Engineering Manager

Canaan Partners; España; Remote; EUR 60,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Global remote work

Well‑being day

Gym discount

Training & Development Allowance

Annual team meetups

Diversity & inclusion

Job summary

WorkMotion is looking for an Engineering Manager to lead a software engineering team responsible for delivering reliable, scalable, and high-quality product capabilities. You will coach engineers, manage delivery, and partner with Product to translate business goals into executable plans.

You will drive architectural discussions, ensure CI/CD and observability practices, and help shape engineering culture across a global remote team. Fluency in English is required.

Qualifications

• Several years of professional software engineering experience.
• Strong hands-on experience with Java and the Java ecosystem, with the ability to understand, review, and challenge technical implementations and architectural decisions.
• Proven experience leading or managing software engineering teams.
• Strong technical judgment and the ability to meaningfully contribute to architecture and technical discussions.
• Experience with modern software development practices, Java-based backend systems, cloud-native architectures, APIs, distributed systems, and CI/CD.
• A strong understanding of software quality, automated testing, observability, security, and operational excellence.
• Experience defining and using engineering effectiveness and delivery metrics, such as DORA metrics, flow metrics, quality and reliability indicators, to understand team health, identify bottlenecks, and drive continuous improvement.
• Strong understanding of AI-assisted software development, with practical experience using modern AI coding tools and agents and the ability to help teams adopt them effectively across development, testing, code review, documentation, and other parts of the software delivery lifecycle.
• Experience working closely with Product in an agile product-development environment.
• Strong people-management skills, including coaching, feedback, performance management, and career development.
• The ability to turn ambiguous business requirements into structured execution plans.
• A data-informed approach to engineering performance without reducing productivity to simplistic metrics.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to work effectively across technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Professional fluency in English.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of software engineers, creating clear expectations and supporting their professional growth.
• Own the team's delivery, execution, and engineering health, ensuring commitments are realistic and risks are identified early.
• Partner closely with Product to translate business priorities into clear, executable technical plans.
• Maintain strong technical awareness and actively participate in architecture, design, and engineering discussions.
• Ensure appropriate engineering practices around code reviews, automated testing, CI/CD, observability, security, and documentation.
• Drive predictable delivery while balancing feature development, technical debt, scalability, and platform reliability.
• Work with Principal and Senior Engineers on architecture and complex technical decisions.
• Use engineering metrics and qualitative signals to continuously improve team effectiveness, quality, and delivery.
• Identify dependencies and blockers early and coordinate effectively across teams.
• Build a strong culture of ownership and accountability where engineers own their work from design through production.
• Support hiring, onboarding, performance management, career development, and succession planning.
• Contribute to broader Engineering initiatives and continuously improve how we build software at WorkMotion.

Skills

Java engineering

Team leadership

Architecture reviews

CI/CD

Observability

Tools

Cloud platforms (AWS)

APIs

AI coding tools

CI/CD pipelines

Job description

Location: Remote (Within +/- 2 hours of CET)

Contract type: Full-time

Salary: Range from €60,000 - €100,000 per annum gross, subject to location, skills and experience

Not Your Typical Workplace.…

Tired of the 9-to-5 grind? Imagine a World without borders, where opportunities are endless. That's the future of work, and what we are building at WorkMotion. Our remote-first team spans across the world, helping companies hire, onboard, and manage talent internationally through smart, flexible workforce solutions. Fast-paced, people-driven, and globally connected — we empower businesses to build teams without borders.

More Than a Role.…

We don’t just need an Engineering Manager — a deep understanding of software engineering, can challenge technical decisions, coach engineers, improve engineering practices, and create an environment where teams consistently deliver meaningful outcomes. Do you enjoy building strong teams, have a strong Java engineering background, want to stay close to technology, and can turn ambitious product goals into reliable execution? We'd love to hear from you.

This isn’t a role for someone who wants to stay in their lane. You’ll be at the center of it all — ross-functional engineering team responsible for delivering reliable, scalable, and high-quality product capabilities.

You won’t be a solo operator. You’ll collaborate with Product Managers, Engineering leaders, Principal Engineers, Platform, AI/ML, Security, and other stakeholders across WorkMotion bringing everything together to ensure consistency, impact, and momentum across the board.

You'll have the opportunity to solve technically and operationally complex problems at the intersection of global employment, payroll, compliance, automation, and AI, while helping shape how our Engineering organization operates as WorkMotion continues to grow.

Where Responsibility Meets Real Opportunity…

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of software engineers, creating clear expectations and supporting their professional growth.
• Own the team's delivery, execution, and engineering health, ensuring commitments are realistic and risks are identified early.
• Partner closely with Product to translate business priorities into clear, executable technical plans.
• Maintain strong technical awareness and actively participate in architecture, design, and engineering discussions.
• Ensure appropriate engineering practices around code reviews, automated testing, CI/CD, observability, security, and documentation.
• Drive predictable delivery while balancing feature development, technical debt, scalability, and platform reliability.
• Work with Principal and Senior Engineers on architecture and complex technical decisions.
• Use engineering metrics and qualitative signals to continuously improve team effectiveness, quality, and delivery.
• Identify dependencies and blockers early and coordinate effectively across teams.
• Build a strong culture of ownership and accountability where engineers own their work from design through production.
• Support hiring, onboarding, performance management, career development, and succession planning.
• Contribute to broader Engineering initiatives and continuously improve how we build software at WorkMotion.
  

What It Takes to Make an Impact Here…

• Several years of professional software engineering experience, including experience building and operating production systems.
• Strong hands‑on experience with Java and the Java ecosystem, with the ability to understand, review, and challenge technical implementations and architectural decisions.
• Proven experience leading or managing software engineering teams.
• Strong technical judgment and the ability to meaningfully contribute to architecture and technical discussions
• Experience with modern software development practices, Java-based backend systems, cloud‑native architectures, APIs, distributed systems, and CI/CD.
• A strong understanding of software quality, automated testing, observability, security, and operational excellence.
• Experience defining and using engineering effectiveness and delivery metrics, such as DORA metrics, flow metrics, quality and reliability indicators, to understand team health, identify bottlenecks, and drive continuous improvement—without using metrics as simplistic measures of individual performance.
• Strong understanding of AI‑assisted and agentic software development, with practical experience using modern AI coding tools and agents and the ability to help teams adopt them effectively across development, testing, code review, documentation, and other parts of the software delivery lifecycle.
• Experience working closely with Product in an agile product‑development environment.
• Strong people‑management skills, including coaching, feedback, performance management, and career development.
• The ability to turn ambiguous business requirements into structured execution plans.
• A data‑informed approach to engineering performance without reducing productivity to simplistic metrics.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to work effectively across technical and non‑technical stakeholders.
• Professional fluency in English.

Our Engineering Culture…

• Ownership over hand‑offs Teams own outcomes, not just tasks.
• Quality with speed We move quickly without treating engineering quality as optional.
• Pragmatism over perfection We make deliberate trade‑offs based on business and technical context.
• Transparency Risks, mistakes, and disagreements should surface early.
• Continuous improvement Our architecture, processes, and ways of working should get better as we scale.
• Collaboration Great products come from Engineering, Product, Design, Security, Data, and business teams working together.

The Perks of Being Here…

• Global, remote, and thriving: We're a global team of talented individuals spread across 26 countries. Our WorkFlex program lets you work from anywhere, anytime. Whether it's a beachside office or a cosy home office, the choice is yours.
• Your well‑being is our priority: We know mental health matters, which is why we offer a dedicated Well‑Being Day—a full day off just to recharge and relax.
• Get fit and stay active: Whether it’s yoga, weightlifting, or a quick jog—work out on your terms, at a discount with our subsidised gym memberships.
• Learn, grow, and develop: We believe in constant growth. With our Training & Development Allowance, you’ll have all the opportunities you need to keep expanding your skills and knowledge.
• Stay connected: Take part in exciting annual team meetups!
• Diversity is our superpower: We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer, committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace.

*Benefits vary depending on location due to local laws and regulations.

At WorkMotion, we’re proud to be an equal opportunity employer. If you need any accommodations during the recruitment process, just let our Recruitment Team on [e-mail]. We’re here to support you every step of the way!