Playground is a VC-backed SaaS company revolutionizing child care management. Our platform helps child care providers streamline their operations and engage parents effectively. We’re growing fast, have a strong engineering foundation, and are seeking a visionary engineering leader to help us scale and shape the future of our team and technology.
We are looking for an Engineering Manager or Director of Engineering (depending on experience) to lead, inspire, and expand our engineering team as we scale rapidly. This role will set the technical and strategic direction of our product, grow our team 3x over the next year, and ensure Playground continues to attract and retain exceptional engineering talent. You’ll have the opportunity to define our engineering culture, mentor top-tier talent, and drive our mission forward.
Leadership & Management
Lead, mentor, and inspire a team of full-stack engineers, fostering professional growth and development.
Establish and uphold high engineering standards for quality, performance, and reliability.
Maintain and enhance our fast-paced product development cadence while ensuring long-term scalability.
Team Growth
Build and scale the engineering team by hiring and retaining exceptional talent, with a goal to triple the team size within the next year.
Identify and plan for immediate and long-term team needs, including critical hires like a platform engineer, to support infrastructure scalability and product innovation.
Strategy & Direction
Collaborate with the CTO and leadership team to define and execute the technical roadmap.
Shape product development strategy, balancing rapid innovation with business priorities and scalability.
Technical Contribution
Provide technical oversight and input to ensure robust architectural decisions.
Support the team in delivering high-quality, scalable features across our web and mobile platforms.
Proven experience in an engineering leadership role (Engineering Manager, Director of Engineering, or similar) at a rapidly scaling company.
Strong track record of building and scaling high-performing engineering teams, with demonstrated success in hiring top-tier talent.
Expertise in modern web and mobile development, particularly in TypeScript, React, and Node.js.
Experience managing teams delivering full-stack products with fast shipping cycles.
Ability to mentor engineers, foster a culture of learning and innovation, and inspire a team to achieve ambitious goals.
Strategic mindset with the ability to align engineering efforts with business objectives and long-term growth.
Prior experience in SaaS or fast-paced startup environments is highly preferred.
The annual salary range for this position is $200,000-$290,000, subject to standard withholding and applicable taxes.
Job level and actual compensation will be decided on factors including, but not limited to, individual qualifications objectively assessed during the interview process (including skills and prior relevant experience, potential impact, and scope of role), market demands, and specific work location. The listed range is a guideline, and the range for this role may be modified.
Unparalleled Impact: Play a critical role in shaping the future of child care management software.
Incredible Team: Work alongside a talented and driven group of founders, engineers, and product experts.
Exponential Growth: Lead and grow a team in a rapidly scaling company with clear goals and a strong trajectory.
Modern Tech Stack: Work with cutting-edge technologies including TypeScript, React, Node.js, and mobile platforms.
Mission-Driven Culture: Join a company deeply committed to making a meaningful impact in the child care industry.
Location: This role is fully in-person and based in New York City.
How to Apply: If you’re excited about leading and scaling a fast-moving engineering team at a mission-driven company, we’d love to hear from you.
If an employer mentions a salary or salary range on their job, we display it as an "Employer Estimate". If a job has no salary data, Rise displays an estimate if available.
Are you ready to make an impact in the childcare management sector? Playground, a revolutionary VC-backed SaaS company based in the heart of New York City, is seeking an Engineering Manager to join our growing team. At Playground, we’re all about streamlining operations for childcare providers while engaging parents in meaningful ways. As an Engineering Manager, you’ll lead, inspire, and nurture our talented engineering team, which is set to triple in size over the next year. You’ll take the reins on technical and strategic decisions that will shape our product’s future, while also ensuring high standards of quality and performance in our fast-paced environment. Your leadership will be key as you collaborate closely with our CTO and other stakeholders to define our roadmap, ensuring we balance swift innovation with long-term scalability. In addition, you’ll mentor your team members, foster a culture of learning, and drive forward our mission to improve childcare management practices. With expertise in modern web and mobile development, especially in TypeScript, React, and Node.js, you’ll have the chance to facilitate an agile development process while making critical architectural decisions. Join us on this exciting journey at Playground, where you’ll not only influence the direction of our technology but also engage in a mission-driven culture that is dedicated to making a real difference in the childcare industry.
Playground seeks a proactive Government Partnerships Manager to enhance child care accessibility through strategic relationships with government and NGO partners.
Playground is searching for an MBA Business Operations Lead to help streamline processes and solve high-priority operational challenges within a rapidly growing startup.
Join Broadcom as a Design Automation Engineer and leverage your extensive experience in EDA to ensure quality and efficiency in ASIC product designs.
Doka is looking for an experienced leader to head their Global Expertise Center in Infrastructure, focusing on strategic development and team empowerment.
Join Amazon's Buy with Prime team as a Senior Solutions Architect to lead e-commerce architecture and drive customer-centric solutions.
The New York City Police Department is looking for an Energy Engineer focused on implementing innovative energy solutions for municipal facilities.
ServiceNow is looking for an experienced Staff Cloud Network Engineer to deliver innovative cloud networking solutions.
We are looking for an experienced Sr. Manufacturing Engineer to lead reliability centered maintenance practices at Rain Bird.
As a Solutions Architect at Innovative, you'll play a pivotal role in shaping cloud infrastructures and optimizing solutions for our clients.
Kleinfelder is looking for a motivated Survey Instrument Operator to become part of a leading land development firm focused on innovative solutions.
Subscribe to Rise newsletter