Head of Engineering – Forma Design Apps

Autodesk; Oslo; On-site; NOK 1,200,000 - 1,600,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Pension

Comprehensive benefits package

Job summary

Autodesk seeks a Head of Engineering for Forma Design Apps to lead engineering operations and team effectiveness. This role involves managing Engineering Managers and enhancing technical direction across squads. The ideal candidate will have over 10 years in software engineering, with strong leadership experience. Responsibilities include delivering cloud-based applications and fostering cross-functional collaboration. The position offers competitive compensation, pension, and benefits, while focusing on real-world impact in design applications.

Qualifications

• Experience managing Engineering Managers.
• Track record delivering cloud-based customer-facing products at scale.
• Strong engineering background respected by the team.

Responsibilities

• Manage and coach Engineering Managers to ensure team effectiveness.
• Drive operational excellence and system stability.
• Collaborate with Product and Design leadership.

Skills

Autonomy

Leadership

Collaboration

Engineering Judgment

Education

10+ years in software engineering

5+ years in engineering leadership

Job description

Head of Engineering – Forma Design Apps

Reporting to the Director of Engineering, you will own engineering operations and team effectiveness across the squads that build the design applications architects, planners, and developers use every day.

Responsibilities

People Leadership & Team Health

• Directly manage and coach Engineering Managers; keep them empowered and effective
• Own org structure, staffing, and hiring decisions; recruit engineers to fill open headcount
• Actively drive people allocations across squads
• Ensure teams are well‑supported, motivated, and operating effectively
• Monitor team health, workload, and engagement, and intervene early when needed
• Identify capability needs and turn them into hiring, development, or structural actions

Technical Health & Direction

• Partner with the Software Architect on technical direction and cross‑team alignment
• Own tech debt prioritization and execution – ensuring the right debt is paid down at the right time
• Support Tech Leads in balancing delivery pressure with long‑term system health
• Identify key areas of technical risk and ensure they are understood and managed
• Champion Developer Experience and engineering practices that compound over time

Delivery & Operational Excellence

• Embed security and compliance standards in how teams operate – making them a baseline, not an afterthought
• Own system stability and incident response – and drive performance, scalability, and observability as operational standards across teams
• Maintain and gradually improve engineering quality across teams

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Partner closely with Product and Design leadership for Forma Design Apps
• Strengthen ways of working across Product, Engineering, and Design
• Ensure alignment with the Forma Design Tools Product Area and across Autodesk

Desired Profile

• Operates with a high degree of autonomy and clarity in ambiguous situations
• Drives delivery, people, and organizational decisions across multiple squads
• Combines strong engineering judgment with sound leadership instincts
• Brings others along by coaching Engineering Managers and Tech Leads
• Continuously identifies areas for improvement in how we work and delivers change
• Collaborates across functions to connect engineering decisions to product and user context
• Motivated by our mission and focused on delivering meaningful outcomes at scale

What Will Help You Succeed

• Typically 10+ years in software engineering, with 5+ years in engineering leadership including experience managing Engineering Managers – though we value equivalent experience and non‑linear paths equally
• Track record delivering cloud‑based, customer‑facing products at scale – ideally rich, interactive web applications
• Experience coaching and growing Engineering Managers and Tech Leads
• Proven ability to make transparent delivery and quality trade‑offs under pressure
• Strong engineering background, respected by the team for your technical depth
• Experience partnering closely with Product and Design to ship high‑quality user experiences
• Strong collaboration and communication skills across disciplines and seniority levels

You Might Also Bring

• Background in AEC/BIM, geospatial/3D, simulation, or design/CAD tooling
• Experience with browser‑based 3D, WebGL/WebGPU, or performance‑sensitive web applications
• Experience with AI‑assisted product surfaces embedded in end‑user workflows
• Experience with product‑led growth, onboarding, and adoption/retention work
• Experience working in cross‑functional, international product teams

Why Join Us

• Work on real‑world problems with measurable environmental impact
• Lead the engineering behind the products architects, planners, and developers actually use to design better cities
• Shape how the next generation of design applications feel, perform, and collaborate
• Collaborate with experienced engineers, product managers, and designers across disciplines
• Competitive compensation, pension, and benefits

Competitive Compensation

Salary is competitive and includes base salary, cash bonuses, stock grants, and a comprehensive benefits package. Offers are based on the candidate’s experience and geographic location.

Diversity & Belonging

We are committed to building a team where diverse perspectives are valued, and where everyone can do their best work. We encourage applicants from all backgrounds to apply.