Engineering Manager

FarmTrace; Randstad; On-site; EUR 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

FarmTrace in the Netherlands is seeking an Engineering Manager to lead our Platform Engineering team, shaping backlog and aligning delivery with customer needs.

You'll stay hands-on writing code in .NET/C#, Python, and review architecture on Azure (AKS, App Service, Functions) while driving AI-powered improvements for the farming ecosystem and collaborating with data teams on Databricks. A strong leadership mindset and customer-facing communication are essential.

Qualifications

• 5+ years as Engineering Manager or similar with backlog and delivery responsibilities.
• Proficient in .NET/C#, SQL, and Python for scripting and code review.
• Cloud architecture on Azure (AKS, App Service, Functions, Storage).
• Practitioner of applying AI tools to engineering/product problems.
• Strong software testing and development practices.
• Confident, customer-facing communication style.
• Experience with Azure SQL/PostgreSQL; Databricks a plus.
• Promotes agile ways of working within a team.
• Driven to challenge and grow the engineering team.

Responsibilities

• Shape the backlog and translate customer needs into priorities.
• Shape our Azure-based architecture and review cloud-native solutions.
• Stay hands-on: write scripts, review code, and unblock the team.
• Maintain high quality with rigorous testing practices.
• Join product teams to discuss technology with customers.
• Lead AI initiatives to help farmers and advisors.
• Collaborate with data teams on Databricks to turn analytics into decisions.

Skills

Backlog management

Agile leadership

Team mentoring

Customer-facing communication

Hands-on coding

Tools

.NET/C#

SQL

Python

Azure

Databricks

Job description

Engineering Manager

Azure · .NET · Python · AI · Databricks

Data, with a purpose

At FarmTrace, we connect farms, advisors, and the wider agrifood world to make animals healthier and food systems more sustainable. If you want your engineering decisions to matter beyond a sprint board, this is that kind of role.

We're looking for an Engineering Manager to lead our Platform Engineering team: someone with the drive and appetite for innovation to make a real mark, whether this is your first leadership role or your fifth. You'll work closely with the whole team to shape the backlog and the customer commitments behind it, while staying close to the code: writing it, reviewing it, and helping your team ship it.

What you'll actually do

• Help shape the backlog. You'll turn customer needs into clear engineering priorities, working together to keep commitments realistic and on track.
• Shape our architecture on Azure. Guide and review cloud-native solutions built on services like Azure App Service, Azure Functions, AKS, Azure Service Bus, and Azure SQL.
• Stay hands-on. Write scripts, prototype in Python, review code, and keep your team moving when they hit a wall.
• Keep quality high. Set the bar for testing and development so features reach customers ready to perform.
• Meet customers face to face. Join the product team in front of customers and speak to the technology with confidence.
• Champion AI, intelligently. Find where AI can genuinely help farmers and advisors using our platform, and for your own team's productivity. You will lead the charge on using it well.
• Partner with data teams on Databricks to turn analytics into product decisions.

What makes this role different

We're a startup, not a bureaucracy. You'll have real freedom to make decisions, dig into complex problems, and find smarter, more efficient ways of doing things without ten layers of sign-off standing in your way. If you've got an appetite for innovation, we'll give you room to use it.

What you bring

Must-haves:

• 5+ years as an Engineering Manager, or in a hands-on development role with backlog and delivery responsibilities
• Working knowledge of .NET/C#, SQL, and Python, enough to write scripts and review code with confidence
• Experience with cloud architecture on Azure, particularly AKS, App Service, Azure Functions, and Azure Storage (or equivalents)
• Practical experience applying AI tools to real engineering and product problems
• A solid foundation in software testing and development practices: you know quality when you see it
• A confident, customer-facing communication style
• Comfort with databases (Azure SQL, PostgreSQL, or similar); Databricks experience is a plus
• A track record of promoting agile ways of working within a team
• A drive to challenge your engineering team, and help them learn and grow

Nice-to-haves:

• Experience with Azure Service Bus, Functions, or other event-driven architectures
• Terraform or Bicep for infrastructure-as-code
• Observability tools like Azure Monitor and Application Insights
• Experience collaborating with a Product Manager to balance a backlog against real customer deadlines
• Dutch fluency

Please note: candidates must have a valid working permit for the Netherlands.