Code for America believes government can work for the people, by the people, in the digital age, and that government at all levels can and should work well for all people. For more than a decade, we’ve worked to show that with the mindful use of technology, we can break down barriers, meet community needs, and find real solutions.

Our employees and active community of volunteers build and transform government and community tools and services, making them so good they inspire change. We merge the best parts of technology, nonprofit, and government to help support the people who need it most. With a focus on diversity, equity, inclusion, and deep empathy for partners in government and community organizations and the people that our partners serve, we’re building a movement of motivated change agents driven by meaningful results and lasting impact. At Code for America, you contribute to exciting work while learning and developing in a supportive and flexible environment. Our compensation and benefits are holistic and thoughtfully curated to represent our employees and our mission. Help us drive real generational change that lasts.

We’re seeking a Director of Software Engineers to lead a technical portfolio of software engineering teams.

As of October 27, 2023, Code for America has reached a CBA (collective bargaining agreement) with Code for America Workers United, affiliated with OPEIU (Office Professional Employees International Union, Local 1010). This position is not designated as part of Code for America Workers United.

About the Role:

Code for America’s Directors of Engineering are thoughtful and technical servant leaders that enjoy mentoring and growing a team and culture that is driven by making meaningful impact in people's lives. This role is right for you if you are passionate about software engineering, systems thinking, cloud technologies, and developing applications, tools, services or specialized utility programs that integrate with government systems at scale. 

This role may report into either our Sr. Director of Engineering or VP of Engineering.

In this position you will:

• As a Director of Engineering you will lead the product software deployment team to deliver consistent, reliable and secure releases to improve the lives of millions of clients. 
• To achieve this you get to work with ambiguity, lead the creation of technical strategies, release plans, sprint plans, forecasting portfolio technology budgets, conduct performance evaluations, deliver high quality/resilient product development. 
• You will manage project teams to create nonfunctional designs, technical strategies, collaborate with cross-portfolio leaders to shape architecture decisions, run retrospectives, and technical specifications that persuasively articulate a technical approach. 
• You enjoy simplifying complex product needs and empower engineers to establish lasting bonds in a distributed environment.  
• You will interface with a variety of internal and external teams to support our government partners to build durable applications, tools and services. 
• You break down scope  with product and design for engineers and positively influence cross-functional partners to create solutions that are feasible and durable. 

About you:

• Bachelor’s degree/Masters in Computer Science, Engineering, Applied Mathematics or related experience in the field of software engineering
• 10 years of relevant experience in software development teams with 5+ years of experience managing teams
• Passionate, curious, creative, self-starter and approach problems with a methodical approach 
• Social impact focused, balancing engineering effort and value
• Eager in collaborating with others, provide technical and professional  mentorship to others
• Desire to help others succeed
• Possess excellent written and verbal communication skills
• 8 years working in Agile Software Development model, XP, or TDD
• 8 years working with Log Management and Analytics tools or monitoring tools like Datadog
• Write concise documentation
• A continuous learner and a critical thinker

It’s a bonus if you have:   

• Experience with OOP languages such as Java, JavaScript and Ruby on Rail as well as scripting/programming language Shell, Python, or Golang
• Experience with Least Privileges Principal, Separation of Concerns, Service Oriented, and Component based  Architecture
• Familiarity with pair programming and test driven development
• Experience with the justice system, social safety net, workforce training, or other mission-relevant government services

 

What you’ll get: