Director of Engineering

As the Director of Engineering at ZenRows, you will own the overall health of the engineering team, lead hiring and continuous development, and champion a culture of accountability. You’ll drive the structure and processes of a growing team while ensuring efficient operations. Your responsibilities also include optimizing internal tooling, developing multi-disciplinary teams, and establishing clear technical roadmaps aligned with business objectives.

To join ZenRows as the Director of Engineering, candidates are expected to have proven leadership experience, particularly in high-growth environments, with a track record of managing engineering teams of 20-30+ members. Familiarity with SaaS/API products, cloud infrastructure, and strong communication skills are also essential, along with a background in Agile practices and a proactive approach to decision-making.

Collaboration is key at ZenRows! As the Director of Engineering, you will work closely with the Product Lead to align engineering efforts with business priorities. You’ll facilitate efficient communication between engineering, product, and customer teams, ensuring feedback loops are established for continuous improvement right across the organization to meet customer needs effectively.

ZenRows fosters a remote-first, fast-paced culture that values ownership, transparency, and continuous learning. As the Director of Engineering, you'll enjoy autonomy in shaping the engineering culture, driving high-impact projects while collaborating with a talented and supportive team. We're dedicated to creating an environment where experimentation is encouraged, and everyone's voice is valued.

The Director of Engineering at ZenRows will face several challenges, such as balancing immediate product deliverables with long-term scalability amidst rapid growth, managing a dispersed remote team, and navigating complex data flows and security protocols. The role requires a proactive approach to implementing agile practices that maintain speed and quality across the engineering team.

In leading and scaling the engineering team at ZenRows, I would focus on building a strong recruitment strategy that attracts top talent, ensuring onboarding processes foster quick integration into our culture. I'll implement continuous professional development programs to enhance team skills, while also establishing clearly defined roles and responsibilities to optimize team efficiency.

I prioritize engineering projects by aligning them with strategic business objectives, using data-driven decision-making to identify high-impact initiatives. I also employ collaboration with cross-functional teams to gather insights on customer needs, which helps ascertain priorities that lead to effective project outcomes in our rapidly evolving business landscape.

Managing remote teams effectively requires strong communication and trust-building practices. In my previous roles, I have leveraged digital tools for project management and regular check-ins, while fostering a culture of accountability and ensuring transparent workflows. I believe in creating opportunities for informal interactions, which can strengthen team bonds even across time zones.

To foster innovation, I encourage an experimental mindset where engineers feel safe to propose and implement new ideas. Regular brainstorming sessions, hackathons, and a feedback-rich environment can lead to valuable insights. I also ensure that team members have the time and resources to develop their projects that may align with our goals, driving motivation and creativity.

In a fast-paced environment, quality can be ensured through rigorous automated testing practices and establishing clear coding standards. Incorporating continuous integration and deployment facilitates quick iterations while maintaining high-quality outputs. I also promote a culture of peer reviews and provide the team with tools that enhance monitoring and observability.

I have significant experience with DevOps practices, including CI/CD, automation of testing and deployment, and monitoring system performance using tools like Jenkins and Docker. I emphasize collaboration between development and operations teams to reduce bottlenecks and encourage a shared responsibility for application performance and reliability.

Implementing security best practices requires a proactive approach—from incorporating security in the design phase to ongoing testing and monitoring. I advocate for regular security audits, staying current with industry standards, and embedding security training into our engineering culture to ensure all team members are aware of best practices.

My approach to mentoring engineers is tailored to individual needs and career goals, emphasizing open communication about strengths and areas for growth. I strive to create a supportive environment where mentees can ask questions freely and feel inspired to tackle challenging projects. Regular one-on-ones facilitate feedback and development, ensuring each engineer's career path is nurtured.

Success in an engineering team can be measured through KPIs that align with business objectives, including code quality, velocity, and deployment frequency. I also evaluate team engagement and professional development indicators. Regular feedback sessions allow us to reflect on outcomes, celebrating successes and identifying areas for improvement.

In one instance, I faced a challenge with high turnover in my team due to burnout. I addressed it by implementing flexible work schedules, encouraging time off, and promoting a healthy work-life balance. By communicating openly about workload expectations and investing in team-building activities, we were able to rebuild morale and restore productivity.