Associate Director, Software Engineering

About The Job The Associate Director, Software Engineering (Engineering Enablement) is responsible for establishing and evolving the technical foundation that enables engineering teams to deliver secure, compliant, reliable, and scalable software solutions efficiently. This role operates across multiple engineering domains and serves as a strategic partner to Architecture, Security, Product Management, Validation, Quality, Infrastructure, and Software Engineering leadership. The position owns engineering-wide enablement capabilities including DevOps platforms, software development lifecycle (SDLC) tooling, developer productivity systems, architecture governance, platform engineering, cloud enablement, and secure software delivery practices. The Associate Director provides technical leadership, establishes engineering standards and guardrails, drives adoption of modern software engineering practices, and fosters a culture of continuous improvement across FMI's software development organization. Key Responsibilities Engineering Platform and DevOps LeadershipDefine and execute the Engineering Enablement strategy aligned with FMI technology objectivesOwn and oversee enterprise software engineering platforms, including CI/CD pipelines, source control systems, artifact repositories, testing platforms, deployment automation, release management, and observability toolingLead the evolution of platform engineering capabilities that improve developer productivity and reduce delivery frictionEstablish engineering standards for build, deployment, monitoring, observability, reliability, and operational excellenceDrive Infrastructure-as-Code, automation-first, and self-service practices across development teamsDefine and track engineering effectiveness measures, including delivery speed, reliability, recovery, adoption, and developer experience indicators Architecture Governance and Technical StandardsPartner with Engineering leadership to establish architecture principles, engineering guardrails, and technology standardsCreate and maintain reference architectures, reusable design patterns, paved-road solutions, and approved technology patternsParticipate in technical reviews to ensure solutions align with scalability, performance, reliability, maintainability, interoperability, and security objectivesFacilitate lightweight architecture review and exception processes for major business and technology initiativesGuide teams in the appropriate adoption of cloud-native, event-driven, API-first, and service-oriented architectures SDLC, Quality, and Compliance EnablementOwn software delivery tooling supporting requirements management, traceability, design documentation, validation, testing, release management, evidence generation, and controlled deploymentContinuously improve software development lifecycle processes and associated tooling to reduce cycle time while maintaining quality and complianceEnsure engineering platforms support applicable requirements within regulated environmentsDrive standardization of engineering workflows, templates, automated quality gates, stage gates, and delivery controlsPartner with Quality and Regulatory stakeholders to streamline validation and compliance activities through automation and formalized evidence Security and DevSecOpsCollaborate with Information Security teams to embed security practices throughout the software development lifecycleDrive implementation and adoption of DevSecOps capabilities including static application security testing, dynamic application security testing, software composition analysis, container and infrastructure scanning, secrets management, software bill of materials generation, and vulnerability workflowsEstablish secure-by-design engineering standards, threat modeling practices, and automated enforcement mechanisms for security and compliance controlsImprove visibility, ownership, prioritization, and remediation of software and platform vulnerabilities Engineering Productivity and Developer ExperienceIdentify opportunities to improve developer productivity through automation, reusable platform services, internal developer portals, AI-assisted development tools, and workflow simplificationPartner with engineering leaders and teams to reduce cognitive load, eliminate recurring friction, and improve the end-to-end developer journeyDevelop standardized onboarding experiences and self-service documentation for engineers and engineering teamsBuild and maintain internal engineering documentation, knowledge resources, standards, and best practicesCreate feedback mechanisms and measures to continuously improve developer experience and platform adoption Leadership and Organizational ImpactLead, mentor, and develop engineers focused on engineering enablement, tooling, automation, architecture, and platform capabilitiesBuild communities of practice around architecture, DevOps, security, testing, reliability, and engineering standardsInfluence technical direction across multiple engineering organizations and drive alignment through collaboration and measurable outcomesManage technology investments, vendor relationships, platform roadmaps, service ownership, and lifecycle planning for engineering toolingCreate and deliver presentations, roadmaps, documentation, metrics, and recommendations to Technology leadership and cross-functional stakeholdersOther duties as assignedComply with FMI's attendance policies Qualifications Basic Qualifications: Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Systems, or a related technical discipline and 8+ years of professional software engineering, platform engineering, DevOps, or related technology experience; OR equivalent relevant professional experience8+ years of experience leading technical teams, platforms, programs, or engineering initiatives spanning multiple teams4+ years of management experienceExperience building, administering, or supporting modern software delivery platforms and cloud-based engineering ecosystems Preferred Qualifications Master's Degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Systems, or a related fieldExperience working in a regulated industry such as healthcare, biotechnology, diagnostics, medical devices, or life sciencesDemonstrated expertise with public cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, or GCP and with infrastructure automation, containers, orchestration, and observabilityExperience designing or operating CI/CD platforms, source control, artifact management, automated testing, release management, and developer self-service capabilitiesExperience implementing DevSecOps capabilities and secure software development practicesStrong understanding of distributed system design, architecture governance, reliability engineering, API and integration patterns, and technology lifecycle managementExperience supporting software development processes aligned with applicable standards or regulations such as IEC 62304, FDA guidance, GxP, HIPAA, or 21 CFR Part 11Experience with automated requirements traceability, validation evidence, test orchestration, or formal software delivery controlsExperience evaluating and responsibly enabling AI-assisted software development and engineering productivity solutionsDemonstrated history of leading organizational change, driving adoption, and managing multiple concurrent initiativesExcellent written and oral communication, collaboration, stakeholder management, and problem-solving skillsUnderstanding of HIPAA and the importance of patient data privacyCommitment to reflect FMI’s values: Integrity, Courage, and Passion The expected salary range for this position based on the primary location of Boston, MA is $208,640 - $247,760 per year. The salary range is commensurate with Foundation Medicines compensation practice and considers factors including, but not limited to, education, training, experience, external market conditions, criticality of role, and internal equity. A discretionary annual bonus may be available based on individual and Company performance. This position also qualifies for Foundation Medicine's benefits.