We are looking for a London/UK based Senior Manager / Director of Engineering - Backend to join our talented, dynamic, and rapidly growing global team. There is an in-office requirement of 2 days per week.

Company Description

OpenAsset is the only Digital Asset Management solution built for the Architecture, Construction and Engineering industries. We have over 800 clients and 20 years of experience delivering value. Our vision is to inspire people through visualization of the built world.

We are a diverse group of hard-working and entrepreneurial people dedicated to solving complex challenges, working hard on meaningful projects, and celebrating our successes. We are looking for extraordinary people to join our industry-leading and incredibly talented team! Our inspirational and fun working environment, innovation-driven, fast-growing company, and ambitious projects are just a few reasons why you will love working here.

As a company we are passionate about ensuring that diversity and inclusion are championed, and that everybody has a seat at the table. We promote a culture where everyone feels valued, and we have adopted policies to ensure we hire from a diverse pool of candidates.

OpenAsset employs 80 people and is growing rapidly. OpenAsset has partnered with Marlin Equity Partners, an $8bn private equity fund, to help the business scale its sales, technical and management capacity to meet accelerating demand for its B2B SaaS product.

Description

We’re seeking a dynamic Senior Manager / Director of Engineering for our Backend team in our fast growing scale-up who will serve as both a hands-on technical leader, people leader, and mentor to our talented group of engineers. In this role, you’ll be instrumental in shaping the technical direction of our backend services and infrastructure while fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation within the team. As a player-coach, you’ll roll up your sleeves to lead by example, contributing code, guiding architectural decisions, and ensuring the scalability, reliability, and performance of our systems.

You’ll be responsible for not only driving technical excellence but also nurturing the growth and development of our engineers, providing mentorship, feedback, career management, and support as they tackle challenging projects and report directly to you. With several backend engineering pods comprising a mix of senior and junior-mid level engineers, you’ll oversee their day-to-day activities, facilitate knowledge sharing, promote best practices, and guide their career growth and success. Your expertise as an architect/staff level engineer will be invaluable as you lead the team in building and maintaining robust, scalable backend solutions that power our platform’s success.

Responsibilities

As a Senior Manager / Director of Engineering - Backend, your day-to-day activities will revolve around technical leadership, effective communication, and a hands-on approach to solving complex challenges, contributing to the overall success of the backend team and the company.

Technical Leadership

• Set the technical direction and architecture for the backend engineering team.
• Architect scalable and resilient solutions leveraging AWS services.
• Drive the adoption of best practices in coding standards, testing, and deployment processes.
• Hands on development, design, and execution as a player-coach with the backend engineering team.

People Leadership

• Mentor and coach engineers at all levels, providing guidance on technical and career development.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, learning, and innovation within the team.
• Conduct regular 1:1s and yearly performance reviews and provide constructive feedback to support individual growth.

Project Management

• Prioritize and allocate resources effectively to meet project deadlines and deliverables.
• Coordinate with Product, QA, and other cross-functional teams to gather requirements and ensure successful project execution.
• Monitor project progress, identify risks, and implement mitigation strategies as needed.
• Drive continuous improvement in project management processes and methodologies.

System Architecture

• Design and implement scalable and reliable backend systems using technologies like Python, Java, Docker, and Elasticsearch.
• Utilize Terraform for infrastructure as code to automate provisioning and deployment tasks on AWS.
• Optimize database performance and reliability across PostgreSQL, MySQL, and DynamoDB.
• Implement and drive CI/CD, monitoring, and alerting solutions to ensure system health and performance.

Team Collaboration

• Collaborate closely with frontend and other cross-functional teams to design and implement end-to-end solutions.
• Conduct code reviews and provide technical guidance to ensure code quality and consistency.
• Foster a culture of knowledge sharing and continuous learning through tech talks, brown bag sessions, and workshops.
• Encourage a collaborative and inclusive work environment where diverse perspectives are valued.

Quality Assurance

• Implement automated testing strategies to ensure the reliability and stability of backend services.
• Establish and enforce coding standards, code reviews, and testing practices.
• Work closely with QA engineers to develop and maintain comprehensive test suites.
• Continuously monitor and improve the quality of code and systems through metrics and feedback loops.

Strategic Planning

• Collaborate with senior leadership to align technical initiatives with business goals and objectives.
• Provide input into the product roadmap based on technical feasibility and resource constraints.
• Identify opportunities for innovation and optimization to drive business value and competitive advantage.

Skills and Experience

• 8+ years of experience in software engineering, with a focus on backend development as an IC/Staff or Architect level role.
• 4+ years of experience in a leadership or management role, preferably in a technology-driven organization
• Proven track record of successfully leading and mentoring engineering teams
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects and deadlines effectively
• Extensive experience with cloud technologies, particularly AWS, including designing and implementing scalable solutions
• Strong proficiency in at least one backend programming language such as Python or Java, with a deep understanding of its ecosystem and best practices
• Hands-on experience with infrastructure as code tools like Terraform for managing cloud resources
• Experience with containerization and orchestration using Docker and container orchestration services
• In-depth knowledge of database systems, including both relational (e.g., PostgreSQL, MySQL) and NoSQL (e.g., DynamoDB) databases, and their optimization
• Demonstrated expertise in implementing and maintaining continuous integration and deployment pipelines, ideally using Github Actions
• Proficiency in version control systems like GitHub, including branching strategies and pull request workflows
• Familiarity with search technologies such as Elasticsearch and query optimization techniques
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to make sound technical decisions in a fast-paced environment
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively with people and across teams and departments
• Bachelors or Masters in Computer Science, Engineering or other related technical field

Technologies we use 

• Python
• Terraform
• AWS
• Java
• Docker
• Databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL and DynamoDB)
  
• Github (and Github actions)
• ElasticSearch
• GraphQL

Benefits 

• Competitive salary
• 25 paid vacation days
• 8 bank holidays
• 5 paid sick days
• SSP
• Work from home flexibility
• Paid parental leave
• "Getting Started" Stipend
• Pension program
• Bike storage/shower facilities in building
• Career growth and development opportunities

This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship.

Axomic is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We base our employment decisions entirely on business needs, job requirements, and qualifications—we do not discriminate based on race, gender, religion, health, parental status, personal beliefs, veteran status, age, or any other status. We have zero tolerance for any kind of discrimination, and we are looking for candidates who share those values. Applications from women and members of underrepresented minority groups are welcomed.