Sr Manager, Software Engineering

Socket.dev; Atlanta (GA); Hybrid; USD 149,000 - 248,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Vacation with pay

Paid holidays

Wellness time off

Job summary

Cox Automotive is seeking an experienced Sr Manager of Software Engineering to lead a distributed team focused on Engineering Enablement platforms and AI-enabled workflows. Hybrid work options are available to balance on-site and remote collaboration.

The role demands a strong background in platform technologies, software engineering leadership, and the ability to translate business needs into a scalable engineering roadmap, with a focus on AI-driven tooling and enterprise standards.

Qualifications

• 6+ years in software or platform engineering with at least 2+ years managing engineers.
• Strong software engineering and platform technology background.
• Hands-on familiarity with AI-enabled development tools and workflows.
• Ability to translate ambiguous business and technology needs into a clear strategic roadmap.
• Excellent stakeholder management across technology, product, and engineering leadership.
• Experience leading distributed teams that include both full-time employees and contractors.

Responsibilities

• Lead cross-functional engineering teams responsible for Engineering Enablement platforms and services.
• Drive strategic vision and execution of engineering enablement initiatives supporting enterprise software delivery.
• Oversee the integration and adoption of AI-powered capabilities, tools, and workflows across engineering teams — including AI‑assisted coding, agentic development tools, and AI‑driven platform services.
• Ensure platform scalability, reliability, and operational excellence, and alignment with enterprise standards, including for AI‑enabled tooling and integrations.
• Collaborate with technology, product, and engineering leaders to improve developer experience and accelerate delivery outcomes.
• Develop and mentor engineering talent, leading a distributed organization of full‑time employees and contractors.
• Shape the future of engineering leadership and software delivery practices in an AI‑driven environment.
• Define and track success metrics for platform adoption, developer productivity, and AI tooling impact, and report progress to leadership.
• Champion best practices and enablement content — documentation, training, and internal advocacy — to drive adoption of core platform capabilities and AI-enabled workflows.

Skills

Cross-functional leadership

Platform engineering

AI-enabled development

Strategic roadmap

Stakeholder management

Distributed teams

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science

Advanced degree (MS/PhD) in related field

Job description

Company

Cox Automotive - USA

Job Family Group

Engineering / Product Development

Job Profile

Sr Manager, Software Engineering

Management Level

Sr Manager - People Leader

Flexible Work Option

Hybrid - Ability to work remotely part of the week

Travel %

Yes, 5% of the time

Work Shift

Day

Compensation

Compensation includes a base salary in the range of $148,500.00 - $247,500.00. The base salary may vary within the anticipated base pay range based on factors such as the ultimate location of the position and the selected candidate’s knowledge, skills, and abilities. Position may be eligible for additional compensation that may include an incentive program.

Job Description

Given the increasing importance of AI-enabled development practices and platform standardization, we are seeking an experienced engineering leader with a strong background in software engineering, platform technologies, and AI application enablement.

This leader will ensure continuity of strategy and execution while continuing to evolve Engineering Enablement capabilities that serve teams across the enterprise. You'll lead a distributed team of engineers and contractors while shaping the roadmap for the platforms, tools, and AI-powered workflows that make engineering teams across the company faster, more consistent, and more effective.

The ideal candidate combines strong platform engineering judgment with hands‑on familiarity with AI‑assisted development tools and workflows, and is energized by scaling capabilities that multiply the effectiveness of every engineering team that depends on them.

What You'll Do:

• Lead cross-functional engineering teams responsible for Engineering Enablement platforms and services.
• Drive strategic vision and execution of engineering enablement initiatives supporting enterprise software delivery.
• Oversee the integration and adoption of AI-powered capabilities, tools, and workflows across engineering teams — including AI‑assisted coding, agentic development tools, and AI‑driven platform services.
• Ensure platform scalability, reliability, and operational excellence, and alignment with enterprise standards, including for AI‑enabled tooling and integrations.
• Collaborate with technology, product, and engineering leaders to improve developer experience and accelerate delivery outcomes.
• Develop and mentor engineering talent, leading a distributed organization of full‑time employees and contractors.
• Shape the future of engineering leadership and software delivery practices in an increasingly AI‑driven environment, staying ahead of emerging AI tooling and helping the organization adopt it responsibly.
• Define and track success metrics for platform adoption, developer productivity, and AI tooling impact, and report progress to leadership.
• Champion best practices and enablement content — documentation, training, and internal advocacy — to drive adoption of both core platform capabilities and AI‑enabled workflows.

Who You Are:

• 6+ years of experience in software engineering, platform engineering, or technical program management, including 2+ years directly managing engineering teams.
• Strong background in software engineering and platform technologies, with demonstrated experience building or scaling internal developer platforms.
• Hands‑on familiarity with AI‑enabled development practices — e.g., AI coding assistants, agentic development tools, or AI‑driven platform/workflow automation — and a point of view on how to bring them safely and effectively into an engineering organization.
• Track record of translating ambiguous business and technology needs into a clear strategic roadmap.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills — able to work effectively across technology, product, and engineering leadership.
• Experience leading distributed teams that include both full‑time employees and contractors.

Preferred:

• Experience in a large, matrixed enterprise organization with multiple internal stakeholder groups.
• Direct experience evaluating, piloting, or rolling out AI application enablement tools (e.g., AI coding assistants, LLM‑powered internal tools, MCP/agent integrations) at scale.
• Familiarity with developer experience (DevEx) metrics and platform reliability/operational practices (SRE, observability, CI/CD).
• Background in change management or driving adoption of new engineering tools and practices across a large developer base.
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and 8 years’ experience in arelated field. The right candidate could also have a different combination, such as amaster's degree and 6 years’ experience; a Ph.D. and 3 years’ experience in a related field;or 20 years’ experience in a related field.
  

What Success Looks Like

• Continuity and evolution of Engineering Enablement's strategy, with a clear roadmap that incorporates AI-powered capabilities alongside core platform priorities.
• Measurable increase in adoption of AI‑enabled development tools and workflows across engineering teams, with clear guardrails and enterprise standards in place.
• Platform reliability, scalability, and operational excellence sustained or improved through the transition.
• A well‑mentored, engaged distributed team (FTE + contractors) with clear growth plans.
• Strong, trusted relationships with technology, product, and engineering leadership.

Why Join Us

• Lead a high‑visibility function at the center of how the enterprise builds software — and how AI reshapes that process.
• Real influence over roadmap, strategy, and the adoption of emerging AI development practices.
• A blend of technical/platform leadership and people management, with strong executive visibility into impact.

Drug Testing

To be employed in this role, you’ll need to clear a pre‑employment drug test. Cox Automotive does not currently administer a pre‑employment drug test for marijuana for this position. However, we are a drug‑free workplace, so the possession, use or being under the influence of drugs illegal under federal or state law during work hours, on company property and/or in company vehicles is prohibited.

Benefits

The Company offers eligible employees the flexibility to take as much vacation with pay as they deem consistent with their duties, the company’s needs, and its obligations; seven paid holidays throughout the calendar year; and up to 160 hours of paid wellness annually for their own wellness or that of family members. Employees are also eligible for additional paid time off in the form of bereavement leave, time off to vote, jury duty leave, volunteer time off, military leave, and parental leave.

About Us

Through groundbreaking technology and a commitment to stellar experiences for drivers and dealers alike, Cox Automotive employees are transforming the way the world buys, owns, sells – or simply uses – cars. Cox Automotive employees get to work on iconic consumer brands like Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book and industry‑leading dealer‑facing companies like vAuto and Manheim, all while enjoying the people‑centered atmosphere that is central to our life at Cox. Benefits of working at Cox may include health care insurance (medical, dental, vision), retirement planning (401(k)), and paid days off (sick leave, parental leave, flexible vacation/wellness days, and/or PTO). For more details on what benefits you may be offered, visit our benefits page. Cox is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer – All qualified applicants/employees will receive consideration for employment without regard to that individual’s age, race, color, religion or creed, national origin or ancestry, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, physical or mental disability, veteran status, genetic information, ethnicity, citizenship, or any other characteristic protected by law. Cox provides reasonable accommodations when requested by a qualified applicant or employee with disability, unless such accommodations would cause an undue hardship.EOE, including disability/vets