Director, Engineering

About the role

The most important near-term project is delivering our new billing platform from the ground up. This is a high-priority, zero-to-one initiative with direct executive visibility — the kind of role where you'll set the vision, build the team, and drive the execution yourself.

What We Value

• Ownership
• Engineering leaders who can do both
• A healthy skepticism for "the way things are done"
• An AI-first engineering mindset

What You'll Do

• Own the vision, roadmap, and execution for Customer.io's billing platform
• Partner with Product, Finance, and Engineering leadership to align billing strategy with company goals and unlock Customer.io's next phase of growth
• Make build-vs-buy decisions with conviction, and lead the team through them
• Mentor and develop engineering managers and senior technical leaders on your team
• Drive a culture of accountability, transparency, and continuous improvement across the org
• Leverage AI tools to accelerate team velocity and bring an AI-native perspective to how the team builds

What We're Looking For

• 12+ years of software engineering experience, with 8+ years leading engineering teams
• At least 4+ years managing engineering managers and/or directors
• Proven track record of taking complex, custom platform initiatives from zero-to-one at a SaaS or marketplace company — you've built something from near-nothing and seen it through to production at scale
• Deep understanding of SaaS software architecture, cloud-native infrastructure, and the tradeoffs that come with building in-house vs. buying
• Experience in domains requiring real platform complexity — not just feature development, but systems that other parts of the business depend on
• Ability to translate technical complexity into clear strategy and communicate effectively with both engineers and executives
• Strong track record building high-performing teams: hiring, developing talent, creating career paths, and navigating team transitions with care
• Demonstrated AI-native leadership — not just personal fluency, but a track record of bringing AI-first development practices into how your team works
• Comfort operating in ambiguity and making difficult tradeoffs between competing priorities

Compensation & Benefits

We believe in transparency. Starting salary for this role is $230,000-$270,000 USD (or equivalent in local currency) depending on experience and subject to market rate adjustment.

We know our people are what make us great, and we're committed to taking great care of them. Our inclusive benefits package supports your well-being and growth, including 100% coverage of medical, dental, vision, mental health, and supplemental insurance premiums for you and your family. We also offer 16 weeks paid parental leave, unlimited PTO, stipends for remote work and wellness, a professional development budget, and more.