Director of Engineering

The Planet Group; United States; On-site; USD 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading engineering firm seeks a Director of Engineering to oversee the execution of multiple initiatives within a growing organization. This role involves leading diverse teams, driving project planning and resource oversight, while ensuring high standards of technical delivery. Candidates should have significant experience in managing engineering leaders and individual contributors, with a strong technical foundation in backend development and cloud-based microservices. The position supports fully remote work in designated states within the USA and emphasizes proactive risk management and clear communication with stakeholders.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of engineering leadership experience delivering complex software initiatives end-to-end.
• Experience managing both managers and individual contributors in a multi-layered engineering organization.
• Strong technical foundation in modern backend development and cloud-based microservices architectures.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end execution of multiple engineering initiatives simultaneously.
• Drive portfolio planning, resource allocation, and capacity forecasting.
• Lead and develop both managers and individual contributors.

Skills

Engineering leadership

Backend development

Cloud-based microservices

Agile/Scrum methodologies

Executive communication

Job description

Our client is seeking a hands-on, highly technical, day-to-day engineering leader (not just a people manager or delivery-only lead) to drive the execution of multiple concurrent initiatives from inception through delivery. This role will own planning (portfolio oversight, resource and capacity planning), execution, and release accountability across a growing engineering organization operating within an established SDLC and Agile Scrum framework (with select SAFe features as scale increases).

Fully remote is supported; however, candidates must reside in one of the following states:

AZ, CA, CT, FL, GA, ID, IL, MA, ME, MI, MT, NC, NJ, OH, TX, or WY.

Location

Position Overview

This leader will oversee engineering execution across multiple workstreams simultaneously, ensuring alignment to business priorities, technical standards, and delivery commitments. While not a coding role, the Director must bring strong technical depth in modern backend and cloud-based microservices architectures and actively participate in design discussions, architectural reviews, and technical problem-solving when needed.

The Director will manage both managers and individual contributors, overseeing approximately 20 team members across engineering, QA, delivery management, and production support functions. This role requires the ability to coach first-line managers while also directly mentoring senior engineers and high-potential ICs.

Direct Reports / Functions Reporting into This Role

• IT Operations (technical delivery and project managers)
• Quality Assurance teams
• Majority of Software Engineers executing planned initiatives
• Production Support
• Engineering managers and individual contributors

Key Cross-Functional Partnerships (Non-Reporting)

• DevOps / SRE
• Select engineers aligned to specialized initiatives

Key Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end execution of multiple engineering initiatives simultaneously
• Drive portfolio planning, resource allocation, and capacity forecasting
• Lead and develop both managers and individual contributors, ensuring accountability and growth
• Translate business objectives into structured engineering plans with clear milestones
• Remove blockers and resolve technical and operational challenges
• Ensure adherence to established SDLC and Agile Scrum practices
• Participate in architecture reviews, design validation, and code quality discussions
• Monitor delivery risk, scope, and resource health across initiatives
• Introduce process improvements, automation, and AI-enabled efficiencies
• Maintain strong visibility and transparent communication with executive stakeholders

Required Qualifications

• 8+ years of engineering leadership experience delivering complex software initiatives end-to-end
• Experience managing both managers and individual contributors in a multi-layered engineering organization
• Strong technical foundation in modern backend development and cloud-based microservices architectures
• Demonstrated ability to lead multiple concurrent initiatives from planning through production release
• Deep experience with Agile/Scrum methodologies within structured SDLC environments
• Proven ability to balance business priorities with technical constraints and delivery realities
• Experience working with distributed teams
• Strong executive presence and clear, direct communication style

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience within regulated environments (insurance or financial services preferred)
• Exposure to enterprise platform ecosystems or policy administration systems
• Familiarity with DevOps, SRE collaboration models, and production support operations
• Experience implementing automation or AI-enabled tools within engineering teams

Ideal Profile

The ideal candidate is a pragmatic, execution-driven engineering leader who combines technical credibility with disciplined delivery oversight. They are comfortable managing at multiple levels of the organization, provide transparent visibility, proactively manage risk, empower managers and engineers to take ownership, and ensure engineering execution remains tightly aligned to business priorities while maintaining high technical standards.