Senior Engineering Manager - Berlin, Hybrid (m/f/d)

<h1><strong>About GotPhoto/fotograf.de</strong></h1><p>Our mission is to digitalize the people photography industry.</p><p><a href="http://gotphoto.com" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">GotPhoto.com</a> | <a href="http://fotograf.de" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">fotograf.de</a> is dedicated to making photographers’ lives easier and more efficient. We provide an end-to-end workflow and e-commerce solution enabling photographers to digitalize key parts of their workflow - from photo management to payment, combined with a user-friendly platform. Making them more successful and spending more time behind the lens!<br/><br/>Since 2012, our journey has been filled with an entrepreneurial spirit, witnessing countless <a href="https://gotphoto.com/success-stories/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">success stories</a> that prove our sustainable business model works and is profitable. <br/><br/>We’re building a tight-knit ecosystem where everyone can thrive – including you! Join our team of 170+ talented individuals and be part of our journey to empower photographers like never before!</p><p></p><h1><strong>The Role</strong></h1><p></p><h2><strong>Your mission</strong></h2><p>We are seeking a Senior Engineering Manager to lead a team of talented engineers, drive our technical vision, and ensure the consistent delivery of high-quality solutions. In this role, you will manage and coach engineering teams, collaborate with cross-functional partners, and play a key part in our transition to a scalable and flexible architecture. Reporting to the Head of Engineering, you will be crucial in evolving our platform, ensuring robust product delivery, and fostering a culture of excellence within our engineering team.</p><p>Our business is growing and so is our team: we will have around 200 employees, distributed over 5 countries, by the end of 2025. As we grow and expand, we recognize the need for a Senior Engineering Manager to join our team. </p><p></p><h2><strong>Responsibilities</strong></h2><ul><li><p><strong>Technical Leadership</strong>: Drive the technical vision, design, and architecture decisions that align with business goals, including our transition from a monolith to a microservices-oriented platform.</p></li><li><p><strong>Team Management</strong>: Lead, mentor, and grow a team of engineers by setting clear goals, providing actionable feedback, and fostering a collaborative culture that promotes upskilling and autonomy.</p></li><li><p><strong>Project Delivery</strong>: Ensure timely and quality delivery of projects by working closely with Product, Design, and Engineering Leads in a triad structure to align priorities and execute strategic initiatives.</p></li><li><p><strong>Process Improvement</strong>: Introduce best practices around software development, quality assurance, and CI/CD to boost engineering productivity. Champion the use of metrics to track team health and delivery effectiveness.</p></li><li><p><strong>Collaboration and Communication</strong>: Act as a bridge between the engineering team and other departments, ensuring transparency, and promoting alignment on project goals and priorities.</p></li><li><p><strong>Innovation and Technical Debt Reduction</strong>: Balance feature development with infrastructure improvements, reducing technical debt while delivering value to customers.</p></li></ul><p></p><p></p><h2><strong>We are looking for:</strong></h2><ul><li><p><strong>Experience</strong>: 5+ years of engineering leadership experience in a SaaS environment, with a proven track record of managing high-performing, cross-functional teams.</p></li><li><p><strong>Technical Proficiency</strong>: Strong understanding of modern web technologies and experience with transitioning from monolithic to microservice or modular monolith architectures. Familiarity with frontend frameworks (React.js) and backend services (e.g., Node.js, Python).</p></li><li><p><strong>Metrics-Driven Mindset</strong>: Skilled in applying productivity metrics (e.g., DORA metrics) to assess and improve team performance and project delivery.</p></li><li><p><strong>Leadership Skills</strong>: Demonstrated ability to inspire and lead diverse teams, foster growth and development, and create a supportive team culture.</p></li><li><p><strong>Communication</strong>: Strong communicator with the ability to translate complex technical concepts for cross-functional partners and to convey project updates clearly to stakeholders.</p></li><li><p><strong>Problem Solver</strong>: Thrives in a fast-paced environment, with a strong sense of ownership and a drive to continuously improve processes and technology.</p><p></p></li></ul><h2>Nice to Have and Desired Personal Attributes:</h2><ul><li><p>Experience with cloud-based infrastructure (AWS) and DevOps practices.</p></li><li><p>Familiarity with building and scaling micro-frontend platforms.</p></li><li><p>Knowledge of photography industry workf