Manager, Engineering

📋 Description

• • The Zebra is at the forefront of revolutionizing the insurance industry, empowering consumers to research and shop for insurance with unprecedented ease and clarity. Recognized as a Best Place to Work in Austin for four consecutive years, we are deeply committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment where every individual feels valued and respected. Our guiding principle, "All Stripes Welcome," is not just a motto but a practice that celebrates a wide array of backgrounds and perspectives.
• • We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced Engineering Manager II to join our dynamic team and lead a growing group of talented engineers. In this pivotal role, you will be instrumental in developing and maintaining scalable, high-impact solutions that form the backbone of our innovative platform. Your leadership will be crucial in cultivating a culture that champions collaboration, technical excellence, and a relentless pursuit of continuous improvement.
• • As a key member of the Engineering Platform Organization, your focus will be on the foundational systems that drive our products, ensuring long-term architectural health, and empowering feature delivery teams to operate with speed and confidence. Your team will be responsible for the continuous building and evolution of the core platform that underpins all of The Zebra's offerings. This position demands a strategic approach to architectural decisions, a deep understanding of system scalability and reliability, and the ability to enable product teams to innovate faster and more safely.
• • This role requires a robust engineering background, proven experience in people leadership, and the strategic acumen to balance technical direction with critical business objectives. Reporting directly to the Director of Engineering, you will collaborate closely with a diverse range of cross-functional stakeholders, provide expert guidance to your engineering team, and ensure the consistent delivery of high-quality products that align seamlessly with the company's overarching goals.
• • While we embrace the flexibility of remote work across the contiguous United States, please note that we are currently unable to support work based out of California (CA), Massachusetts (MA), New York (NY), and New Jersey (NJ). We have adopted a hybrid model that offers significant flexibility, accommodating employees who prefer fully remote, in-office, or a blended approach.
• • Key Responsibilities:
• • Lead, mentor, and foster the professional growth of a team of talented engineers. Provide consistent technical guidance, support career development initiatives, and deliver effective performance coaching to ensure individual and team success.
• • Drive the architectural strategy for the product platform, meticulously balancing the immediate needs of product development with the imperative of long-term system health and maintainability.
• • Champion the critical non-functional requirements of our systems, including scalability, reliability, security, and overall maintainability, ensuring these are prioritized throughout the development lifecycle.
• • Collaborate effectively with Product Management, Design, and other engineering teams to help define and execute a clear roadmap that is tightly aligned with the company's strategic objectives.
• • Oversee the entire sprint lifecycle, from planning and execution to successful delivery, ensuring that all projects are completed on time, within scope, and meet stringent quality standards.
• • Cultivate and maintain a culture of continuous improvement within the team by promoting rigorous code reviews, facilitating insightful technical discussions, and conducting effective retrospectives.
• • Foster strong cross-team collaboration and open communication channels to ensure that engineering efforts are harmonized with business priorities and deliver maximum impact.
• • Actively participate in architectural reviews and technical decision-making processes, contributing to the strategic direction of the engineering organization.
• • Identify and address technical debt proactively, developing strategies for modernization and refactoring to ensure the platform remains robust and adaptable.
• • Empower your team to take ownership of their work, encouraging innovation and problem-solving to overcome technical challenges.
• • Stay abreast of emerging technologies and industry best practices, evaluating their potential application to enhance our platform and development processes.
• • Contribute to the recruitment and onboarding of new engineering talent, helping to build and scale the team effectively.
• • Ensure that the team adheres to best practices in software development, including testing, CI/CD, and monitoring.
• • Translate complex business requirements into actionable technical plans and guide the team through their implementation.
• • Manage project risks and dependencies, proactively identifying and mitigating potential issues that could impact delivery timelines or quality.