VP, Engineering

Forward Financing is a Boston-based financial technology company with an operational hub in the Dominican Republic, providing fast, flexible working capital to US small businesses that have been underserved by traditional financing options. It is our mission to build a world-class fintech company so our customers and our people can reach their full potential. Forward has been recognized as a Best Place to Work by Built In Boston and is certified as a Great Place To Work.® We’re investing in our employees, technology, and customer experience – with long-term success in mind every step of the way.

As Vice President of Engineering, you will have a strong background in software development, demonstrating expertise in designing and delivering high-quality solutions. A key focus will be fostering a collaborative, innovative, and results-driven engineering culture that inspires teams to excel. This leader must have the ability to effectively manage and guide multiple engineering teams, ensuring alignment across diverse projects and priorities. They will partner closely with business unit leaders and product teams to develop impactful and reliable software solutions that align with organizational goals. A deep understanding of business objectives is essential, along with the ability to leverage technology effectively to achieve strategic outcomes.

In this role you will:

• Serve as a senior leader within the broader technology organization, playing a key role in shaping its strategy and direction.

• Oversee multiple engineering teams, working in close collaboration with the Chief Technology Officer, Product Management, and TechOps teams to deliver a unified vision and roadmap.

• Partner with leaders across the business to understand their needs, set clear expectations, provide technical thought leadership, and regularly address challenges and opportunities.

• Demonstrate a strong bias for action mindset, driving initiatives forward with urgency and a focus on delivering impactful results in a timely manner

• Inspire and empower engineering talent within your teams, fostering professional growth and a culture of excellence.

• Drive a focus on scalability, efficiency, reliability, and the use of meaningful metrics to measure and enhance team performance.

• Actively contribute to strategic planning and review processes, preparing and presenting updates, opportunities, and challenges in forums such as quarterly and annual planning, while soliciting feedback from executive leaders.

• Make key architectural decisions by collaborating with senior technical contributors to define and execute technical roadmaps that align with organizational goals.

• Recruit, develop, and mentor engineering leaders and team members, ensuring the organization remains equipped with top-tier talent.

Additionally as VP of Engineering, you will:

• Champion a strong engineering culture that values innovation, accountability, and customer-centric problem-solving.

• Lead initiatives to modernize and scale systems, ensuring alignment with evolving business and technical requirements.

• Drive strategic make-buy-build decisions, assessing when to leverage external solutions, build in-house capabilities, or integrate a hybrid approach to achieve business objectives efficiently.

• Leverage global technology resources effectively, tapping into talent and capabilities across geographies to optimize costs and productivity while maintaining a high standard of quality.

• Foster a culture of accountability by setting clear expectations, establishing measurable goals, and ensuring that team members take ownership of their work and outcomes.

• Identify and implement emerging technologies and best practices to maintain a competitive edge.

• Act as a key advocate for engineering, articulating its value and impact to stakeholders at all levels of the organization.

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to drive alignment on priorities, timelines, and deliverables for key business initiatives.

• Ensure the engineering organization is structured and resourced to support long-term business goals and innovation strategies.

Requirements:

(Even if you don’t check every box, but see yourself contributing, please apply.)

• At least 10 years of experience in software engineering leadership, including 5+ years managing multiple teams and mentoring other engineering managers.

• Experience in the consumer, commercial or small business financing industry.

• Prior software architecture and development experience in enterprise-grade platforms such as Ruby, Java, Go, or similar te