Engineering Manager Backend Focused

About the Role: Engineering Manager Backend Focused at Braintrust

As an Engineering Manager on Braintrust's R&D Platform team, you will lead the charge in building scalable, reliable solutions that directly contribute to healthier lives. We are seeking a leader with a robust technical foundation in backend and platform architecture, capable of guiding teams in developing foundational services and developer tools that empower the entire engineering organization.

You will be instrumental in fostering a culture of technical excellence and continuous improvement within high-performing teams. Your expertise will be vital for designing and delivering resilient platform services, alongside mentoring engineers and supporting their career advancement. This role involves partnering with leaders across Braintrust to drive platform adoption and ensure our technology stack effectively supports a rapidly scaling health tech company.

Key Responsibilities

• Design & Development: Spearhead the design and development of robust platform services using a modern, cloud-native stack. You will actively participate in technical discussions, guiding your team toward elegant and resilient solutions.
• Strategic Planning: Collaborate with product and engineering leaders to define and execute a cutting-edge platform roadmap, strategically balancing immediate project needs with long-term architectural investments.
• Team Leadership: Cultivate a positive, inclusive, and autonomous team environment. Your role includes mentoring, coaching, and developing high-performing engineers, ensuring successful project delivery and professional growth.
• Technical Problem-Solving: Proactively identify and mitigate project risks through expert technical guidance and effective problem-solving, serving as a critical technical resource for your teams.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Build and maintain strong relationships with engineering, product, and business leaders to enhance platform adoption and ensure alignment on technical priorities.

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in building scalable backend software applications.
• 3+ years of experience leading platform or internal developer tooling teams.
• Technical Stack: Extensive hands-on experience with Go for backend services, Kubernetes for container orchestration, and cloud platforms such as Google Cloud Platform (GCP).
• Data & Identity: Proficiency with MongoDB for data persistence and experience developing or integrating with authentication and authorization systems like OAuth.
• Architectural Skills: Deep understanding of distributed systems, microservices architecture, and API design.

Attributes We Value

• A strong advocate for modern agile software development and management practices.
• An adept problem-solver who effectively guides teams to clear, impactful solutions.
• Excels at prioritizing high-impact projects and strategic technical debt.
• A clear communicator, able to articulate complex technical concepts, timelines, and scope to business stakeholders.
• Skilled in setting clear expectations for team members and comfortable providing actionable feedback.
• Adept at managing team members with diverse skill sets and technical areas of focus.

Contract and Equipment Requirements

• Contract length: 6 months
• Hours per week: 40
• Timezone: Must be willing to work PST or MST.
• Candidates must have the following equipment: CPU: Current-generation Apple Silicon, RAM: 64GB, Storage: 1TB OR Model: MacBook Air, M4, RAM: 24GB, Storage: 512GB

Key skills/competency

• Backend Development
• Platform Architecture
• Go Programming Language
• Kubernetes
• Google Cloud Platform (GCP)
• Distributed Systems
• Microservices
• API Design
• MongoDB
• Team Leadership