Senior Manager, Backend

OpenKrill; United States; Hybrid; USD 185,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Job summary

WeightWatchers is seeking a Senior Manager of Backend Engineering to lead core systems powering the member experience. You will build, scale, and mentor backend teams to deliver a fast, safe, and scalable platform for millions of members worldwide.

Responsibilities include growing teams, aligning with Infra, Product, Data, and Design, driving reliability with SLOs, and guiding modernization to cloud-first architectures and secure, compliant workflows.

Qualifications

• 8+ years in backend engineering with 3+ years in a leadership role.
• Strong understanding of modern distributed systems (AWS) and APIs.
• Proven ability to lead cross-team initiatives from design to production.

Responsibilities

• Lead backend squads to build, scale, and maintain the member platform.
• Partner with Infra, Product, Data, and Design to translate strategy into reality.
• Drive reliability with SLOs/SLIs and ensure security and compliance considerations.
• Review designs and balance speed, quality, and cost in tradeoffs.

Skills

Leadership experience

Backend engineering

Cross-team collaboration

Communication

Education

CS/Engineering degree

Tools

AWS

APIs

Data modeling

Job description

Weight Watchers is the global leader in science-backed weight management, offering an integrated support system built for the GLP-1 era that combines scientific expertise, medication, cutting-edge technology, and human connection. With more than 60 years of experience, Weight Watchers is the most studied commercial weight management program in the world, delivered through its No. 1 U.S. doctor-recommended weight-loss program. Its holistic, personalized approach also includes U.S.-based clinical interventions and access to GLP-1 medications when clinically appropriate, and a global network of coaches and community support. Since 1963, the company has led with science to deliver its members the personalized support they need to reach and sustain their goals. Members can access these solutions directly, or through Weight Watchers for Business’ full-spectrum platform for employers, health plans, and payers. In a landscape crowded with contradictory advice, isolating apps, and one-size-fits-all solutions, Weight Watchers offers a proven path forward that is rooted in research, grounded in empathy and designed to help every member feel better in their body and live a longer, healthier life.

ABOUT THE TEAM

At WeightWatchers, our Engineering Team drives transformative change by leveraging technology to redefine how millions approach weight health and wellness. The team builds digital solutions that establish personalized connections and foster inclusive virtual communities, empowering members to adopt healthier habits and achieve lasting lifestyle changes. From pioneering a comprehensive telehealth platform, optimizing medication access, diving headfirst into exciting AI integrations we lead with data-driven innovations that revolutionize healthcare outcomes. Our culture thrives on urgency, collaboration, and a passion for impactful work that directly improves the lives of our members.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

As a Senior Manager of Backend Engineering, you will lead the teams responsible for the core systems that power the WeightWatchers member experience. Your mission is to build, scale, and mentor high-performing engineering teams that deliver a member platform that is simple, fast, safe, and scalable.

You will be responsible for the health, growth, and delivery of multiple backend squads. You will partner closely with Infra, Product, Data, and Design to turn technical strategy into a reliable reality for millions of members worldwide

Role Overview

1) People Leadership and Team Growth

• Talent Development: Recruit, manage, and mentor a diverse team of backend engineers, from entry-level to Principal level.
• Culture of Excellence: Foster an engineering culture focused on operational readiness, documentation, incident learning, and continuous improvement.
• Empowerment: Create an environment where teams have clear ownership boundaries and the autonomy to ship quickly without fragmenting the ecosystem.

2) Delivery and Operational Excellence

• Execution Roadmap: Drive the execution of multi-quarter technical strategies for the member platform, aligning your teams on the "why," "what," and "how".
• SLO-Driven Management: Ensure teams define and meet SLIs/SLOs that reflect member happiness, prioritizing reliability and performance in "moments that matter".
• Process Optimization: Identify and remove structural bottlenecks - such as brittle integrations or duplicated micro-services - to accelerate delivery across product squads.

3) Backend Platform and Data Integrity

• Strategic Oversight: Oversee the backend services powering member identity, food databases, and tracking foundations to ensure they are trustworthy and scalable.
• Data Stewardship: Partner with Data and ML teams to ensure backend systems provide reliable, well-modeled data for journey personalization and experimentation.
• Modernization: Lead your teams through the transition to modern cloud architectures and event-driven patterns that support a global digital health platform.

4) Strategic Partnership and Communication

• Cross-Functional Alignment: Act as a key partner to Product and Design to ensure backend systems are built for iteration and measurable outcomes.
• Technical Advocacy: Translate technical debt, risks, and architectural needs into crisp options and consequences for executive and cross-functional forums.
• Trust Building: Build trust through clarity, predictable follow-through, and calm leadership under pressure.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage the end-to-end delivery of backend features and platform components across multiple squads.
• Lead performance reviews, career development discussions, and workforce planning for your organization.
• Review technical designs and drive decision-making on hard tradeoffs between speed, quality, and cost.
• Embed security and compliance (HIPAA-adjacent workflows) into standard team practices.
• Drive a "FinOps" mindset, ensuring backend systems scale sustainably while balancing cloud costs.

WHO YOU ARE

• Leader of Leaders: You have a proven track record of managing and scaling engineering teams at a system-wide level.
• Pragmatic Manager: You anchor team priorities in member outcomes and business impact, avoiding unnecessary complexity.
• Effective Communicator: You produce clear documentation and can influence stakeholders across competing priorities.
• Systems Thinker: You can zoom from high-level roadmap planning to deep-diving into execution details when necessary.

Preferred Requirements

• Experience: 8+ years in backend engineering with 3+ years in a formal management or leadership role for large-scale consumer systems.
• Technical Depth: Strong understanding of modern distributed systems (AWS), APIs, and data modelling for high-scale environments.
• Execution Track Record: Proven ability to lead cross-team initiatives from design through successful production adoption.li>
• Educational Background: Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.

Hourly salary may vary depending on, but not limited to: skills, experience, and location.

US Pay Range - Field$185,000-$200,000 USD

At WeightWatchers, our mission is to build a worldwide community connected by healthy habits. If that resonates with you, then we would love to talk. WeightWatchers values developing community within our employee population as well. We have a hybrid work environment to allow our employees to find the right work-life balance.

At WW, cultivating a diverse and inclusive workplace is a priority. We are committed as individuals, as an organization, and as fellow humans to advocate for and support our employees, our members, and our communities. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, creed, national origin, marital status, age, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, or disability.

Maryland

Under Maryland law, an employer may not require or demand, as a condition of employment, prospective employment, or continued employment, that an individual submit to or take a polygraph examination or similar test. An employer who violates this law is guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to a fine not exceeding $100.

Massachusetts

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

WeightWatchers complies with all applicable Rhode Island Workers' Compensation laws (Chapters 29-38 of the R.I. General Laws). Eligible employees are covered by worker's compensation insurance for work-related injuries or illness.