Head of Product & Engineering

One Degree, Inc.; United States; Remote; USD 165,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Benefits

Job summary

One Degree, Inc. seeks a Head of Product & Engineering to lead its product and engineering functions, setting technical direction and building the team. The role serves as a strategic partner to the CEO, moving between organizational strategy and hands-on engineering work.

You’ll manage engineers, coach the team, and help balance building new products with maintaining and improving existing services. A hands-on leader with strong technical judgment is essential for success in this small,

Qualifications

• Strong leadership and people-management experience in software
• Experience delivering web/mobile products from concept to production
• Ability to balance new product development with maintaining existing systems
• Excellent communication of technical concepts to nontechnical partners
• Familiarity with APIs, data flows, integrations, and cloud-based systems

Responsibilities

• Set technical direction for product and engineering teams
• Build and mentor a high-performing engineering organization
• Lead development of software products and capabilities from concept to production
• Collaborate with cross-functional partners to align priorities and roadmap
• Communicate progress, risks, and tradeoffs to senior leadership

Skills

Team leadership

Engineering management

Product leadership

Technical judgment

Cross-functional collaboration

Strategic planning

Hands-on engineering

Tools

APIs

Cloud platforms

Data integrations

Job description

Full-Time, Exempt, with Benefits
Location: Remote within the United States; travel to California for organizational retreats and occasional partner meetings
Salary Range: 165,000–190,000

What We Do

One Degree is a national nonprofit investing in next-generation service navigation solutions that empower people to build healthy and fulfilling lives by improving access to life-changing social services. In the U.S., over 90 million people live in a household where it is a daily struggle to meet basic needs. We are public-interest technologists committed to building the digital infrastructure communities need to help families take on the challenges they face every day.

About the Role

One Degree is building AI-powered tools and shared technology infrastructure to make it easier for families to access essential services and public benefits. We’re developing next-generation intake, enrollment, and coordination solutions while expanding partnerships with 211 organizations and other community institutions.

As a member of the executive team, the Head of Product & Engineering will lead One Degree’s product and engineering functions and serve as a strategic partner to the CEO. You’ll set technical direction, develop the team, and help build and deliver products—moving between organizational strategy and hands‑on engineering work.

You may be a strong candidate if you:

• Are a thoughtful, hands‑on leader who enjoys setting direction and doing the work to move it forward
• Have managed engineers and know how to support a team through clear expectations, coaching, and sound technical judgment
• Can balance building new products with maintaining and improving products people already rely on
• Are comfortable making decisions, managing tradeoffs, and creating useful structure in a small organization
• Communicate technical concepts clearly to nontechnical colleagues and partners
• Care about building technology with and for communities
  

And have:

• About 7–10 years of software engineering or technology experience, with increasing responsibility; relevant depth and impact matter more than a specific title or exact number of years
• Experience managing engineers and helping a team deliver
• Experience building and launching software products or capabilities from concept to production
• Strong technical judgment across software architecture, systems, infrastructure, security, and product delivery
• Experience leading complex technical work from planning through implementation and ongoing support, and the ability to contribute hands‑on when needed
• Experience partnering with product leaders and cross‑functional teams to set priorities, manage tradeoffs, and communicate progress and risks
• Familiarity with APIs, data flows, integrations, and cloud‑based systems

You do not need to have held a Head of Product & Engineering or CTO title before. We’re looking for an experienced engineering leader with strong people‑management skills, technical judgment, and a record of building and delivering products.

One Degree does not discriminate on the basis of age, ancestry, color, disability, religion, genetic information, medical condition, marital status, military and veteran status, national origin, race, religion, sex, pregnancy, gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation. We are strongly committed to hiring a diverse and multicultural team, and encourage applications from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds.

One Degree believes that everyone has the right to express their identity in however manner they choose, including the use of whatever pronouns with which they are most comfortable. Job applicants may, but are not expected to, provide their preferred pronouns at any point in the hiring process by notifying the hiring manager or any other employee with whom they are in contact, over the phone, over email, or in person. We believe in maintaining a welcoming and inclusive workplace. Every employee, volunteer, contractor, community member, and job applicant may discuss their gender identity or expression openly, or keep that information private.