Engineering Manager

As an Engineering Manager at Nautical, you’ll be responsible for leading a talented cross-functional team of engineers, guiding them in developing stable and resilient software solutions. This includes setting high standards for technical expertise, collaborating with product managers to align our product roadmap with customer needs, and implementing modern development practices like CI/CD and TDD. Your role will also involve mentoring team members, participating in code reviews, and solving complex challenges across our applications.

To be a successful Engineering Manager at Nautical, you should have at least 2 years of hands-on technical leadership and people management experience. You'll need a solid understanding of both frontend and backend development technologies, particularly with NextJS, Remix, Python, Django, and cloud platforms like GCP. A background in scaling critical software services and a passion for delivering quality features while maintaining high standards is essential.

The technology stack for the Engineering Manager position at Nautical includes backend technologies like Python/Django, NodeJS, PostgreSQL, and GraphQL, while the frontend is built using Typescript with frameworks like Remix and Next.js. We also leverage cloud infrastructure solutions such as GCP, Kubernetes, and Terraform to ensure a robust delivery of our services.

Nautical is dedicated to the professional development of its Engineering Managers through both mentorship and continuous learning opportunities. In your role, you'll have the chance to foster the growth of your team while also expanding your skill set through hands-on problem-solving and innovative project management. We encourage taking initiative and embracing a growth mindset, so you can evolve alongside our ambitious mission.

The company culture at Nautical is one of collaboration, respect, and humility. We believe in the value of diverse perspectives and foster an environment where every team's voice can influence our direction. As an Engineering Manager, you’ll be part of a supportive community that encourages innovative thinking, accountability, and a healthy approach to risk-taking, all while striving for excellence in our mission.

During your interview, emphasize your focus on empowerment and collaboration. Explain how you foster an open environment where team members feel valued and encouraged to share their ideas. Provide an example of how you've helped build a high-performing team by adapting your leadership style to meet the needs of your engineers.

It's important to showcase your conflict resolution skills here. Share your approach to addressing conflicts head-on by facilitating open discussions and ensuring that all viewpoints are considered. Highlight a specific instance where you successfully mitigated a dispute, leading to a positive outcome for both the team and project.

Discuss your commitment to implementing modern software practices like CI/CD and TDD, and how you involve the team in these processes. Share examples of how you encourage code reviews, testing, and proactive monitoring to elevate the quality of the software while balancing feature delivery.

Explain your method for assessing urgency versus importance when prioritizing tasks. Describe how you collaborate with product managers and other stakeholders to align on priorities that maximize impact while ensuring your team stays focused and engaged with their work.

Be ready to demonstrate your proficiency in Nautical's tech stack, particularly Python/Django for backend and NextJS or Remix for frontend development. Highlight how your previous roles have equipped you with hands-on experience in these technologies and frame your answer within the context of successful projects you've completed.

Discuss techniques you've employed, such as regular one-on-ones, team-building activities, and providing opportunities for professional development. Highlight the importance of recognizing team achievements and fostering an inclusive atmosphere that values each member's contributions.

Prepare a specific example illustrating your problem-solving skills. Discuss the challenge, the steps you took to address it, and the need for team collaboration. Highlight any lessons learned that improved your team's performance in future projects.

Emphasize your commitment to mentorship. Describe how you tailor your mentorship style based on individual needs, set clear goals, and encourage continuous learning through hands-on projects and regular feedback.

Explain how you facilitate communication around Nautical's mission and values within your team. Discuss strategies for ensuring that engineering goals align with broader company objectives and how you reinforce these through regular meetings and project discussions.

Talk about specific innovations that led to process improvements or product advancements. Highlight how you involved the team in brainstorming and executing these ideas while measuring their impact on productivity or quality.