ELSA

Overview of job

Team: Engineering

Reports To: Director of Engineering

Domain: Learner Centric Services

Summary:

As an Engineering Manager, you will play a pivotal role in fostering a culture of success within a dedicated engineering team, driving the delivery of impactful business outcomes. Through effective leadership, clear guidance, and strategic oversight, you will ensure that your team is equipped with the right resources, tools, and environment to achieve their goals. Your role spans a diverse set of responsibilities, from empowering the team and managing performance to fostering stakeholder engagement and ensuring the quality of technical decisions made collectively by your team. Additionally, you’ll drive a culture of continuous improvement. A successful Engineering Manager in this position will bring together technical expertise, strong leadership skills, and a commitment to creating an environment that encourages innovation and teamwork. Ultimately, you are responsible for the software and technology your team produces.

Key Responsibilities:

Team Leadership and Empowerment:

• Foster a clear understanding of success among team members and provide the necessary guidance to enable them to achieve it.
• Ensure a productive, effective, and efficient work environment that promotes resilience in the face of challenges and minimizes single points of failure.
• Set explicit expectations for both the team and individual members, actively managing morale and productivity.
• Manage team performance and career development, contributing to performance reviews and identifying growth opportunities.
• Prioritize hiring efforts to fill open positions, aligning with team needs and goals.

Stakeholder Engagement:

• Regularly communicate and collaborate with Product Managers, Product Designers, and other relevant stakeholders.
• Proactively engage with stakeholders to address emerging issues and provide technical insights tailored to the audience.
• Clarify and define paths forward when faced with uncertainties, seeking alignment and escalating when necessary.
• Drive alignment with stakeholders through effective prioritization and provide strategic guidance to align roadmaps.

Technical Excellence and Solution Delivery:

• Ensure the delivery of high-quality solutions by maintaining a balance between delivery speed and quality oversight.
• Guide the team in making appropriate technical decisions, avoiding over-engineering or under-engineering solutions.
• Take ownership of the software’s lifecycle, ensuring operational excellence and smooth transitions.
• Influence the technical direction of dependent teams, ensuring alignment with overall objectives.

Success through Data-Driven Approach:

• Utilize data to come up with creative solutions for technical and delivery challenges.
• Develop reliable estimates and roadmaps for delivery, fostering predictability and transparency.

Operational Excellence:

• Uphold a high standard for operational execution, focusing on seamless processes and reliability.

Mentorship and Feedback:

• Act as an active mentor within the team, promoting growth and learning opportunities.
• Provide actionable and constructive feedback to team members, facilitating their professional development.

Inclusiveness and Process Improvement:

• Strive to eliminate bias and foster inclusivity within the team.
• Implement processes and mechanisms to enhance team efficiency and collaboration.

Decision-Making and Progress:

• Make well-informed technical decisions and trade-offs, engaging in difficult conversations with stakeholders when necessary.
• Drive decision-making processes and ensure steady progress, even if escalation is required.