Below is just a rough example of a job I personally held, and the job description and role and responsibilities it entailed. This was for a Senior Director of Software Engineering overlooking a department of a larger business.
By documenting this here, in a repo, I can reference, improve, and make sure clear expectations are set at hiring, and throughout my job cycle. When I inevitably transition/leave this becomes incredibly useful to define what responsibilities should be backfilled or distributed.
Our Company is looking for a Sr. Director of Software Engineering to cultivate and inspire the engineering organization in the Portland, Oregon, USA office location. The Sr. Director role is responsible for the engineering and operation of products developed by seven cross-functional, agile product squads. This position reports to the CTO and serves on the Technology Leadership Team which manages technology initiatives at the global level.
This position builds long-term strategic plans, oversees the organization’s budget, works with product to direct the definition and implementation of customer requirements, and helps creates the product vision to support the ongoing life cycle management of applicable key products and systems. The position also develops future leaders to build senior leadership bench strength.
A valid passport and the ability to travel throughout the United States and United Kingdom is required. You will be working with a global team of highly talented and committed individuals bringing three companies together into one to form the industry’s leading data and analytics provider.
- Positive attitude and the ability to assume best intent in all conversations
- Frequent, open and honest communication, written and verbal
- Ability to collaborate globally across time zones (i.e. wake up early)
- Foster a culture of ownership and accountability
- Ability to recognize, learn from, and celebrate both successes and failures
- Ability to get the right people in the same room at the right time
- You value products over projects
- You care about outcomes, not output
- Software lifecycle management
- Knowledge of large and complex systems
- Knowledge of architectural principles
- Ability to leverage technical metrics to drive effective business decisions
- Proven expert in partnering with and leading internal and external technology resources in solving complex business needs
- Experience in code reviews and development approaches
- Expertise in industry best practices
- Proven ability to lead test-driven development and maintenance
- Proven ability to adapt to new roles and responsibilities
- Software development process expert in agile methodologies
- Excellent skills in setting, communicating, implementing, and achieving business objectives and goals through the direct management of others
- Excellent organization/project planning, time management, and change management skills across multiple functional groups and departments, and excellent delegation skills involving prioritizing and re-prioritizing projects and managing projects of various size and complexity
- Excellent problem-solving experience involving leading teams in identifying, researching, and coordinating the resources necessary to effectively troubleshoot/diagnose complex project issues; prior success extracting/translating findings into alternatives/solutions; and identifying risks/impacts and schedule adjustments to facilitate management decision-making
- Excellent communication (verbal and written) and customer service skills. Strong interpersonal, communication, and presentation skills applicable to a wide audience including senior and executive management, customers, etc., including diction/terminology and presenting information in a concise and effective manner to clients, management, and various departments using assorted communication mediums
- Responsible for leaders with teams of both internal and external technology resources
- Meet or exceed operational targets, service-level agreements, schedules, quality or cost requirements
- Make long- and short-term decisions in relationship to product development strategies as they relate to the overall business strategy
- Perform reviews to ensure enterprise and architectural standards and processes are followed
- Utilize best practices and understands emerging trends
- Develop leaders to build senior leadership bench strength
- Lead the development of technical standards, and perform reviews to ensure enterprise and architectural standards and processes are followed
- Recommend technical strategy and direction across functional area
- Consult with stakeholders to find alternative work-arounds during system outages
- Provide design input across a product
- Work directly with customers and end users
- Design and work with complex data models
- Seek diverse ideas and perspectives from a variety of sources to create better solutions, products, and services
- Carry out management responsibilities in accordance with the organization’s policies, procedures, and applicable laws. Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; and addressing complaints and resolving problems
- Ensure all staff is provided with training and resources needed to perform their jobs to the most outstanding degree possible. Ensure all staff is provided with frequent feedback and coaching in order to meet and exceed individual and team performance goals consistently
- Manage and encourage new ideas from staff to foster improvements through innovations
- Empower the staff to be accountable and responsible for their own actions and decisions