Engineering Manager, Platform Services

Resonate; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 130,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible work environment

Competitive 401(k) match

Open PTO policy

Comprehensive benefits package

Job summary

A tech-driven marketing intelligence firm in Washington, D.C. is seeking an Engineering Manager, Platform Services to lead the transformation into an AI-native environment. This role involves leading a team of engineers, shaping the engineering strategy, and ensuring platform reliability. Ideal candidates have extensive experience in software development and strong leadership skills. The company offers a flexible work environment and a comprehensive benefits package designed to support diverse employee needs.

Qualifications

• 7+ years building production software with hands-on experience as a senior engineer.
• 5+ years leading engineering teams of 10+.
• Deep experience with multi-tenant SaaS platforms in AWS.

Responsibilities

• Lead the transformation of the platform into an AI-native environment.
• Set engineering standards balancing quality with velocity.
• Monitor team health, velocity, and delivery risks.

Skills

Leadership

Java/Spring Boot

Problem-solving

Collaboration

Adaptability

Strategic Thinking

Tools

AWS

GitHub Copilot

Job description

Resonate is a leading provider of high-quality, AI-powered consumer data, intelligence, and technology, empowering marketers to create a more personalized world that increases customer acquisition and lifetime value. Our SaaS platform, Ignite, and our Data-as-a-Service (DaaS) offerings provide unparalleled insights into consumer motivations, values, and behaviors, enabling our clients to connect with their target audiences in more meaningful and effective ways. We are a dynamic and fast-growing company seeking passionate and innovative individuals to join our team!

We are entering a new era powered by generative and agentic AI systems, and we're seeking an Engineering Manager, Platform Services to lead that transformation. This role owns the engineering team responsible for our marketing intelligence platform and activation services, the connective tissue that powers the way brands plan, execute, and measure campaigns across the digital ecosystem.

You'll lead a team of software engineers building the platform that connects our AI-powered consumer intelligence to the broader martech/adtech ecosystem. This isn't about maintaining the status quo, but rather transforming our SaaS platform into an AI-native environment where agentic systems become core to how marketers work. You'll assess our current stack, form strong technical opinions, and drive bold moves to modernize architecture while delivering measurable business value.

Key Responsibilities

Technical Leadership (40%)

• Lead the transformation of our platform into an AI-native environment with agentic systems (AI that plans and executes multi-step marketing workflows)
• Assess current architecture, identify technical debt, and drive modernization with measurable outcomes (target: 30%+ improvement in platform performance or cost efficiency)
• Own platform reliability, scalability, and integrations across the martech/adtech ecosystem (DSPs, CDPs, etc.)
• Maintain hands‑on involvement in critical architecture decisions; able to provide technical direction when leads are unavailable
• Set engineering standards that balance quality with velocity—clean code, smart automation, lightweight process
• Champion AI tooling (GitHub Copilot, Claude, agent frameworks) throughout the development lifecycle
• Lead, mentor, and retain a high‑performing team of software engineers across platform and integration services
• Conduct regular 1:1s, career planning, and performance reviews with clear, constructive feedback
• Create growth paths and development opportunities; track record of promoting engineers and maintaining low attrition
• Foster a culture of ownership, collaboration, and technical excellence
• Manage hiring, onboarding, and team composition to build the capabilities we need
• Remove roadblocks and protect the team from unnecessary distractions
• Drive adoption of modern practices and AI tooling—address skepticism with empathy and evidence

Delivery & Strategy (20%)

• Partner with Product to shape roadmap, estimate accurately, and deliver with predictability
• Lead incident response from detection to resolution, including communications and blameless post‑mortems
• Align engineering strategy with business goals and product priorities
• Monitor team health, velocity, and delivery risks—address proactively

Qualifications & Experience Requirements

Technical Experience

• 7+ years building production software with hands‑on experience as a senior engineer before moving to management
• 5+ years leading engineering teams of 10+ people with proven track record of developing talent
• Deep experience building or scaling multi‑tenant SaaS platforms in AWS
• Strong backend expertise (Java/Spring Boot, or similar modern frameworks) with production experience at scale (millions of daily transactions, sub‑second latency requirements)
• Experience with modern frontend technologies and API design
• Track record of measurable platform improvements (e.g., "reduced infrastructure costs by 40%", "improved response times by 75%", "achieved 99.99% uptime")
• Familiarity with observability, monitoring, and incident management at scale

Leadership & Mindset

• Genuinely excited about AI/ML capabilities—LLMs, RAG systems, agent frameworks (LangChain or similar)—eager to separate real value from hype
• Strong architectural opinions, but not dogmatic—you adapt based on context and data
• Clear communicator who translates between technical complexity and business value
• Comfortable with ambiguity; confident making decisions and iterating quickly
• Process‑minded but anti‑bureaucracy—you create clarity without creating friction
• Low‑ego leader who combines strategic thinking with hands‑on leadership and a bias toward action
• Proven ability to give direct, constructive feedback that helps engineers grow

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in adtech, martech, or data‑intensive B2B SaaS environments
• Background integrating with DSPs, CDPs, or similar marketing ecosystem platforms
• Experience with Java/Spring, LLM agent frameworks, React, and real‑time streaming architectures
• Track record building and growing high performing software engineering teams
• History of driving adoption of AI tooling and modern development practices
• Experience in fast‑paced, resource‑constrained environments where initiative is rewarded

At Resonate, we care about more than your experience on paper. We look for teammates who bring the right mindset and ways of working to help us do great work, together. The Resonators who thrive here embody these qualities:

• Proactive Problem‑Solving: You spot challenges early and take initiative to solve them.
• Ownership: You take initiative, follow through, and hold yourself accountable.
• Collaboration: You value working with others and building strong, respectful relationships.
• Adaptability: You stay steady through change and adjust when needed.
• Growth Mindset: You’re open to learning, feedback, and trying new things.
• Customer Focus: You keep the end user in mind and aim for impact.
• Clear Communication: You express ideas simply and listen to understand.
• Integrity & Empathy: You act with honesty and consider the people around you.
• Strategic Thinking: You focus on what matters most and work with purpose.
• Drive: You show up motivated and ready to move things forward.
• Readiness: You bring the skills to contribute meaningfully from day one.

These attributes are the foundation of how we work and grow together!

Besides the opportunity to work alongside smart, fun, and hard‑working colleagues at Resonate, you'll also enjoy uncapped growth potential, the chance to have a meaningful impact on the company, and the opportunity to work on cutting‑edge, AI‑powered marketing data and identity solutions that are forever changing the industry. From a competitive 401(k) match to an Open PTO policy that encourages real time off, we’re committed to creating an environment where our team members can thrive both inside and outside of work. Our comprehensive benefits package is designed to meet the diverse needs of our employees and their families. A full list of benefits is shared with candidates following their initial conversation with our HR team, so you’ll have a clear understanding of the support and resources available to you as part of the Resonate team.

Location

At Resonate, we take a remote‑first approach to work, offering a flexible environment that empowers our team to collaborate seamlessly across different locations. While we embrace remote work, we also encourage thoughtful and intentional in‑person collaboration to foster connection and teamwork when needed. Whether you're working from home or joining us in one of our state‑of‑the‑art offices, you'll have the tools and resources you need to succeed.

Resonate is headquartered in Reston, VA, with offices in New York City and Washington, D.C.

Our EEO Statement

Resonate is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic as outline by federal, state, or local laws.

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