Engineering Manager

Totara is an innovative technology leader in the learning and development space, and a provider of learning development and HR solutions for 1500 customers across a variety of sectors in over 150 countries. At Totara you will find an army of talented, motivated, and ambitious people. Our team consists of over 200 people across 3 offices in the UK, US and NZ. As a community that looks after each other, we value diversity, collaboration, and personal development. 

We’re looking for an Engineering Manager (EM) to join our team! As an Engineering Manager at Totara, you’ll work as part of the Engineering Management team to nurture an environment where engineers are thriving, and delivery teams are supported to deliver on Totara’s business goals.  

Work as part of the Engineering Management team 

The EMs and Head of Engineering form a team who meet and collaborate regularly. We build and action initiatives to continually improve Totara’s engineering practice, alongside our practices team, with the aim of removing friction for increased delivery flow. This could be uplifting recruiting, quality or maintenance practices, measuring success - and much more! As a team, we encourage collaboration, information sharing, experimentation and reflection, and we’re all exemplars of the culture we want to see. 

The team is based in Wellington, and we are looking for a local colleague to join us. The role is hybrid, offering flexibility to work both from home and the office, as we value the opportunity to collaborate in person. 

Engineers are thriving 

As EMs, we are people leaders who believe in building rapport through regular coaching 1:1s, scaffolded by clear expectations of the behavioural and technical competencies of each role. We each line manage around 13 engineers across three software delivery teams. 

Our engineers use technologies including PHP, JavaScript, PostgreSQL, and AWS to build an open-core product distributed via a global partner network. You will support them by celebrating success, leaning in with constructive feedback, and matching up those wanting to grow with the opportunities, people, and help they need. 

Delivery teams are supported to deliver on Totara’s business goals 

EMs join other cross-functional leaders wrapped around each delivery team. Together, we ensure teams can connect their work to business goals, practices are continuously improving, blockers are removed, and appropriate expertise is accessible. Additionally, we ensure teams are staffed appropriately by matching required capabilities with growing or hiring engineers. Last, but certainly not least, we support teams to connect well interpersonally while delivering a quality software product to our partners. 

What you’ll bring: 

• Proven experience coaching and mentoring engineers; growing their potential as well as addressing performance challenges 
• Familiarity with Agile methodologies, including supporting engineers to run team ceremonies  
• Years of experience working as an individual contributor in software delivery teams - likely as an engineer, quality engineer or technical product manager 
• A highly collaborative approach, willing to double down on your current expertise and lean into growth areas - whatever is needed to move the needle for the EM team as a whole 
• A proactive approach to building a positive and inclusive working culture 
• Experience in recruitment, onboarding, and interviewing engineers 

What We Offer:  

Joining our team means joining the pursuit to create effective and engaging learning workplaces for all. We’re looking for people who are excited about making an impact on the global stage and are passionate about working in the software product industry.  

Working at Totara, you’ll have:  

• A collaborative, high-autonomy work environment, where your ideas have real impact. 
• A passionate and creative team solving real-world customer challenges. 
• Competitive salary, flexible working, and professional development support. 
• Some of our benefits include health insurance, a yearly wellbeing allowance, a work from home set up allowance, fruit and coffee in the office as well as opportunities to gather regularly with your workmates.  
• A highly skilled, well-connected international team supporting your success. 

We know people will often read a list of requirements in job ads and not apply because they don’t see themselves reflected in the description, especially those who are minorities in the tech industry, often women. Please do apply! We care about increasing the contribution from women and gender-minorities in our team. We are also keen on many of the other attributes and character traits that make good, diverse, engineering teams. 

If you’re neurodivergent we’ll work with you to make the interview process clear, understandable and accessible. If you’re a parent or carer we’re happy to go remote first if it is easier to fit around your family needs. If you have other needs for our interview process like a support person, we’re happy to work with you so you can be as prepared and confident as possible going into the interview.  

We’d love to hear about why you can see yourself at Totara so please send through your CV and cover letter in one document to our hiring manager! A caveat about AI usage on cover letters: our hiring manager would rather hear from you briefly, in your own words. Many AI cover letters end up reading like templates.