Software Engineering Manager

We are seeking a technically fluent Contract Software Engineering Manager to lead the planning and execution of complex, cross-platform software initiatives. This role will oversee delivery across React-based web applications, React Native mobile applications for iOS and Android, API-driven backend services, microservices, and cloud infrastructure.

Despite the title, this is an individual contributor role with no direct people-management responsibilities. The successful candidate will lead through technical fluency, influence, coordination, accountability, and execution—serving as the bridge between product strategy and engineering delivery.

This position is best aligned with a Senior Technical Delivery Manager, Staff Technical Program Manager, or Staff/Principal-level engineering delivery professional who is comfortable driving results across multiple teams without formal authority.

Key Responsibilities

Technical Delivery and Execution

• Own end-to-end delivery of complex initiatives spanning React web applications, React Native mobile applications, backend services, APIs, and cloud platforms.
• Coordinate delivery across front-end, mobile, backend, platform, QA, DevOps, architecture, and product teams.
• Translate product and business requirements into actionable technical delivery plans, milestones, dependencies, and execution roadmaps.
• Oversee services built on REST and GraphQL APIs, microservices architectures, and cloud-based platforms.
• Manage cross-team dependencies, technical risks, priorities, sequencing, and delivery trade-offs.
• Ensure delivery plans appropriately address cloud infrastructure, environments, CI/CD, security, scalability, reliability, and observability.
• Communicate delivery progress, risks, mitigation plans, and decisions to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Escalate issues proactively to protect delivery commitments and business outcomes.

Delivery Leadership and Collaboration

• Drive execution through influence, coordination, transparency, and accountability rather than direct authority.
• Partner closely with Engineering Managers, Product Managers, UX, Architecture, QA, DevOps, and third-party vendors.
• Facilitate Agile ceremonies, including sprint planning, backlog refinement, stand-ups, reviews, retrospectives, and release planning.
• Guide teams on estimation, capacity planning, sequencing, prioritization, and delivery best practices.
• Establish clear ownership, expectations, decision points, and accountability across delivery streams.
• Coordinate work across distributed teams, offshore partners, and external technology vendors when applicable.

Quality, Release Management, and Continuous Improvement

• Ensure quality is embedded throughout the software delivery lifecycle.
• Partner with engineering and QA teams on automated testing, release readiness, defect resolution, and production stability.
• Coordinate mobile release processes, including Apple App Store and Google Play submission requirements.
• Promote adherence to front-end, mobile, API, cloud, security, and architectural standards.
• Identify opportunities to improve delivery efficiency, predictability, throughput, and cross-team collaboration.
• Improve delivery visibility through metrics, dashboards, status reporting, and outcome-based performance measures.
• Help establish repeatable delivery processes for complex web, mobile, and backend initiatives.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Technology, or a related field preferred.
• Five or more years of experience managing the delivery of web, mobile, backend, or platform software initiatives.
• Experience delivering React-based web applications.
• Experience delivering React Native mobile applications for iOS and Android.
• Experience working with REST and GraphQL APIs.
• Understanding of microservices-based architectures and API-driven platforms.
• Experience delivering solutions hosted in AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, or another major cloud environment.
• Experience working in Agile, Scrum, or hybrid Agile environments.
• Demonstrated success coordinating complex, multi-team technology initiatives.
• Experience driving delivery through influence without formal people-management authority.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience coordinating internal engineering teams with offshore partners or third-party vendors.
• Experience with mobile application release cycles and app store submissions.
• Experience working with CI/CD pipelines, environment management, cloud security, observability, and production support.
• Experience in a Staff-level technical program, delivery, engineering operations, or architecture role.
• Familiarity with delivery metrics, engineering dashboards, release governance, and risk-management frameworks.

Skills and Attributes

• Strong understanding of React and React Native application architectures.
• Solid knowledge of API integrations, REST, GraphQL, microservices, and distributed systems.
• Working knowledge of cloud architecture, CI/CD, environment management, security, scalability, and observability.
• Ability to translate technical architecture and constraints into clear execution plans.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong stakeholder-management and facilitation abilities.
• Highly organized, proactive, and comfortable managing ambiguity.
• Demonstrated ability to create accountability and maintain momentum across teams.
• Practical, delivery-focused mindset with strong problem-solving skills.
• Technically credible with engineers, architects, product leaders, and executives.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate has led complex, multi-team software initiatives and is comfortable operating at a Staff or Principal level. This person is technically fluent, understands modern web and mobile architectures, and can engage meaningfully with engineering teams without needing to be the primary hands-on developer.

This role is well suited for someone who:

• Has delivered complex React web, React Native mobile, API, and cloud initiatives.
• Is comfortable leading through influence rather than direct authority.
• Understands the realities of engineering capacity, dependencies, technical debt, and release risk.
• Has experience creating delivery discipline across distributed teams.
• Wants to remain close to technology and execution without pursuing a traditional Engineering Manager role.