Engineering Manager

Cascadia Global Security; Tempe (AZ); On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Deus X Defense is seeking an Engineering Manager in Tempe to lead a growing team and drive the Deus X platform from concept to delivery. The role blends hands-on coding with architectural decision-making and people leadership, ensuring scalable, secure systems.

You will balance technical execution with strategic planning, working with product and operations to align with company goals. The ideal candidate has experience leading engineering teams, building UX-heavy platforms with real-time data,

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading cross-functional engineering teams.
• Hands-on coding ability while guiding a team.
• Strong judgment on architecture and system design for integrated platforms.
• Experience building UX-heavy platforms with real-time data.
• Experience with high-security interfaces and modern systems.

Responsibilities

• Hire, develop, and lead a high-performing engineering team as the function scales.
• Serve as a player-coach—staying close to the code while guiding the team.
• Set engineering standards, drive code quality, and cultivate a strong technical culture.
• Partner with external engineering teams to ensure collaboration and delivery.
• Define gaps and own end-to-end development of the Deus X platform.

Skills

Cross-functional leadership

Hands-on coding

System architecture

UX-focused platforms

Real-time data

Job description

Location: Tempe, AZ (Onsite)

About the Company

Deus X Defense is an emerging leader in autonomous security, deploying drone-based solutions to supplement traditional manned guarding. The company is actively expanding into ground robotics and maritime operations, with a proprietary Command & Control (C2) platform in development that will unify fixed, pivoting, drone, ground robot, and maritime camera feeds into a single integrated operational system. The long-term roadmap includes AI-driven autonomy across all platforms with human-in-the-loop oversight for critical alerts and events.

Position Overview

The Engineering Manager at Deus X Defense leads a team of engineers while staying hands‑on in building and shaping the product. This is a player‑coach role — balancing coding, design decisions, and technical problem‑solving with guiding the team, removing blockers, and driving execution against company priorities. The ideal candidate is technically deep, mission‑obsessed, and ready to build something from the ground up.

Key Deliverables

• Define key technical gaps and establish a clear plan to address them
• Own end-to-end development for the Deus X platform
• Build out a team of internal engineers and partner with external engineering team(s)

Responsibilities

Team Leadership & Development

• Hire, develop, and lead a high‑performing engineering team as the function scales
• Serve as a player‑coach — staying close to the code while guiding and unblocking the team
• Set engineering standards, drive code quality, and cultivate a strong technical culture
• Partner with external engineering teams to ensure seamless collaboration and delivery

Technical Direction & Architecture

• Define key technical gaps and own the plan to address them
• Set architecture and engineering standards across core systems
• Own end-to-end development of the Deus X Command & Control platform
• Ensure delivery of scalable, reliable solutions as the business grows
• Lead technical decisions at the team level, escalating org‑level decisions appropriately

Cross‑Functional Collaboration

• Partner closely with Product, Drone Operations, and Business Development teams
• Bring engineering expertise into cross‑functional discussions and planning
• Align technical execution with company priorities and product roadmap
• Remove blockers and drive execution against key milestones

Required Skills & Experience

• Proven experience leading cross‑functional engineering teams spanning frontend and backend development
• Demonstrated track record building UX‑heavy platforms with real‑time data and information
• Experience working with modern interfaces at moderate‑to‑high security levels
• Hands‑on coding ability — comfortable staying technical while leading a team
• Strong architecture and system design judgment across complex, integrated platforms

Preferred Skills & Experience

We’re looking for someone who understands the environment we operate in — not just the technology. Prior exposure to any of the following is a strong plus:

• Experience in drone technology, autonomous systems, or AI/ML (stretch)
• Background in real‑time operations platforms or command & control systems
• Familiarity with law enforcement, defense, or public safety operating environments
• Ability to quickly operate with context and credibility in mission‑critical settings

Level of Ownership & Decision Making

An Engineering Manager at DXD owns both the team and the technical direction. They are responsible for hiring and building a high‑performing team, setting architecture and engineering standards, and driving execution across core systems. As a senior leader, they operate with a high level of autonomy — making key technical and team decisions, aligning with company priorities, and ensuring the team delivers scalable, reliable solutions as the business grows.