams' work and coach engineers.

Responsibilities

• Technical quality & sustainability — keep engineering standards high while balancing rapid delivery with scalable, maintainable systems and deliberate debt management.
• EM leadership & bench strength — hire, develop, and performance-manage Engineering Managers to keep squads healthy and autonomous.
• Org structure & health — design and evolve team shapes, ownership boundaries, and staffing across the group.
• Lead senior individual contributors — manage staff and principal engineers, coaching them toward group goals.
• Culture of trust and innovation — foster an inclusive, psychologically safe environment that encourages smart risk-taking and learning from failures.

Skills

Engineering management

Software engineering

People leadership

Hiring

Mentorship

Cross-functional collaboration

Empathy

AI mindset

Job description

Propeller is on a mission to take the guesswork out of moving dirt - reducing wasted fuel, time, and money. We do this through the power of maps. Our customers use Propeller's integrated hardware and software products to capture accurate 3D versions of their worksites. With over 50,000 worksites worldwide using Propeller's smart survey technology, we empower project teams to map, measure, and manage site activity. Propeller empowers everyone to approach, own, and solve problems creatively. We're data nerds who care about impact, honesty, and each other. We take pride in being a great place to work. We are proud to be recipients of BiGroup's Excellence in Customer Experience award and Inspiring Workplaces of Australasia, being recognised as a FastCompany and BuiltIn Best Place to Work. You can learn more about us on Glassdoor.

Your Mission

As a Senior Software Engineer Manager at Propeller, you'll own the outcomes, structure, and health of a group of engineering teams, leading through a team of Engineering Managers who each look after small, autonomous squads. This is a people-and-process role: you'll upskill, unblock, mentor, and challenge your Engineering Managers so their squads stay healthy and do their best work.

Responsibilities

• Technical quality & sustainability — Keep engineering standards high across the group, balancing rapid product delivery against scalable, maintainable systems so tech debt is deliberately managed rather than quietly accumulating
• EM leadership & bench strength — Hire, develop, and performance-manage Engineering Managers, building a management bench strong enough that squads stay healthy and autonomous
• Org structure & health — Design and evolve team shapes, ownership boundaries, and staffing across the group
• Lead senior individual contributors — Directly manage staff and principal engineers who work across the group and organisation, coaching them and keeping their work aligned to the group's goals
• Culture of trust and innovation - Foster an inclusive, psychologically safe environment that empowers squads to take smart risks, learn from failures, and do their best work

Requirements

• You bring experience managing Software Engineering Managers, including performance management, growth and development, and hiring
• You have a strong software engineering background, with hands‑on experience in software development prior to moving into engineering leadership
• You know how to structure and empower your group so squads can operate autonomously while staying aligned
• You have a genuine passion for people leadership, coaching, and mentorship
• You lead with empathy, stay open to feedback, and create a safe environment where people can take risks, learn from their mistakes and do their best work
• You have a positive, curious mindset towards AI and are excited about using it to help teams work smarter and have greater impact
• You have strong collaboration skills working cross‑functionally with Product, Design, and other Engineering leaders
• You have the technical depth to understand your teams' work, navigate complex technical discussions, and effectively support and coach your Engineering Managers

Benefits

• Employee share options
• Professional development budget and leave
• The opportunity to take part in our mentorship program
• Mental health resources
• Monthly telephone and/or internet allowance
• Paid primary & secondary parental leave policies
• Hybrid work arrangements and WFH equipment provided

About Propeller

Propeller is for everyone, so come as you are. We value all types of experience, skill, and ability. If you don’t think you meet all the requirements, but still think this role would be a good fit, we’d love to hear from you.

Diversity makes our team more creative, fun, and effective, so bring your whole self to the application process, and we will too!