Senior Director of Engineering

Rippling; New York (NY); On-site; USD 240,000 - 420,000; Full time

Job summary

Rippling is building a unified platform that brings together the systems businesses rely on to manage their people, operations, and finances. We are seeking a Senior Director of Engineering to shape the next phase of growth for the Spend organization, a high-impact leadership role at the intersection of fintech, enterprise SaaS, and large-scale distributed systems.

You will define technical strategy, scale engineering teams, and deliver products that solve complex problems for businesses of all

Qualifications

• 12+ years of software engineering experience.
• Experience leading and scaling engineering organizations.
• Proven track record delivering complex, customer-facing products at scale, ideally fintech or enterprise SaaS.
• Experience leading multiple engineering teams and developing managers/senior technical leaders.
• Strong technical depth and ability to drive architectural decisions.
• Experience partnering with Product and business leaders to translate vision into scalable strategies.
• Bias toward action, ownership, and execution in high-growth environments.

Responsibilities

• Drive the engineering vision, strategy, and execution for a growing portfolio of fintech products.
• Build, lead, and develop high-performing engineering teams with a culture of ownership and excellence.
• Partner with Product, Design, and cross-functional leadership to define product strategy and priorities.
• Lead architectural and technical decisions across large-scale distributed systems.
• Establish engineering practices and structures enabling speed with reliability, security, and quality.
• Identify opportunities to use automation, AI, and new technologies in financial operations.
• Mentor and develop engineering leaders to grow leadership depth as the company scales.
• Navigate ambiguity and drive execution across multiple teams in a fast-paced environment.

Skills

Leadership

Software architecture

Fintech domain

Engineering management

Cross-functional collaboration

High-growth environment

Job description

About the Role

Rippling is building a unified platform that brings together the systems businesses rely on to manage their people, operations, and finances. Our Spend products are reimagining how companies manage and control business spending, bringing together financial workflows, automation, and real-time visibility into a single, seamless experience.

We're looking for a Senior Director of Engineering to help shape the next phase of growth for our Spend organization. This is a high-impact leadership opportunity at the intersection of financial technology, enterprise software, and large-scale distributed systems.

You'll play a critical role in defining technical strategy, scaling engineering teams, and delivering innovative products that solve complex problems for businesses of all sizes. We're looking for a leader who combines deep technical expertise with strong product instincts, organizational leadership, and a track record of building exceptional teams.

What You Will Do

• Drive the engineering vision, strategy, and execution for a growing portfolio of financial technology products.


• Build, lead, and develop high-performing engineering teams, fostering a culture of technical excellence, ownership, and innovation.


• Partner closely with Product, Design, and cross-functional leadership to define product strategy, prioritize investments, and deliver exceptional customer experiences.


• Lead architectural and technical decisions across complex, highly scalable systems, balancing long-term platform investments with rapid product development.


• Establish engineering practices and organizational structures that enable teams to move quickly while maintaining high standards for reliability, security, and quality.


• Identify opportunities to leverage automation, AI, and emerging technologies to transform how businesses manage financial operations.


• Attract, mentor, and develop exceptional engineering leaders, building a strong leadership bench as the organization scales.


• Navigate ambiguity, make thoughtful tradeoffs, and drive execution across multiple teams and initiatives in a fast-paced environment.

What You Will Need

• 12+ years of software engineering experience, including significant experience leading and scaling engineering organizations.


• A proven track record of building and delivering complex, customer-facing products at scale, ideally within fintech, financial infrastructure, or enterprise SaaS.


• Experience leading multiple engineering teams and developing engineering managers and senior technical leaders.


• Strong technical depth, with the ability to engage in architectural discussions, challenge technical decisions, and guide teams through complex engineering problems.


• Demonstrated success partnering with Product and business leaders to translate ambitious product visions into scalable technical strategies.


• Experience operating in high-growth environments, with a strong bias toward action, ownership, and execution.


• Exceptional leadership and communication skills, with the ability to influence across organizations and align teams around shared priorities.


• A builder's mindset, strong product intuition, and a passion for developing both technology and people.

This role will receive a competitive salary + benefits + equity. The salary for US-based employees will be aligned with one of the ranges below based on location; see which tier applies to your location here.

A variety of factors are considered when determining someone's compensation-including a candidate's professional background, experience, and location. Final offer amounts may vary from the amounts listed below.

About Rippling

Rippling gives businesses one place to run HR, IT, and Finance. It brings together all of the workforce systems that are normally scattered across a company, like payroll, expenses, benefits, and computers. For the first time ever, you can manage and automate every part of the employee lifecycle in a single system.

Take onboarding, for example. With Rippling, you can hire a new employee anywhere in the world and set up their payroll, corporate card, computer benefits, and even third-party apps like Slack and Microsoft 365-all within 90 seconds.

Based in San Francisco, CA, Rippling has raised $1.4B+ from the world's top investors-including Kleiner Perkins, Founders Fund, Sequoia, Greenoaks, and Bedrock-and was named one of America's best startup employers by Forbes.

We prioritize candidate safety. Please be aware that all official communication will only be sent from @ Rippling.com addresses.