Director of Engineering

Standard Template Labs is a stealth-mode, AI-native startup reimagining the future of IT Service and Configuration Management. Backed by leading investors, we're leveraging AI, graph-based architecture, and exceptional design to transform how enterprises manage and engage with their technology ecosystems.

About the Role
We’re looking for an experienced, hands-on Director of Engineering who thrives at the intersection of leadership and technical depth. In this role, you will lead a team of engineers while staying close to the codebase and architecture. You’ll balance people management, technical execution, and strategic planning—ensuring that your team builds high-quality, scalable, and reliable software.

Responsibilities

• Leadership & People Management

  • Lead, mentor, and grow a team of software engineers through coaching, feedback, and career development
    Foster a culture of technical excellence, collaboration, and accountability

  • Drive team performance through clear goals, regular 1:1s, and open communication

• Technical Execution

  • Help define a tech stack

  • Contribute directly to the codebase (~30–50% of your time) through design, coding, code reviews, and debugging

  • Define and guide architecture decisions, ensuring scalability, security, and maintainability

  • Collaborate with product managers, designers, and stakeholders to translate business requirements into technical solutions

  • Establish and enforce best practices in code quality, testing, and CI/CD

• Strategy & Delivery

  • Drive technical roadmaps and execution plans in alignment with business priorities

  • Manage project timelines, resource allocation, and delivery commitments

  • Identify risks, remove blockers, and ensure the team delivers high-impact features on schedule

  • Advocate for engineering initiatives that improve developer productivity, system reliability, and scalability

Qualifications

• Proven experience as a Software Engineering Manager and Technical Leader in a hands-on role

• Personal or professional experience using code generation tools (e.g., Claude, Cursor, Windsurf) - the role will involve extensive use of AI tooling

• Strong proficiency in at least one modern programming language (e.g., Java, Go, Rust, Python, C++)

• Deep understanding of system design, distributed systems, and cloud-native architectures

• Knowledge of cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure) and modern data infrastructure

• Solid understanding of software engineering best practices, design patterns, and modern development methodologies (Agile, DevOps, CI/CD)

• Demonstrated success leading engineering teams and delivering complex projects from inception to production

• Excellent communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills

• Passion for balancing leadership responsibilities with direct technical contribution

What We Offer

• Build foundational product features for an AI-first enterprise platform.

• The opportunity to take ownership of critical systems that scale to millions of users.

• A culture that values craftsmanship, autonomy, and technical excellence.

• Competitive compensation, equity, and benefits package.

• Work from our Midtown Manhattan office alongside the founding team in a focused, collaborative environment. We're in-office five days a week, moving quickly and building together—with easy access to public transportation.

As an equal opportunity employer, we don’t tolerate discrimination or harassment of any kind. Whether that’s based on race, ethnicity, age, gender identity, citizenship, religion, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, veteran status or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state or local laws.