Engineering Manager

The Zebra; United States; Hybrid; USD 170,000 - 215,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation & stock

Health, dental, vision & disability

Sabbatical program for tenured

HSA with employer contribution

Fertility support

Wellness perk

Pet reimbursement

401k with match

Unlimited PTO

Parental leave

Learning & development

Employee Resource Groups

Job summary

The Zebra, headquartered in Austin, TX, is seeking an Engineering Manager to lead a high-impact team. You’ll mentor engineers, shape technical direction, and ensure reliable systems while collaborating with PMs to turn ideas into valuable products.

Ideal candidates have 6+ years in software engineering, 2+ years in management, and strong Python/JavaScript skills. This role offers remote work across the US with optional hybrid participation in Austin.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of software engineering experience with at least 2+ years in an engineering management role
• Strong background in one or more programming languages, ideally Python and/or JavaScript
• Fluency with agentic software development, including demonstrated knowledge of AI tools and how to use them to drive outcomes
• Demonstrated success leading engineering teams, managing projects, and driving technical roadmaps
• Proven ability to develop and mentor engineers, and foster high-performing teams
• Deep understanding of agile/scrum software development methodologies and best practices
• Strong collaboration and stakeholder management skills
• A balance of technical depth and strategic thinking, with a focus on driving business impact
• Experience working in fintech/insuretech is a plus

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and grow a team of engineers, providing technical guidance, career development, and performance coaching
• Drive technical excellence by fostering best practices in software development and architecture
• Collaborate with product, design, and other engineering teams to help define and execute a roadmap that aligns with company objectives
• Manage sprint planning, execution, and delivery, ensuring projects are completed on time and meet quality standards
• Encourage a data-driven approach to decision making, balancing technical feasibility with business impact
• Advocate for scalability, reliability, and maintainability in all technical solutions
• Ensure a culture of continuous improvement through code reviews, technical discussions, and retrospectives
• Promote cross-team collaboration and communication to align engineering efforts with business priorities
• Partner with recruiting to attract, hire, and onboard engineering talent

Skills

Software engineering

Engineering management

Python

JavaScript

AI tools

Agile/scrum

Team leadership

Stakeholder management

Tools

React

Django

FastAPI

AWS

Google Cloud

Azure

Job description

About The Zebra

TheZebra.com meets customers right where their search for car and home insurance begins: online. We provide easy-to-use tools and services, plus friendly, licensed agents who offer advice and guidance at any point along the way. The Zebra has helped customers compare over 74 million quotes since 2012. At its heart, both insurance and tech industry veterans collaborate together to simplify insurance shopping for customers. In today's digital world, The Zebra's customer-centered approach offers people the choices they want and simplicity they need.

The Zebra was recently named Austin Business Journal's 2026 Best Place to Work. Our motto is "All Stripes Welcome." Building the best product, the best teams, and the best company comes from inviting a diverse array of voices, backgrounds, and perspectives to contribute, making everyone feel welcome. Our Zeebs are passionate about learning, growing, and working together to tackle exciting problems.

We're seeking a Manager II of Engineering to lead a team of software engineers at The Zebra. You'll drive engineering execution, develop your team's skills, and ensure we're shipping high-quality software that creates value for our customers.

Location

Our company headquarters are in Austin, TX, but our employees work remotely across the US. For folks who live around Austin, we offer the option to join us in our office or opt for a hybrid setup. Whether you prefer the structure of an office, the convenience of remote work, or a mix of both, we support what works best for you!

Please note: at this time we are not able to hire in Massachusetts.

The Role

We're looking for an Engineering Manager to lead one of our high-impact engineering teams. In this role, you'll empower a group of talented engineers, guide our technical strategy, and keep our systems running smoothly. Reporting to the Director of Engineering, you'll turn big ideas into high-impact products.

You’ll work directly with our talented PMs and be the technical voice in the room. You and your team of engineers own the technical "how." You might not write production code in this role, but we believe the strongest managers are former engineers who can mentor, give incisive feedback, and write technical requirements when the moment calls for it.

If you’re a supportive leader who loves growing engineers and driving technical excellence, we’d love to meet you.

What You'll Do

• Lead, mentor, and grow a team of engineers, providing technical guidance, career development, and performance coaching
• Drive technical excellence by fostering best practices in software development and architecture.
• Collaborate with product, design, and other engineering teams to help define and execute a roadmap that aligns with company objectives
• Manage sprint planning, execution, and delivery, ensuring projects are completed on time and meet quality standards
• Encourage a data-driven approach to decision making, balancing technical feasibility with business impact
• Advocate for scalability, reliability, and maintainability in all technical solutions
• Ensure a culture of continuous improvement through code reviews, technical discussions, and retrospectives
• Promote cross-team collaboration and communication to align engineering efforts with business priorities
• Partner with recruiting to attract, hire, and onboard engineering talent

What We're Looking For

We look for Zeebs who take ownership of their work, communicate with clarity and empathy, and are eager to learn and grow together. Some requirements to be successful as an engineering manager include:

• 6+ years of software engineering experience with at least 2+ years in an engineering management role
• Strong background in one or more programming languages, ideally including Python and/or JavaScript
• Fluency with agentic software development, including demonstrated knowledge of AI tools and how to use them to drive outcomes
• Demonstrated success leading engineering teams, managing projects, and driving technical roadmaps
• Proven ability to develop and mentor engineers, and foster high-performing teams
• Deep understanding of agile/scrum software development methodologies and best practices
• Strong collaboration and stakeholder management skills
• A balance of technical depth and strategic thinking, with a focus on driving business impact
• Experience working in fintech/insuretech is a plus

What Will Really Impress Us

• Experience building applications with large language models, training, and fine-tuning.
• Deep knowledge of fullstack software development, including modern frontend and backend frameworks like React, Django, and FastAPI
• Experience operating and scaling systems in AWS, Google Cloud, or Microsoft Azure
• Demonstrated impact as a technical lead with deep system context and architectural influence

Why Work Here?

• When we say "All Stripes Welcome," we mean it. Considering viewpoints outside of our own creates a better, more inclusive experience for everyone.
• We live and breathe inclusion. You will be part of a wide array of voices, opinions, and experiences that inform everything we do.
• We believe in innovation. You will be part of experimentation, creative problem solving, cross-functional collaboration, and testing new approaches, tools, and ideas.
• We trust our teams. You'll own your work, balancing personal accountability with team accountability.
• We care about each other. You'll join a team that truly lives their values, both in and out of the office.
• We take thoughtful action. You will be empowered to do the right things as efficiently as possible.

Benefits & Perks

• Competitive compensation & stock option offering
• Health, dental, vision & disability coverage
• Sabbatical program for tenured employees
• HSA with employer contribution
• Fertility support through Carrot
• $100 monthly wellness perk
• $300 pet reimbursement program
• 401k with match
• Unlimited PTO + flexibility to enjoy it
• Paid parental leave program
• Learning & development opportunities
• Employee Resource Groups

The target base salary for this role is $170,000 - $215,000. The final salary amount will be determined based on a variety of factors, including experience, skills, internal equity, and insights gained throughout the interview process.

About The Zebra

Headquartered in Austin, Texas, The Zebra seeks to bring transparency and simplicity to car and home insurance shopping — it's Insurance in black and white.®

We've garnered attention across the industry and across the nation. Our core motto is "All Stripes Welcome." As part of our dedication to maintaining an inclusive and diverse workforce, we provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetics. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform core job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.