Director Of Infrastructure Engineering

Salary: $170,000 - $200,000 base salary, commensurate with experience

Position: 

The purpose of the Director of Infrastructure Engineering position at CharacterStrong is to lead and manage our infrastructure and data engineering team, ensuring the development and maintenance of reliable and efficient systems. This role involves overseeing site reliability, data infrastructure, security, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to align with the company’s strategic goals. The Director will drive innovation and continuous improvement in systems engineering, serve as a strategic advisor, and foster a culture of excellence and problem-solving within the team.

 

CharacterStrong’s Background & Mission:

CharacterStrong is a fast-paced, tech education company that makes PreK-12 digital, social-emotional learning curricula and offers professional learning opportunities to support schools with implementation. There’s currently a team of more than 60 full-time employees, several part-time employees, and over 30 trainers collaborating to bring this work to life. Our mission is to create a more loving world by equipping educators with tools to teach the critical social, emotional, and character skills necessary to foster a more empathetic, connected, and generous world.  At CharacterStrong, you will have the opportunity to make a positive impact on education, both in the United States and internationally. CharacterStrong employees offer their innovativeness, dedication to excellence, and compassion to help produce transformational curricula and training for educators.  

CharacterStrong’s Company Values:

• We Practice Kindness - Exercising inclusion, care, and empathy with others, balancing honesty with compassion when having courageous conversations and engaging in kindness towards self.
• We Produce Excellence - Producing timely, quality results and consistently asking the question, “How can we make this 1% better?”
• We Take Ownership - Taking the initiative to drive work forward, demonstrating responsibility when things do not go according to plan, and being proactive in closing identified gaps.
• We Problem Solve - Identifying issues, analyzing for understanding, and taking action to implement the best possible solution.

Director of Infrastructure Engineering Responsibilities:

• Lead and manage a infrastructure & data engineering team of approximately 6 professionals, including a Staff Systems Architect, Security Engineer, Data Engineer, and 2-3 Full-Stack Developers.
• Evaluate and develop accountability structures 
• Oversee the development and maintenance of site reliability and performance, ensuring optimal uptime and efficient resolution of any issues.
• Coordinate the team's efforts in data, infrastructure, and security to align with the company's strategic goals and development initiatives.
• Drive the implementation of best practices in data privacy and security, staying abreast of the latest industry trends and regulations.
• Facilitate the development and maintenance of team-facing data tools, enhancing the productivity and capabilities of the engineering department.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to align systems engineering projects with broader organizational objectives.
• Prioritize and allocate resources effectively, managing project timelines and deliverables.
• Foster a culture of innovation and continuous improvement within the systems engineering team.
• Serve as a key strategic advisor on all matters related to systems engineering, providing insights and recommendations to senior leadership.

Required Qualifications:

• Senior-level experience with managerial responsibilities in the tech field, preferably in systems engineering.
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• Considerable knowledge and experience with common web developer skills, including Rest APIs, React, HTML, CSS, JavaScript/Typescript, Serverless Technology, Tools, Debugging, Basic Graphic Design, Back end and Databases, Hosting Services, Libraries and frameworks, SEO, CI Pipelines such as Github Actions
• Demonstrated experience in managing site reliability, data privacy, and security in a technology-focused organization.
• Strong leadership skills with experience in leading diverse and dynamic teams.
• Excellent project management abilities, including resource allocation, workload prioritization, and strategic planning.
• Effective communication skills, with the ability to convey complex technical concepts to stakeholders at all levels of the organization.
• In-depth understanding of modern software engineering principles, security protocols, and systems engineering practices.
• Proven track record in implementing innovative design theories and coding best practices.
• Familiarity with GitHub, CI/CD pipelines, and Test-Driven Development approaches.
• Strong knowledge of cross-browser, cross-platform, and cross-device compatibility standards and behaviors
• Proficiency with writing and automating unit, integration, and end-to-end tests

Other Duties:

• Performs other duties as assigned.

Salary & Benefits

• $170,000 - $200,000 base salary, commensurate with experience
• Ability to work remotely 
• Annual bonus based on company performance
• New laptop computer, AirPods, and other needed equipment
• Annual Individual Budget for Professional Development of $1,000
• 401k Plan after 12 months of Employment 
• Medical Insurance, Dental Insurance, Vision 
• Paid Parental Leave after 12 months of employment for eligible employees
• 15 Paid Vacation Days, 8 Paid Sick Days, 14 Paid Company Holidays

CharacterStrong views diversity and the unique ways team members establish connections with our student and educator populations as an asset. Our goal is to ensure we have a team at CharacterStrong that reflects the diverse student population we serve.

CharacterStrong is an equal-opportunity employer. We provide for fair treatment of all employees based on merit. In accordance with applicable law, race, color, creed, ancestry, national origin, citizenship, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, and pregnancy-related conditions, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, and transgender status), marital status, religion, age, disability, genetic information (including testing and characteristics), service in the military, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local law does not affect employment opportunities or practices such as hiring, promotion, development opportunities, pay, or benefits. CharacterStrong complies with all applicable federal, state, and local labor laws.

remote work