Software Engineering Manager
About Terabase
Terabase Energy believes that digitalization and automation will drive the next wave of innovation and cost reduction in large scale solar. We are developing an interconnected software and construction automation platform to support the design, optimization, and construction of huge solar projects around the world. Our team is a blend of solar-industry veterans and newbies, thought-leaders, dreamers, software, electrical and mechanical engineers, coders, product managers, project managers, and sales and marketing professionals. We are based in Northern California, with several other offices in the United States and around the world.
Position Overview
The Software Engineering Manager is a senior-level, "player-coach" engineering role that combines direct technical contribution with team leadership responsibilities within the Terafab product area. This role is responsible for guiding the day-to-day execution, coordination, and technical direction of a team of software engineers while remaining a strong individual contributor. The manager serves as the primary interface between the Terafab software engineering team and adjacent hardware-focused teams including Autonomy, IoT, and Controls, defining and maintaining clear cross-team technical interfaces. This role reports to the Sr. Director of Software Data IoT and Autonomy.
Key Responsibilities
Define and drive technical strategy and architecture for the Terafab's manufacturing execution system (Fab)
Lead design and implementation of significant features, services, or architectural components within Fab
Drive technical decisions and architectural direction for construction automation orchestration workflows
Design and implement complex data models, APIs, and system integrations that balance current needs with future scalability
Identify and lead efforts to address technical debt, refactoring, and system modernization within Fab
Establish and evolve coding patterns, best practices, and technical standards within the team
Evaluate and introduce new technologies, tools, or approaches that improve team productivity or product capabilities
Represent engineering in planning discussions with product and cross-functional stakeholders
Resolve complex technical challenges that span multiple systems or have ambiguous requirements, particularly at the boundaries between Fab and hardware-adjacent systems
Proactively identify systemic issues, performance bottlenecks, or architectural limitations and drive resolution
Balance technical perfection with business pragmatism, making strategic trade-offs that serve team and product goals
Contribute to technical planning, estimation, and risk assessment for major Fab initiatives
Contribute to engineering hiring, technical candidate assessment, and onboarding of new team members
Contribute positively to engineering culture, team process improvements, and cross-functional relationships
Requirements
10+ years of professional software engineering experience with demonstrated technical leadership across complex systems
Strong architectural thinking with proven ability to design systems that scale across multiple dimensions (performance, team size, feature complexity)
Expert proficiency in Python, Django framework, and building scalable backend services
Strong experience with modern frontend frameworks, particularly Angular, including complex state management and performance optimization
Deep experience with relational databases (PostgreSQL) and query optimization; proficiency with PostGIS for spatial data workloads
Productive, non-dependent use of AI-assisted coding tools (e.g., Claude Code, Cursor), with demonstrated ability to set appropriate guardrails for junior engineers; balances velocity gains against code quality, long-term maintainability, and ensuring the team develops durable technical skills
Demonstrated experience designing and implementing complex data models with intricate relationships and constraints
Demonstrated experience defining and maintaining technical interfaces between software and hardware-adjacent systems (e.g., industrial automation, robotics, or IoT systems)
Passion for developing other engineers through mentorship, goal-setting, and clear, direct communication
Hands-on experience participating in and facilitating agile/scrum processes including sprint planning, backlog management, and team velocity tracking
Curious and an ability to adapt and rapidly learn new tools and technologies
Strong bias toward action with proven ability to thrive in ambiguous, fast-changing environments
Excellent communication and coordination skills across both technical and non-technical audiences
Experience working effectively with distributed and cross-functional teams
Preferred
Experience managing or leading a small engineering team, including people management, performance feedback, and career development (strongly preferred)
Deep experience with workflow orchestration or state machine systems, event-driven architectures, discrete event simulation, or industrial automation — particularly in the context of construction or manufacturing execution
Familiarity with hardware integration protocols and patterns relevant to construction robotics or field automation (e.g., Modbus, OPC-UA, MQTT, CAN bus, or similar)
Experience with real-time monitoring and telemetry systems, edge computing, or IoT data pipelines
Strong experience with cloud infrastructure and infrastructure as code (AWS, CloudFormation, Terraform)
Subject matter expertise in construction technology, industrial automation, renewable energy systems, or related domains
Track record of technical and team leadership in fast-paced, high-growth startup or scale-up environments
Experience with microservices architectures and distributed systems
Experience with performance optimization, scaling, and reliability engineering
Benefits
Compensation and Benefits
Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. This role offers a base salary of $135,000- $165,000. Within each posted range, individual pay is determined (and may be greater or higher), dependent on work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.
Terabase offers competitive compensation along with a comprehensive benefits package, including:
Generous time off and holiday policy
Hybrid flexibility
Flexible time off
Comprehensive benefits package
401k match
Stock options
Home office set up allowance
And much more!
Principles
This role is not open to receiving agency candidates, and any contingent submissions will not be considered.
Terabase Energy does not utilize third-party recruitment agencies.