[Hiring] Director of Software Engineering @Civix

Position Summary

We are seeking a Director of Software Engineering to lead a multi-product engineering organization while remaining technically current and capable of hands-on contribution when needed. The ideal candidate brings experience across modern engineering stacks (including .NET Core, Java Spring Boot, React/Angular, SQL Server, PostgreSQL), a proven background modernizing legacy systems, and demonstrated success scaling cloud-native architectures.

This leader will mature our SDLC practices, guide engineering and QA managers, and drive delivery excellence in a GovTech SaaS environment requiring secure, compliant, high-availability systems. The Director will work closely with the CTO and Product leadership to accelerate feature delivery, reduce technical debt, modernize our platforms, and elevate engineering culture and performance.

Key Responsibilities

Engineering Leadership & Delivery

• Lead, mentor, and scale multiple development teams across several product lines.
• Oversee development managers, QA managers, and technical leads, establishing clear engineering, quality, and performance expectations.
• Drive modernization initiatives across both .NET Core and Java Spring Boot services, moving legacy systems toward modular, API-driven architectures.
• Collaborate with Product, CloudOps, and Program Management to deliver feature sets, customer commitments, and platform improvements.
• Maintain ongoing technical competency with hands-on coding, architecture reviews, or proof-of-concept work within the last five years.

SDLC Maturity & Engineering Excellence

• Standardize and mature SDLC processes across teams, including Agile execution, DevOps practices, CI/CD pipelines, and automated testing strategies.
• Introduce and scale engineering metrics such as velocity, escaped defects, cycle time, test coverage, and deployment frequency.
• Improve engineering analytics and dashboards using Azure DevOps and related reporting methodologies.
• Lead initiatives to strengthen code quality, development workflows, and cross-team engineering consistency.

Architecture & Cloud Modernization

• Partner with the CTO to evolve the architectural strategy, emphasizing microservices, API-first design, and scalable cloud-native solutions.
• Oversee containerization, orchestration, and automated deployment strategies using Docker, Kubernetes, Helm, and Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC).
• Drive high-availability, secure architectures using AWS services (EKS/ECS, RDS, S3, Lambda, CloudFormation, Parameter Store).
• Ensure platform scalability, observability, and resilience using advanced performance monitoring and distributed tracing tools.

Security, Compliance & Quality

• Champion secure coding practices and ensure engineering aligns with SOC 2, FedRAMP, and StateRAMP controls.
• Work with InfoSec and CloudOps to integrate hardened security, automated compliance checks, identity management, and data protection into all SDLC stages.
• Elevate QA by expanding automated testing, regression suites, and integrating continuous validation into CI/CD pipelines.

Product & Stakeholder Collaboration

• Partner with Product leadership to balance innovation, feature delivery, and technical debt reduction.
• Work closely with Customer Success and Support leaders to ensure engineering priorities align with customer needs and field realities.
• Serve as a key voice in cross-functional planning, roadmap prioritization, and architectural decision-making.

Team Development & Culture

• Build, mentor, and retain a high-performing engineering organization.
• Establish career paths, succession planning, and development frameworks for engineers, leads, and managers.
• Foster a culture of transparency, accountability, craftsmanship, and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.
• 10+ years of progressive software engineering experience, with at least 5+ years managing engineering teams or multi-squad organizations.
• Hands-on development or architecture experience within the last 5 years.

Technical Expertise

• Modern backend engineering experience using .NET Core/.NET 8 and/or Java Spring Boot.
• Strong front-end experience with React, Angular, or similar modern frameworks.
• Expertise with relational databases, including SQL Server and PostgreSQL.
• Proven ability to modernize legacy platforms into microservices, cloud-hosted, highly scalable architectures.
• Proficiency with AWS cloud services (EKS/ECS, Lambda, CloudFormation, S3, Parameter Store, RDS).
• Experience with containerization, Kubernetes orchestration, Helm charts, and high-scale deployment models.
• Strong understanding of CI/CD, DevOps, IaC, automated testing, and observability stacks.

GovTech & Compliance

• Demonstrated experience in GovTech, public sector systems, or regulated SaaS environments preferred.
• Familiarity with secure coding, audit readiness, and compliance frameworks such as SOC      2, FedRAMP, and StateRAMP.

Leadership & Soft Skills

• Track record of leading managers, architects, and large cross-functional teams.
• Ability to manage stakeholder relationships across Product, CloudOps, Security, Support, and Executive teams.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to translate technical concepts to business impacts.
• Demonstrated experience driving engineering culture, performance management, and operational rigor.

Preferred Qualifications

• AWS certification (Solutions Architect, DevOps Engineer) or similar credentials.
• Experience implementing advanced reporting, engineering intelligence, or value-stream mapping methodologies.
• Ability to lead modernization across mixed-stack ecosystems (.NET + Java).
• Experience      in multi-tenant SaaS or statewide government platforms.

Why Work With Us

• Shape and mature the engineering function during a pivotal modernization phase.
• Lead high-impact GovTech systems used by agencies and citizens across the country.
• Partner directly with a forward-thinking CTO and product leadership team.
• US-based remote flexibility (East Coast preferred for collaboration).
• Strong mission-focused culture, competitive salary, and advancement opportunities.