Senior Manager, Software Engineering (Platform Systems)
WFA Digital Insight
The demand for skilled software engineering managers has grown significantly, with a 25% increase in job postings over the past year. NerdWallet's commitment to innovation and customer experience makes this role particularly appealing, especially for those interested in financial technology. As the industry continues to evolve, professionals with expertise in platform systems, agile methodologies, and modern engineering practices are in high demand. With NerdWallet's inclusive and flexible culture, this role offers a unique opportunity for growth and development. Before applying, candidates should be prepared to showcase their technical expertise, leadership skills, and ability to drive high-quality software development.
Job Description
About the Role
The Senior Manager, Software Engineering (Platform Systems) role at NerdWallet is a critical leadership position responsible for overseeing the development and maintenance of the company's platform systems. This includes the Content Platform, CMS, and Product Data Platform, which are essential to delivering high-quality, scalable, and secure software that advances NerdWallet's product and business goals. The successful candidate will lead a team of engineers, fostering a culture of continuous learning, collaboration, and accountability.As a key member of the engineering team, the Senior Manager will partner closely with Product Managers and other cross-functional stakeholders to shape the product roadmap, prioritize work, and remove obstacles. This role requires strong technical expertise, excellent communication skills, and the ability to balance near-term delivery with long-term maintainability, compliance, and reliability.
The Senior Manager will report to the Director, Engineering, and will be responsible for driving consistent execution of software development best practices, including code quality, testing, documentation, and operational excellence.
What You Will Do
- Lead, coach, and develop an engineering team responsible for NerdWallet's platform systems
- Partner with Product Managers and other cross-functional stakeholders to plan, prioritize, and execute against the product roadmap
- Drive consistent execution of software development best practices, including code quality, testing, documentation, and operational excellence
- Contribute to and guide technical and architectural decisions, ensuring solutions are scalable, reliable, secure, and compliant with regulatory requirements
- Balance platform evolution with stability for high-traffic, mission-critical systems
- Manage sprint planning, project timelines, and delivery commitments, ensuring predictable and high-quality execution
- Identify technical risks, dependencies, and delivery challenges, escalating and addressing them proactively
- Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, continuous improvement, and psychological safety
- Support hiring, onboarding, performance management, and career development for engineers at varying levels
- Ensure systems owned by the team meet availability, performance, and security standards
What We Are Looking For
- 8+ years of relevant software engineering experience
- 5+ years of experience as the people manager of an engineering team
- Proven experience delivering production software in a complex, fast-paced environment within FinTech or regulated industries
- Proven success owning and leading large-scale content management systems and headless architectures
- Proven success leading large-scale backend systems
- Strong understanding of the software development life cycle, agile methodologies, and modern engineering practices
- Solid technical foundation with experience designing and building scalable, reliable, and secure systems
- Proficient in either PHP or Python, GraphQL, SQL, and TypeScript
- Working knowledge of software development tools and technologies
Nice to Have
- Experience with WordPress and headless CMS
- Familiarity with cloud-based infrastructure and DevOps practices
- Knowledge of Excel and data analysis tools
Benefits and Perks
- Competitive salary and benefits package
- Opportunity to work with a talented team of engineers and contribute to the development of innovative software solutions
- Flexible and remote work arrangements
- Professional development and growth opportunities
- Access to cutting-edge technologies and tools
- Collaborative and dynamic work environment
- Recognition and rewards for outstanding performance
- Comprehensive health and wellness programs
- Generous paid time off and holiday policy
How to Stand Out
- To stand out as a candidate, be prepared to provide specific examples of your experience leading software engineering teams and driving technical decisions.
- Showcase your expertise in platform systems, agile methodologies, and modern engineering practices, and highlight your ability to balance near-term delivery with long-term maintainability.
- Familiarize yourself with NerdWallet's products and services, and be prepared to discuss how your skills and experience align with the company's goals and vision.
- Prepare to discuss your approach to mentorship and team development, and highlight your experience with hiring, onboarding, and performance management.
- Be prepared to provide examples of your experience with software development tools and technologies, including PHP, Python, GraphQL, SQL, and TypeScript.
- Research the company culture and values, and be prepared to discuss how you can contribute to a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.
- Practice your communication skills, and be prepared to articulate your technical expertise and leadership experience in a clear and concise manner.
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