Desktop Software Engineering Manager

AlphaSense Oy; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

null

Job summary

AlphaSense is building a Desktop Software Engineering function within Corporate Technology. We are seeking a manager to shape it from the ground up, leading a small team responsible for endpoint engineering, desktop application diagnostics, and cross-functional collaboration with product engineering.

You will hire, mentor, and develop 2–4 engineers, define operating models, drive build/run improvements, and partner with security and IT to scale the endpoint strategy across macOS and Windows

Qualifications

• 5+ years in endpoint or desktop engineering with at least 2 years in a people leadership role.
• Hands-on macOS/Windows experience at a systems/configuration level.
• Experience with Kandji/Iru, Jamf Pro, or Microsoft Intune.
• Experience partnering with product engineering on client-side issues.
• Ability to build and run a technical function with defined processes and standards.
• Strong written and verbal communication to translate tech to business impact.
• Experience hiring and developing technical talent.

Responsibilities

• Test desktop app releases against the managed device baseline before rollout.
• Own the relationship with product engineering on desktop app behavior on endpoints.
• Define how diagnostic data (logs, traces) is captured and shared with product engineering.
• Establish processes for reproducing, triaging, and escalating issues (crashes, perf).
• Maintain visibility into endpoint health and report trends/risks.
• Coordinate with IT leadership on resourcing, prioritization, roadmap planning.
• Contribute to Secure IT by owning the endpoint engineering workstream.

Skills

Endpoint engineering leadership

macOS/Windows systems

Enterprise MDM platforms

Partner with product engineering

Process definition & standards

Strong communication skills

Hiring and developing talent

Jira Service Management

Tools

Jira Service Management

Kandji/Iru

Jamf Pro

Microsoft Intune

Job description

AlphaSense is building a new Desktop Software Engineering function within Corporate Technology, and we are looking for the manager who will shape it from the ground up. This role sits at the intersection of enterprise endpoint engineering and internal product quality — primarily responsible for ensuring that AlphaSense's own desktop applications behave reliably on every managed endpoint across the company, while also contributing to the team responsible for macOS and Windows device management at scale.

This is not a traditional IT management role. You will lead a team of engineers (not generalist support technicians) who own MDM platforms, write automation, and serve as the technical bridge between Corporate IT and the product engineering organization.

What You’ll Do

Desktop Application Quality & Diagnostics

• Ensure the team is testing new desktop application releases against the managed device baseline before broad internal rollout
• Own the team's relationship with product engineering as it relates to how AlphaSense desktop applications behave on managed employee endpoints
• Define the standard for how the team captures and communicates diagnostic data (logs, traces, environmental context) to product engineering in a way that accelerates resolution
• Establish and maintain a process for reproducing, triaging, and escalating employee-reported desktop application issues — including crash analysis, update failures, OS permission conflicts, and performance degradation

Program Management & Stakeholder Alignment

• Maintain visibility into the health of the endpoint fleet and the desktop application experience, and report proactively on trends, risks, and improvements
• Coordinate with Integrated IT leadership on resourcing, prioritization, and roadmap planning
• Contribute to the Secure IT initiative by owning the endpoint engineering workstream within the broader Corporate Technology program

Team Leadership & Function Building

• Hire, onboard, and develop a team of 2–4 Desktop System Software Engineers, with a focus on building deep technical capability in endpoint engineering and desktop application diagnostics
• Define the operating model for the function: how issues are triaged, escalated, diagnosed, and resolved; how the team interfaces with product engineering; and how work is tracked and reported
• Build and maintain a culture of engineering rigor — runbooks, documentation, automation, and post-incident review — rather than reactive ticket-chasing
• Set clear expectations, provide regular feedback, and support career development for each team member
• Represent the Desktop Engineering function in cross-functional forums and planning cycles

Endpoint Engineering & MDM

• Collaborate and contribute on the strategy and execution of macOS and Windows endpoint management across the enterprise fleet via Kandji/Iru and Microsoft Intune
• Guide the team in designing and maintaining enrollment workflows, configuration profiles, compliance policies, and custom automation scripts
• Help ensure software deployment, patch management, and application control strategies are current, scalable, and aligned with the Security team's enforcement posture
• Partner with Security on EDR (CrowdStrike Falcon), Zero Trust (Cloudflare WARP/Gateway), and identity (Okta) integrations at the endpoint layer, representing the endpoint engineering perspective in policy decisions

What We’re Looking For

Required

• 5+ years of experience in endpoint engineering, desktop platform engineering, or a related technical discipline — with at least 2 years in a people management or formal tech lead role
• Hands-on background with macOS and/or Windows at a systems/configuration level, beyond standard user support; able to credibly evaluate and guide the technical work of your team
• Demonstrated experience with one or more enterprise MDM platforms: Kandji/Iru, Jamf Pro, or Microsoft Intune
• Experience managing or closely partnering with product engineering teams on client-side issues; comfortable reading a bug report, asking the right diagnostic questions, and holding the line on quality
• Proven ability to build and run a technical function: defining process, establishing standards, and driving accountability without micromanaging
• Strong written and verbal communication skills — able to translate technical issues into business impact for senior stakeholders and translate business priorities into clear engineering work for your team
• Experience hiring and developing technical talent

Preferred

• Experience with Kandji/Iru specifically, including Blueprint architecture and enforcement scripting
• Familiarity with Electron-based desktop applications and their specific deployment, update, and permission behaviors on managed endpoints
• Experience with CrowdStrike Falcon, Cloudflare Zero Trust / WARP, or Okta in an enterprise endpoint context
• Background in a SaaS product company where Corporate IT and Engineering teams collaborate closely
• Familiarity with Qualys VMDR or similar vulnerability management tooling
• Experience operating within a formal security-focused IT program (Zero Trust, SOC 2, endpoint compliance)
• Familiarity with Jira Service Management for ticket and change management workflows 5+ years of endpoint engineering, desktop platform engineering, or a related technical discipline, At least 2 years in a people management or formal tech lead role, Hands-on background with macOS and/or Windows at a systems/configuration level, Experience with enterprise MDM platforms such as Kandji/Iru, Jamf Pro, or Microsoft Intune, Experience partnering with product engineering teams on client-side issues, Ability to build and run a technical function, including defining processes and standards, Strong written and verbal communication skills, Experience hiring and developing technical talent