Director, Engineering

Our vision is to build the next-generation platform for fast and easy creation of audio and video content. In June 2022, we launched Storyboard, a completely redesigned experience around video creation and what we have always envisioned to be our v1. We are used by some of the world's top podcasters and influencers as well as businesses such as BBC, ESPN, Hubspot, Shopify and Washington Post for communicating via video. We've raised $100M from some of the world's best investors like OpenAI, Andreessen Horowitz, Redpoint Ventures and Spark Capital.

To justify our ambitious vision and serve our rapidly growing customer base, we’re planning to accelerate growth of the engineering team and are looking for a senior engineering leader who can lead and scale with the rapid growth of the company. You’ll oversee multiple teams, and this role reports directly into the VP of Engineering.

Learn more about how we're building Descript from one of our Engineers.

Your Responsibilities

• Develop a roadmap in partnership with the Engineering Managers and technical leads and ensure execution is predictable, reliable and sustainable
• Recruit, grow and coach Managers and ICs ensuring they receive regular feedback and opportunities to make rapid progress on their personal and professional goals
• Shape the broader engineering organization’s operating model by spearheading technical practices, recruiting, onboarding strategy, planning and prioritization process and more
• Provide product visions that align with company ideals and manage end to end technology execution performed by your team of engineers and cross-functional partners
• Communicate clearly and efficiently with the leadership team regarding the statuses and results of current projects.
• Identify, recommend, and implement new technologies and systems to improve corporate processes and decision-making
• Help scale our culture as we grow

You’re someone who:

• 5+ years of management experience managing teams of Software Engineers and track record of shipping high quality products
• 3+ years of experience managing Engineering Managers
• Creates team environments that are collaborative, creative, empowering, supportive, and challenging —ones where engineers do their best work
• Experience building web apps (ideally with React/TS) and/or native desktop apps
• Effectively collaborates with a diverse set of functions technical and non-technical
• Clear and succinct communicator (written and verbal)
• Direct and emphatic while giving and receiving feedback
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering or related field, or equivalent training, fellowship, or work experience

Nice to haves:

• Managed engineering teams at a startup before where the rate of change is extremely high
• AI experience or a research background

About Descript

Descript is building a simple, intuitive, fully-powered editing tool for video and audio — an editing tool built for the age of AI. We are a team of 150 — with a proven CEO and the backing of some of the world's greatest investors (OpenAI, Andreessen Horowitz, Redpoint Ventures, Spark Capital). 

Descript is the special company that's in possession of both product market fit and the raw materials (passionate user community, great product, large market) for growth, but is still early enough that each new employee has a measurable influence on the direction of the company.

Benefits include a generous healthcare package, catered lunches, and flexible vacation time. Our headquarter is based in San Francisco, and we currently hire people that are authorized to work anywhere in the US or Canada. Whether you love WFH or can’t wait to get back to being in person, we're interested in offering an environment that works for you. 

Descript is an equal opportunity workplace—we are dedicated to eq