Director of Software Engineering - Canada

Key Skills

AWS, Azure, Data science techniques, Design, DevOps, Django, Flask, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Infrastructure-as-code-IaC, Linux Operating system, Objective-C, Operations, Python Programming, React.js, SDLC, Swift, Terraform, UI design

Job Description

About This Role

We are looking for a proven leader in the field of Software Engineering who can understand and enhance our current vision of Software Engineering excellence. The Director of Software Engineering will work with the leaders of our other practices (Product Design, Data Science, Hardware Engineering, and Program Management) to ensure that the software engineering practice is providing impactful contributions to Very’s delivery process. As the leader of this practice, you will have a solid understanding of what it takes to be a world-class software engineering practitioner with a passion for growing and sharing your skills while simultaneously developing them within your team. 

Very is a fully remote company, so you can work from anywhere in the continental United States or Canada. Your home, a co-working space, on the road, you name it. If you feel like moving, you don’t have to change jobs.

What You’ll Be Working On

As Very’s Director of Software Engineering, you will lead the software practice in ensuring our program teams can deliver with world-class speed and quality. You will take ultimate ownership and accountability for the suffrage patterns and standards that Very delivers across projects.

This will be accomplished by hands-on implementation, auditing and reviews, and partnering with the delivery team to help educate and provide guidance around our software standards. To ensure that you have the resources necessary to succeed in your role, you'll work closely with other directors and the executive leadership team through regular meetings and processes.

Our typical contracts can range from full-service IoT builds that include hardware, software, data science, and design, to targeted engagements with a single practice at Very (e.g. software only). Within this context, our choices for tooling are as follows:

• Python/ Django/Flask and Elixir/Phoenix for web backends.
• Python for data science and serverless architectures
• React/React Native for UI clients
• AWS and Azure are managed through IAC, such as Terraform or the Serverless Framework.

Other technologies we leverage throughout various projects (depending on client needs) include:

• Swift & Objective C
• Kotlin for both Android development and web backend development
• GCP managed through IAC such as Terraform or the Serverless Framework
• Heroku (when this is the best option for our clients)

You don't need to be an expert in all of these tools, but you should have a deep understanding of at least one or two, as well as a deep understanding of how these tools relate to each other and the technology landscape as a whole.

Responsibilities

• As the Director of Software Engineering, you will:
  • Oversee the software engineering team, currently ~25 engineers.
  • Directly manage a team of 3 Software Engineering Managers responsible for frontend, backend, and app development.
  • Report directly to the Sr. Director of Engineering
  • Own the overall software quality across all of Very’s clients. This will include leveraging current systems/policies and devising new strategies.
  • Refine standards and processes as they pertain to software engineering.
  • Work closely with the other technical Directors (Data Science, Hardware and Design) to define and implement our standards of Delivery. This will include things like technology choices, optimization of Very’s SDLC, and processes for enhancing visibility into engineering quality across many client engagements.
  • Work with Sales and Marketing to promote your team’s capabilities and help close contracts. Set the technical direction for how Very does - - Software Engineering.
  • Serve as Chief Engineer on key client accounts. You will be ultimately responsible for the long-term success of these accounts.
  • Make efficient use of standardized departmental meeting blocks for the development and management of your team.
  • Attend and contribute to operational meetings for the larger company, as required for the Director level within Delivery.
  • Bill your time to clients as necessary to support the desired outcomes for your role.
  • Work collaboratively with the People Operations team to ensure the growth and quality of your team.
  • Contribute to quarterly and annual planning for Delivery and owning these items for your department.

Outcomes

• On-time delivery of high-quality software across Very’s clientele.
• Maintain a 75%+ utilization target for the software team (shared ownership with PMO)
• For 2024: Develop a standardized observability pattern and ensure it is fully adopted across all Very engagements.

Required Qualifications

Education and Experience

• 5+ years of experience in technical management
• 10+ years of professional experience as a Software Engineer
• Deep understanding of and interest in DevOps
• Demonstrated experience working with the predominant cloud technologies: AWS, GCP, or Azure
• MS. in engineering or a technical field

Skills

In addition to experience, these are some of the critical skills we look for in our technical leaders, and how they should be demonstrated at the Director level.

• Communicates to inform, engage and inspire. Communicates to broad audiences and creates compelling narratives around their ideas and why they are important.
• Drives culture and behavior across teams/clients. Shows presence and visibility among clients and the technology community. Reflects the values at Very in all interactions - internally and externally.
• Inspires internal and external stakeholders through thought-leadership. Enables others to produce ideas and presentations that are compelling to internal teams and the technology community. Takes calculated risks and shows a commitment to innovation that improves the business and tech community.

Other:

Primary residence in Canada (to facilitate overnight shipping to our clients and the majority of our software team). Please note that we are unable to hire in Quebec.

Unfortunately, applicants who do not meet these criteria will not be considered.

Additional Qualifications

• Experience working with embedded systems
• Experience working with hardware engineers
• Expert-level knowledge regarding IoT platforms and infrastructure.
• A preference for and history of working with open-source software, particularly Linux and related technologies.
• Experience hiring/recruiting, ie: knowing how to excite candidates and working within a very competitive market

Compensation

Base Compensation

Between CAD $175,000 and $195,000 per year, commensurate with experience.

Variable Compensation

Up to 20% of your base salary in the first year.

We also offer world-class perks:

• Extended Health Care Insurance (Medical, Dental, Vision)
• Paid Parental Leave
• Life Insurance / AD+D
• Registered Retirement Service Plan RRSP = 25% / Match- $1 CAD for every $4 CAD contributed.
• $225/mo towards cell phone/internet
• $600/yr towards home office buildout & upgrades
• $2,500/yr continuing education stipend, upon one year of employment
• PTO / Sick Time
• Loaned MacBook Pro
• In-person all-company retreat every 18 months

Why Work for Very

You are more than your job title. At Very, we prioritize talent development and professional growth with a human-first approach that caters to the unique goals each individual brings to the team.

Our core value, Invest in Our People, looks like collaborating with a cohort of talented people on a mission to get better every single day. It feels like working for a company that invests in you. And it means finding alignment with your career goals to get you where you want to be.

How do we bring our priorities to life? Of course we offer the typical world-class perks you would expect. Additionally, as a remote-first company (since 2011), we provide stipends for home office, telephone, and internet. Professional development funds and generous parental leave are also some of the benefits you can expect.