Engineering Manager, Research

The Research group in the Office of the CTO seeks an Engineering Manager who will lead and develop a world-class team of engineers delivering reliable and high-performing AI, container, linux, and hybrid cloud technologies to researchers, customers and educators around the world. Software developed at Red Hat runs in vehicles that landed on the moon, in airlines, banks, trains, social media, health care, academic institutions, robots, and in many other places.  Research strives to make innovative  prototypes available everywhere, improving solutions that can transition into Red Hat products.  By creating strategic clarity and a supportive environment together with the Senior Research Manager and Director, you will enable the Research group to  solve complex problems and drive innovative systems development  with our academic and research partners and internal Red Hat collaborators.

At Red Hat, our commitment to open source innovation extends beyond our products - it’s embedded in how we work and grow. Red Hatters embrace change – especially in our fast-moving technological landscape – and have a strong growth mindset. That's why we encourage our teams to proactively, thoughtfully, and ethically use AI to simplify their workflows, cut complexity, and boost efficiency. This empowers our associates to focus on higher-impact work, creating smart, more innovative solutions that solve our customers' most pressing challenges.

What you will do:

• Champion a culture of excellence in execution, while actively creating pathways for your team to scout, prototype, and influence R&D and product strategy with new technologies, particularly in AI. Ensure delivery of timely, high-quality results by helping the team align with prioritized backlogs and project plans.

• Grow the Research team’s engineering skills.  Go beyond traditional mentorship by removing systemic barriers, creating safe-to-fail environments for experimentation with partners, and creating visibility for R&D work with academic and industry partners and internal leadership.

• Lead your team to continuously improve the Research systems and software development lifecycle, with a focus on integrating novel AI-driven tools to enhance security, quality, and engineering agility.

• Ensure your team understands and applies guidelines for the ethical use of AI within the team, addressing concerns such as data privacy, bias mitigation, intellectual property, and responsible disclosure.

• Manage and lead distributed global teams on selected collaborative Research projects. Use data to assess team health, but use empathy and direct engagement to foster a sense of belonging and purpose.  Conduct regular one-on-one meetings with staff to help create and follow through on individual development plans.

• Perform all Human Resources-related managerial functions, with a specific focus on equitable and inclusive practices in hiring, compensation management, and promotion.

• Contribute to long-term R&D and product vision through frequent communication with academic and industry partners, Red Hat technical leadership and product owners, while also empowering your team to challenge assumptions and contribute to that vision.

• Contribute to annual Research budget and hiring plans.  Contribute to selected external research proposals with academic and industry partners.

• Serve as an escalation point for issues.  Resolve conflicts and remove obstacles.   

What you will bring:

• Must be able to work hybrid in both Boston MA and Lowell MA on occasion.

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience in software development, systems integration, quality assurance, or related technical fields

• Demonstrated ability to effectively lead technical teams

• Experience managing staff compensation, performance reviews and capacity planning

• Ability to work in the Boston office on a Hybrid schedule and visit locations in and around Massachusetts.

• Excellent problem solving, critical thinking, and analytical skills

• Excellent collaboration skills, including demonstrated ability to maintain solid rapport with team members and work to high technical standards with external collaborators

• Experience leading Agile and CI/CD development practices

• Knowledge of OpenShift and Kubernetes is a big plus

• Excellent organizational, prioritization, and time management skills

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