CEO @ 9 Dots | Education Technology, Product, Leadership
Director of Engineering
Product Department
Reports to CEO
9 Dots is a Los Angeles-based community of educators, researchers, and engineers aiming to provide K-6 students from Title I elementary schools with the opportunity to engage in a transformative computer science (CS) education. We are especially committed to creating empowering CS experiences for our female, Latinx, Black, and low-income students. We create learning environments that engage every student, foster joy, and promote fearlessness in problem-solving. And we build sustainably by providing teachers with the support and tools they need to lead exceptional computer science learning experiences.
As Director of Engineering, you will bridge high-level strategic visions with actionable results, guiding and inspiring a team to transform these ideas into a dynamic learning platform. Your leadership will not only drive technological advancements but also fuel a mission to make computer science education accessible and engaging for students and teachers who have been historically excluded from these opportunities.
Strategic Leadership:
Collaborate with the Executive Director and other key stakeholders in strategic planning and visioning for 9 Dots’ technological and educational roadmap.
Translate strategic goals into actionable plans and lead the engineering team in executing these plans.
Identify opportunities for innovation in our software to enhance our educational impact.
Stay abreast of industry trends and advancements in education technology to inform strategic decisions.
Architect, Develop, and Maintain 9 Dots Software
Oversee & lead the design and development of the 9 Dots software ecosystem
Maintain availability of 9 Dots web software
Maintain the 9 Dots software roadmap and direct the efforts of the engineering team
Manage all team software development processes, e.g. agile sprints
Lead user experience research to ensure our software meets the needs of students and teachers
Additional duties as assigned
Managerial Responsibilities:
Leads an engineering team of 3-4 developers, ensuring that the engineering team meets their goals and objectives
Recruit additional engineering staff as needed
Conducts performance evaluations that are timely and constructive
Provides training, mentoring, and collaboration to junior engineers
Requirements
Experience with the following (technology suggestions below, but equivalence accepted)
Follow current codebase practice and advance best practice
Assess system-wide ramifications, including edge cases
Roadmap to elicit and coordinate team contributions
Review code to maintain software quality and develop talent
Support legacy systems and update them or migrate to new systems as required
Excellent communication skills
A history of effective collaboration with and leadership of diverse groups of people
A track record of tackling difficult, novel problems, both independently and by leading others
Bonus
Has an informed perspective with the student population we serve and/or the teachers we support
Experience with mentoring, coaching, supervision, and/or management
Experience with curriculum or lesson design
Experience teaching computer science
Start Date: Flexible, depending on candidate availability
Location: Remote/California—This is a remote position open to California residents. The Director of Engineering must be present on-site (at 9 Dots or in schools in Los Angeles County) for approximately 10 days a year.
We Provide
$140,000-$160,000 commensurate with experience
Full health care, dental, and vision insurance
Retirement Investment Plans (401k)
Life and disability insurance
20 days PTO + 13 Holidays
Professional Development reimbursement
4-day work weeks during the summer months (June - early August)
Experience within a nimble and rapidly growing organization
Open and collaborative environment
9 Dots is an Equal Opportunity Employer
Qualified Applicants with Criminal Histories will be considered for employment in a manner consistent with the requirements of the California Consumer Reporting Agencies Act and Los Angeles’s Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance.
9 Dots encourages all applicants to apply and seeks to hire qualified staff who reflect the rich diversity of the communities we serve. We define diversity in broad terms to include race, ethnicity, nationality, age, gender, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, geography, socio-economic status, and other unique attributes that make us who we are.
Application
To apply, please submit a thoughtful cover letter and resume to the hiring manager using this Google form.
If you have questions about the application process, please contact recruiting@9dots.org.
Employment type
Full-time
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