Engineering Manager, Compliance

As the Engineering Manager, Compliance at Justworks, your primary responsibility will be to lead the development and delivery of crucial systems that manage compliance in Payroll & Tax. This includes overseeing the backend services, ensuring they are efficient, scalable, and meet business compliance goals. You will collaborate cross-functionally with various teams to identify opportunities for improvement and mentor engineers to elevate their technical skills.

To succeed as an Engineering Manager, Compliance at Justworks, you should have 8+ years of experience in software engineering with a solid focus on backend and API development. A minimum of 2 years in a managerial role is crucial, alongside advanced knowledge of programming languages such as Ruby or Go, and experience with SQL and relational database design.

Justworks encourages ongoing professional development for Engineering Managers through mentorship opportunities, accessible training resources, and a culture that values continuous learning. Expect to foster technical skills and leadership in your team while also growing your capabilities to lead effectively in a collaborative environment.

As an Engineering Manager, Compliance at Justworks, you will primarily work with technologies like Ruby on Rails, Python, and SQL databases. Familiarity with Docker, Kubernetes, and CI/CD tools like CircleCI will also be beneficial in this role as these technologies are integral to our development workflow.

At Justworks, the work environment for the Engineering Manager, Compliance is collaborative and supportive, focusing on camaraderie and innovation. You will be part of a dynamic team that values open communication, teamwork, and shared goals, with excellent benefits and a commitment to work-life balance ensuring a positive workplace experience.

When facing high-pressure situations, it’s vital to assess the urgency and importance of tasks. I prioritize by aligning tasks with the team’s strategic goals and deadlines, ensuring I communicate effectively with my team members to delegate appropriately. I also advocate for maintaining flexibility to adapt to any changes that may arise.

Mentorship is crucial for team development. I focus on understanding the individual strengths and improvement areas of my team members, and I tailor my mentorship approach accordingly. I encourage open dialogue and provide constructive feedback, fostering an environment where team members feel safe to learn, grow, and share their ideas.

To ensure code quality and efficiency, I implement regular code reviews and promote the use of best practices in software development. I encourage my team to embrace code quality checks and automated testing as part of our CI/CD pipeline, which not only enhances the quality of our work but also increases developer productivity.

I actively engage in the tech community by attending conferences, participating in online forums, and taking relevant courses. Following influential thought leaders on platforms like LinkedIn and reading industry blogs also help me stay informed about the latest trends and technological advancements in engineering management.

One of the most challenging aspects is balancing competing priorities between product requirements and engineering capabilities. It requires good judgment and communication skills to ensure that we are meeting customer expectations while also sticking to our technical roadmap.

To foster a culture of innovation, I encourage my team to experiment and challenge the status quo. I create a safe environment for them to propose new ideas and take calculated risks, celebrating their successes and learning from failures. Regular brainstorming sessions can also help in harnessing creativity.

Handling conflict requires addressing issues directly and impartially. I listen to all parties involved, gather facts, and mediate a constructive conversation. My goal is to promote resolution while maintaining professionalism and focusing on our common goals.

I set team goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). Regular check-ins allow us to track progress, and I celebrate milestones reached to maintain motivation. Feedback sessions ensure that the team remains aligned with our objectives and can pivot when necessary.

Promoting work-life balance involves fostering a culture where taking breaks is encouraged, flexible working hours are available, and workloads remain manageable. I prioritize outcomes over hours worked and make it clear that mental well-being is just as crucial to our success.

I view recruitment as an opportunity to bring diverse skills and perspectives into the team. By crafting a well-defined job description and conducting thorough interviews, I ensure candidates align with our company values and culture. I focus on building a high-performance team by recognizing and nurtusing each member's strengths.