VP of Engineering

Note: as one progresses along a career path, one should possess and show all qualities of levels below.

Years of Experience: 10+

Knowledge & Technical Skill

• Has significant professional background in systems architecture, software engineering, and management

• Leads engineering teams towards architecturally sound designs that will support the business needs in the present, as well as the foreseeable future. This comes from a constant awareness of the business and product perspectives, synthesized with deep technical background

• Able to debug and triage critical systems, and understands the systems well enough to perform code reviews and help research problems as needed

Impact & Output

• Purview is all engineers and engineering managers. Depending on the management structure, this may also include the Director of Engineering

• Ensures timely and smooth execution of complex deliverables of diverse scope. Focuses on ensuring that we continually evaluate and refine our development/infrastructure standards and processes to create technology that will deliver sustained value to the business

• Works in an interdisciplinary manner with peers in other departments (Product, Marketing, Business Development, etc) as well as the CEO, CTO, and COO to create both a strategic and tactical roadmap that tackles both business needs and efficiencies, as well as fundamental technology innovation"

• Works closely with the CTO in reinforcing culture, best practices, and career development across the team

• Leverages own external network to improve engineering team as well as the organization

• Owns a portfolio of vendor relationships, and works with CTO to determine major new vendor relationships

Communication

• Guides business and strategic decisions within the organization by providing high-level technical guidance

• Can articulate a compelling summary of organization's strategy, position in the nonprofit space, etc

• Industry recognition as a dynamic public speaker, technical contributor, and/or writer. Capable of delivering keynote-style talks and presentations

Leadership

• Priority and focus remains to be peers: other directors and product managers

• Leads difficult systems architecture decisions by mentoring senior technologists, as well as providing hands-on technology guidance

• Evolves and refines team structure, identifying new roles that need to be created and (just as importantly) removing roles that we no longer need

• Seen as a thought leader within Engineering, both internally and externally

• Has a good understanding of the entire business, can critically evaluate areas outside of their own area of expertise, and has a firm understanding of the external environment (competitors, national landscape, etc.) and their impact on the organization

• Help DoSomething in its fundraising initiatives as needed, being a good steward of the long-term fiscal health of the organization.