Fora is the modern travel agency, empowering anyone with a passion for travel to build a thriving advisory business. We're modernizing the $100B+ travel agency industry by combining powerful technology, data, and community to enable thousands of entrepreneurs to build on our platform. Our business-in-a-box platform gives travel entrepreneurs everything they need to launch and scale, from cutting-edge tools and personalized training to a vibrant community and exclusive industry partnerships. At the heart of it all is our mission: to help the next generation of travel entrepreneurs turn their love for travel into a fulfilling career, whether full-time or part-time. We believe that everyone, from seasoned professionals to first-time advisors, can build something both profitable and personal.
Founded in 2021 by seasoned entrepreneurs, Fora has grown steadily since, expanding to a team of 200+ full-time employees based in downtown New York City. In 2025, we announced our $60 million Series B and C investment rounds, led by Thrive Capital and Insight Partners, with participation by previous investors including Forerunner and Heartcore Capital. We've also been recognized as a LinkedIn Top Startup 2024, Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies 2025 and 2023, and Built In 2025 Best Places to Work.
We're building the first truly unified platform for all travel needs—leveraging the best of human expertise and technology to transform how people plan and book travel.
Fora Travel is seeking an Engineering Manager to lead and grow the Platform Team, the foundational engineering group responsible for the reliability, scalability, and developer experience that powers Fora's entire product suite. Our platform spans cloud infrastructure, CI/CD pipelines, observability systems, security, and the core tooling that lets every engineering team at Fora move fast and ship with confidence.
You will manage a team of talented engineers and work closely with Engineering leadership and cross-functional stakeholders to set the technical direction of our platform, drive meaningful improvements to developer productivity, and ensure our systems are built to scale with the business. This role is for someone who is equally energized by developing people and staying close to the architecture.
Key Responsibilities- Lead and grow a cross-functional platform team, managing day-to-day execution, setting clear priorities, and maintaining sustainable, high-quality engineering practices.
- Stay hands-on with architecture and technical decisions, providing meaningful guidance on infrastructure design, platform scalability, and engineering standards across the team's scope.
- Own the roadmap for foundational platform capabilities including CI/CD pipelines, cloud infrastructure, observability, secrets management, and database reliability.
- Partner with engineering teams across Fora to establish SLOs, support reliability targets, and ensure platform systems meet the demands of a growing product organization.
- Coach and develop engineers through regular feedback, mentorship, and career development, with a commitment to building a motivated and high-performing team.
- Oversee relationships with contractors and embedded vendor resources, ensuring work is well-scoped, integrated effectively, and held to Fora's engineering standards.
- Collaborate with security-focused engineering efforts to ensure the platform reflects strong security and compliance practices, including network segmentation, secrets management, and access controls.
- Foster a collaborative and inclusive team environment that reflects Fora's commitment to building diverse, high-performing engineering teams.
- Contribute to recruiting by evaluating engineering candidates effectively and representing Fora positively throughout the process.
- 4+ years of experience in engineering management with a proven track record of successful delivery and team growth.
- 8+ years of experience in software or infrastructure engineering, with meaningful depth in platform, DevOps, or infrastructure domains.
- Strong technical acumen, with the ability to engage deeply in architecture decisions, infrastructure design, and engineering fundamentals rather than managing from a distance.
- Solid understanding of cloud infrastructure (AWS preferred), container orchestration, CI/CD systems, observability tooling, and database reliability at scale.
- Demonstrated ability to mentor engineers, manage performance thoughtfully, and build teams that are engaged and growing.
- Exceptional project management and organizational skills, including the ability to break down complex infrastructure work, anticipate risks, and deliver consistently high-quality outcomes.
- Excellent communication skills, with the ability to translate complex infrastructure and platform concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
- Proven recruiting experience, including the ability to evaluate engineering candidates and represent the company well.
- A collaborative, empathetic leadership style grounded in humility, accountability, openness to feedback, and a genuine investment in the people around you.
- Entrepreneurial mindset and comfort working in an early- to mid-stage startup environment where ambiguity and pace are part of the fun.
- First-principles thinker who carefully evaluates each problem and thoughtfully chooses between established best practices and bespoke solutions, especially when designing team processes and technical standards.
- Experience with high-traffic B2B2C platforms or marketplace architectures.
- Familiarity with Kubernetes, Terraform, PostgreSQL administration, and message queue systems such as RabbitMQ or Celery.
Compensation for this role varies based on experience, with an indicative range of $210k–$235k + equity. Additional benefits include:
- Unlimited vacation
- Health Insurance (including an option completely covered by Fora HQ)
- Dental & Vision Insurance
- Wellhub Memberships
- 401k plan with company match
- Commuter Benefits
- Supplemental Life Insurance
- Stock Options
This role is based in our New York City office in Tribeca/Fidi, a space with lots of natural light and great views.
We’re forging our own path
Fora has always been about driving change within the industry. We’re not interested in maintaining the status quo.
We’re stronger together
Community is our cornerstone and collective power is our strength. We believe we can all go further when we operate together, using our combined leverage to unlock better opportunities and outcomes for our advisors, partners, and travelers.
We believe in technology
We believe technology is an answer to some of the most fundamental challenges the travel industry faces. We believe advancements in AI, bold investments in our platforms, and a world-class data infrastructure will transform the work of our advisors and our partners, while creating better travel experiences for travelers.
We’re here to serve
We operate in service of our community and believe that when they’re empowered to focus on what they do best, we all win. It’s why we relentlessly advocate for our advisors and prioritize their best interest every step of the way.
We mean business
Fora is equal parts fun, meaningful work and serious travel business. We’re unlocking opportunities for thousands of travel entrepreneurs, delivering a stream of high-quality guests at scale for our partners, and providing a superior travel experience for our travelers. It’s a better equation for the future of our industry.
WORK AUTHORIZATION
Authorization to work in the United States is required for full-time roles based in our New York City office. Fora is unable to sponsor or assist with U.S. work authorization. Roles based outside of the United States are not subject to this requirement.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
Fora is committed to an equitable hiring process and an inclusive work environment. BIPOC and traditionally underrepresented candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. We will not discriminate and will take action to ensure against discrimination in employment, recruitment, advertisements for employment, compensation, termination, upgrading, promotions, and other conditions of employment against any employee or job applicant on the bases of race, color, gender, national origin, age, religion, creed, disability, veteran's status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression or any other characteristic protected by law.
Skills Required
- 4+ years of experience in engineering management
- 8+ years of experience in software or infrastructure engineering
- Deep technical engagement in architecture, infrastructure design, and engineering fundamentals
- Solid understanding of cloud infrastructure, container orchestration, CI/CD systems, observability tooling, and database reliability at scale
- AWS experience (preferred)
- Demonstrated ability to mentor engineers, manage performance, and develop teams
- Exceptional project management and organizational skills for complex infrastructure work
- Excellent communication skills translating technical concepts to technical and non-technical stakeholders
- Proven recruiting experience evaluating engineering candidates
- Collaborative, empathetic leadership style with humility and openness to feedback
- Entrepreneurial mindset; comfortable with early- to mid-stage startup ambiguity and pace
- First-principles thinker for designing team processes and technical standards
- Experience with high-traffic B2B2C platforms or marketplace architectures
- Familiarity with Kubernetes, Terraform, PostgreSQL administration, RabbitMQ or Celery
- Authorization to work in the United States without sponsorship
- Based in New York City office (onsite)
Fora Compensation & Benefits Highlights
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Employee materials indicate unlimited PTO, paid holidays, flexible scheduling, hybrid work, and three weeks per year of work‑from‑anywhere. These time‑off policies convey a broad, flexible approach for HQ roles.
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Healthcare Strength — Employee materials highlight comprehensive medical, dental and vision coverage alongside core protections like life and disability insurance. This points to strong foundational health coverage for employees.
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Retirement Support — Employee materials specify access to a 401(k) program as part of the total rewards package. This provides baseline retirement support consistent with a competitive benefits offering.
Fora Insights
What We Do
Fora is the modern travel agency, redefining what it means to be a travel advisor in today’s world. We’re a next-generation platform that provides a comprehensive, business-in-a-box solution—combining cutting-edge technology, personalized training, a vibrant community, and exclusive industry partnerships—all designed to empower anyone with a passion for travel to turn that passion into a thriving business. Whether you're a travel enthusiast or an experienced professional, Fora equips you with everything needed to launch and scale a successful travel advisory business, making it the ultimate way to align work with your lifestyle. At the heart of Fora is our mission: to power the next generation of travel entrepreneurs to transform their love for travel into a fulfilling full-time or part-time career, offering unparalleled flexibility, autonomy, and support. We believe that everyone, from seasoned travel professionals to first-time entrepreneurs, can build a career that’s both profitable and aligned with their passions. Our platform combines innovative technology with the human touch, offering: Best-in-class training programs to help agents develop expert knowledge, no matter their starting point. A powerful suite of tools for booking, client management, and marketing, ensuring agents can focus on delivering exceptional travel experiences. Access to an engaged community of fellow advisors, fostering collaboration, support, and shared learning. Exclusive partnerships with top travel brands, providing access to competitive rates, perks, and experiences that elevate advisors’ offerings. Since our founding in 2021 by experienced travel entrepreneurs Henley Vazquez, Jake Peters, and Evan Frank, Fora has experienced rapid growth, expanding to a team of 130+ full-time employees based in downtown New York City. Earlier this year, we announced our $60 million Series B and C investment rounds, led by Thrive Capital and Insight Partners, with participation by previous investors including Forerunner and Heartcore Capital. This funding represents a vote of confidence in the enduring power of entrepreneurship, and secures our ability to build a category-defining travel brand. We have a vision for the future that leverages the best of humans and the best of technology to create the first truly unified platform for all travel needs - from staycation to the safari.
Why Work With Us
Fora is redefining the travel industry by challenging norms and fostering a culture of growth, curiosity, and autonomy. We invest in cutting-edge technology to fuel innovation and empower our team to drive impactful change. Here, you’ll find meaningful work with ample opportunities for internal growth.
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Fora Offices
Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
Fora’s workplace policy offers balance and flexibility: we’re in-office 4 days a week, enjoy 3 weeks remote annually, and have flexible Fridays—all in a bright, inviting space in Fidi/Tribeca that fosters collaboration and creativity.
