Engineering Manager

As an Engineering Manager at Pilot, you'll lead a talented team of engineers, mentor them through career development, and create a work environment that promotes collaboration and respect. You'll also handle performance management, technical project prioritization, and nurturing relationships within and outside your team, while consistently focusing on continuous improvement in code and processes.

To qualify for the Engineering Manager role at Pilot, candidates should have at least two years of managerial experience in an engineering context. It's important to demonstrate skills in managing engineers' performance, fostering inclusion, identifying hiring needs, and employing strong technical execution. A foundational technical background is also beneficial for engaging in architectural discussions.

The Engineering Manager at Pilot contributes by overseeing the development of software that enables small businesses to thrive. Your leadership in driving engineering practices and ensuring team cohesion directly supports our goal of providing affordable and effective back-office solutions for small businesses while fostering a culture grounded in empathy and support.

In the Engineering Manager role at Pilot, you'll engage with a variety of technologies, including Python 3.11 for backend development, JavaScript, TypeScript, and Vue.js for the frontend. Additionally, you’ll utilize Terraform for infrastructure management, Docker for container deployments, and AWS CodeDeploy for deploying applications.

Pilot prioritizes an inclusive and collaborative workplace, where engineering managers are encouraged to focus on their teams' growth and well-being. The high-trust environment allows for creativity, iterative development, and close relationships with stakeholders, ensuring that everyone has a voice and can contribute to the company's mission of transforming small business solutions.

When discussing your leadership style, emphasize your commitment to empathy, collaboration, and continuous feedback. Highlight how you prioritize team members' development and create an inclusive environment that encourages innovation and open communication.

Outline how you approach underperformance by first gathering data and feedback before having direct and constructive conversations with the individual. Stress the importance of setting clear expectations, providing support, and regularly checking in to ensure they’re on the path to improvement.

Share your approach to promoting diversity by understanding biases, actively seeking diverse candidates, and implementing inclusive hiring practices. Discuss how you create an environment where all voices are heard, ensuring that your team reflects a variety of perspectives and experiences.

Discuss your method for balancing technical challenges and project timelines, involving team input to evaluate the impact of issues. Emphasize collaboration with stakeholders and maintaining a clear backlog that aligns with both the team’s capabilities and business goals.

Use this opportunity to detail a project that involved cross-team collaboration, describe your role in navigating dependencies, and the outcomes achieved. Highlight how this experience shaped your understanding of technical execution and team dynamics.

Explain your commitment to continuous improvement by facilitating regular retrospectives and feedback loops within your team. Share specific practices you implement to ensure that past learnings are integrated into future projects, enhancing both code quality and team efficiency.

Illustrate your relationship approach by demonstrating your dedication to transparency and regular communication. Discuss how you identify stakeholders' needs, set expectations early on, and foster long-lasting relationships that enhance team collaboration and project success.

Emphasize the importance of both technical skills and cultural fit when evaluating engineers. Share how you assess not just their ability to solve problems, but also their capacity to collaborate, share knowledge, and contribute to the supportive environment you're creating.

Discuss your focus on understanding the new employee’s background and learning style. Share how you would establish a structured onboarding plan coupled with regular check-ins to ensure they feel welcomed, supported, and equipped to succeed.

Detail your commitment to lifelong learning through industry conferences, online courses, and networking with other professionals. Share specific examples of how you’ve used new trends to benefit your team’s projects and effectiveness.