Engineering Excellence, Director

Acentra Health; McLean (VA); Remote; USD 142,000 - 223,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare technology firm is seeking a Director, Engineering Excellence, to lead a high-performing team responsible for advancing its technology strategy. This position involves driving modernization initiatives and ensuring engineering standards align with business objectives. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in software engineering, strong leadership skills, and a background in DevSecOps. This role is remote, with a preference for candidates in the East Coast region.

Benefits

Comprehensive health plans

Paid time off

Retirement savings

Corporate wellness

Educational assistance

Qualifications

• 10+ years of total experience in software engineering.
• 3+ years in management or senior technical leadership.
• Proven track record leading large-scale engineering initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Provide vision and leadership for the Engineering Excellence team.
• Mentor, develop, and retain top engineering talent.
• Define, document, and enforce engineering standards.

Skills

DevSecOps

Automation frameworks

CI/CD pipelines

Cloud-based environments

Leadership

Communication skills

Analytical skills

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field

Tools

Jenkins

Kubernetes

Docker

Job description

Company Overview

Acentra Health exists to empower better health outcomes through technology, services, and clinical expertise. Our mission is to innovate health solutions that deliver maximum value and impact.

Lead the Way is our rallying cry at Acentra Health. Think of it as an open invitation to embrace the mission of the company; to actively engage in problem‑solving; and to take ownership of your work every day. Acentra Health offers you unparalleled opportunities. In fact, you have all you need to take charge of your career and accelerate better outcomes – making this a great time to join our team of passionate individuals dedicated to being a vital partner for health solutions in the public sector.

Job Summary and Responsibilities

Summary: The Director, Engineering Excellence leads a high‑performing team that advances Acentra Health’s technology strategy. This role champions modern software development practices, drives automation, and enhances engineering efficiency across the organization. Partnering closely with product engineering, quality engineering, infrastructure services, and program teams, the Director ensures engineering standards, processes, and solutions align seamlessly with business objectives and regulatory requirements.

Position is remote; East Coast preferred (specifically Raleigh, Atlanta, and Washington, DC areas).

Job Responsibilities

• Provide vision and leadership for the Engineering Excellence team, fostering a culture of innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement
• Mentor, develop, and retain top engineering talent across distributed teams
• Define, document, and enforce engineering standards to ensure consistency, quality, and scalability across products and platforms
• Spearhead modernization initiatives including automation frameworks, AI‑assisted solutions, and agile best practices to accelerate delivery and reduce defects
• Champion DevSecOps principles to strengthen security, optimize CI/CD pipelines, and improve deployment velocity and reliability
• Ensure testing practices are embedded across the SDLC; promote automation, consistency, and continuous improvement in product quality
• Integrate generative AI and advanced automation into coding, testing, and deployment workflows to improve engineering productivity
• Partner with product, quality, infrastructure, and business leaders to ensure technical strategies align with business goals and compliance standards
• Continuously evaluate emerging technologies, frameworks, and best practices to keep Acentra Health at the forefront of healthcare technology innovation
• Promote metrics‑driven engineering, establishing KPIs for flow, quality, and reliability
• Read, understand, and adhere to all corporate policies including policies related to HIPAA and its Privacy and Security Rules.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications/Experience

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field (or 6 years equivalent experience)
• 10+ years of total experience in software engineering
• 3+ years in management or senior technical leadership
• Proven track record leading large‑scale engineering initiatives and implementing modern development practices
• Demonstrated success managing distributed, cross‑functional engineering teams in fast‑paced environments
• Strong background in DevSecOps, CI/CD pipelines, cloud‑based environments, and automation frameworks
• Hands‑on expertise with tools such as Jenkins, Kubernetes, Docker (or equivalents)
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to translate complex technical concepts for non‑technical stakeholders
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills with the agility to adapt to evolving business and technology needs

Preferred Qualifications/Experience

• Healthcare industry experience
• Experience working with global and virtual teams
• Prior strategic IT leadership role in a large enterprise environment
• Exposure to AI usage in software engineering

Why us?

We are a team of experienced and caring leaders, clinicians, pioneering technologists, and industry professionals who come together to redefine expectations for the healthcare industry. State and federal healthcare agencies, providers, and employers turn to us as their vital partner to ensure better healthcare and improve health outcomes.

We do this through our people.

You will have meaningful work that genuinely improves people’s lives across the country. We are a company that cares about our employees, and we give you the tools and encouragement you need to achieve the finest work of your career.

Benefits

Benefits are a key component of your rewards package. Our benefits are designed to provide you with additional protection, security, and support for both your career and your life away from work. Our benefits include comprehensive health plans, paid time off, retirement savings, corporate wellness, educational assistance, corporate discounts, and more.

Compensation

The pay for this position is listed below. Based on our compensation philosophy, an applicant's position placement in the pay range will depend on various considerations, such as years of applicable experience and skill level.

Pay Range: USD $142,240.00 - USD $222,300.00 /Yr.

EEO

EEO AA M/F/Vet/Disability

Acentra Health is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran or any other status protected by applicable Federal, State or Local law.

Thank You

We know your time is valuable and we thank you for applying for this position. Due to the high volume of applicants, only those who are chosen to advance in our interview process will be contacted. We sincerely appreciate your interest in Acentra Health and invite you to apply to future openings that may be of interest. Best of luck in your search!

~ The Acentra Health Talent Acquisition Team

Visit us at https://careers.acentra.com/jobs