Engineering Lead/Manager

Overview

Catalyst:Ed is seeking a hands-on and experienced Engineering Lead/Manager to join our growing team. In this role, you will not only lead and mentor a team of engineers but also contribute directly to the design, development, and infrastructure of a new technology platform built from scratch. Your work will have a lasting impact on nonprofits and education systems by helping us create scalable, innovative solutions that drive equity and strengthen the capacity of organizations serving communities across the nation.

This position reports to the VP of Product and Technology.

Who We Are

Catalyst:Ed is a national nonprofit that catalyzes equity, innovation, and improvement by connecting education and nonprofit leaders to critical expertise, hands-on support, and resources. Our mission is to improve outcomes for America’s children and youth by strengthening the schools and nonprofits that serve them.

We’re on an exciting growth trajectory, building a new technology platform from the ground up, designed to scale from supporting hundreds to thousands of organizations. This platform will empower nonprofits and education agencies by providing the technical capacity they need to become more effective, innovative, and equitable in their work.

About This Role

As the Engineering Lead/Manager, your responsibilities will include high-level oversight of the following areas:

• Technical Design and Hands-On Development (~30%): Lead the architecture, design, and development of our new technology platform, ensuring robust and scalable solutions through hands-on coding.
• Team Management (~40%): Mentor and develop a high-performing engineering team while fostering a collaborative and innovative culture. You will be responsible for hiring the team from scratch, both onsite and offshore.
• Engineering Best Practices (~30%): Establish and enforce best practices in software development, including coding standards, automated testing, and CI/CD processes.

Skills and Qualifications

• Experience in designing and developing web applications using AWS cloud services and solutions, with a strong understanding of cloud-native architectures.
• AWS Cloud Architecture certification is highly desirable.
• Hands-on development experience with modern front-end and back-end technologies, specifically React (for front-end) and Node.js (for back-end).
• Proven track record in API development, including designing and maintaining RESTful APIs and working with third-party integrations.
• Experience managing cross-functional teams including Developers, QA Engineers, Architects, and DevOps teams, ensuring effective collaboration and delivery.
• Experience managing offshore development and QA teams, including coordination of remote teams and ensuring high-quality output.
• Strong knowledge of CI/CD pipelines, automated testing frameworks, and cloud infrastructure management.
• Experience in HubSpot integration and Payment Solution integration is a plus.
• Experience leading data analytics solutions with reporting from varied sources is highly desirable.
• Excellent communication and leadership skills, with the ability to mentor engineers and enforce engineering best practices.
• A passion for hands-on technical work and the ability to balance management responsibilities with direct technical contributions.
• Education and Experience:
  • 10+ years of professional experience with progressive levels of leadership responsibility

Good to Know

• Compensation: Compensation is commensurate with experience. Salary range: $140,000 – $180,000.
• Team: We currently have a three-person product team that has designed and built our current platform using low/no code solutions. We anticipate that this team will focus entirely on product. You will be hiring the engineering team from scratch, both onsite and offshore.
• Preferred start date: January 2025
• Location: We are a remote, national team, with an office in New Orleans. Team members can work from a location of their choosing.
• Physical Demands and Working Environment: The bullet points below are representative of the physical demands and working environment that must be met by a team member to successfully perform the essential functions of this role. Reasonable accommodations may be made for individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.
  • Standard/remote office setting; proximity to office equipment that includes electronic devices.
  • Multiple people-facing meetings and interactions a day using Zoom or other video call software
  • Must remain at a workstation for at least 50% of the time; will need to use equipment that includes electronic devices.
  • Perceive and interact with text, media, and people.
  • Communicate and accurately exchange information with text, media, and people.
  • Additional Note: This is a people-facing position, and to be successful, you will need to have comfort interfacing regularly with team members and external stakeholders as well as dealing with a range of personalities across multiple domains.

Catalyst:Ed has a strong commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. We encourage candidates of all backgrounds to apply, particularly folks who identify as people of color, first generation, low income, or LGBTQIA+.