Engineering Manager

K&L Wine Merchants is seeking an experienced and results-driven Engineering Manager to oversee our engineering department. The ideal candidate will have deep knowledge of the IT domain, strong leadership abilities, technical management experience, and team-building skills to help us innovate and grow. Preference will be given to candidates based on the U.S. East coast/EST time zone.  

Key Responsibilities 

• Team Development: Lead, mentor, recruit, and create a high-performing, inclusive engineering team. Foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous learning. Set and maintain a high bar for technical excellence, ensuring the team follows best practices in software development and platform architecture.  
• Technical Leadership: Provide leadership and oversight for the development, design, and optimization of innovative technology projects. Get hands-on when needed to help unblock decisions and evaluate tradeoffs. Plan, implement, and maintain network infrastructure, including LAN, WAN, VPN, and wireless networks, while adhering to industry best practices and security standards. Use your technical expertise to improve the team and ensure your team achieves extraordinary results.  
• Project Management: Oversee technical projects and manage timely delivery within cost constraints. Implement effective engineering processes and set performance metrics. 
• Cross-functional Collaboration: Work closely with product, marketing, and sales to align strategies and ensure the company's objectives are met.  Collaborate with cross-functional teams to design and implement disaster recovery and business continuity plans to minimize system downtime and data loss. 
• Strategic Planning: Develop and execute a clear technical roadmap in line with the company's vision and business objectives. Ensure the availability, reliability, and scalability of the IT infrastructure to meet the needs of the organization and support its growth. Regularly review the department strategy to ensure it aligns with company-wide goals.  
• Budgeting: Oversee the Engineering department budget and ensure effective resource utilization. 

Required Qualifications 

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or a similar field. 
• Proven experience (7+ years) in hiring and managing high-performing IT teams. 
• Strong leadership and decision-making skills. 
• Excellent project management and organizational skills. 
• Proven track record of developing and executing technical strategies that drive business growth. 
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills. 
• Excellent collaboration skills, including an ability to work effectively across disciplines and levels of the organization. 

Preferred Qualifications 

• Master's degree in Engineering, Business Administration or a related field. 
• Knowledge of technological trends to build a strategy. 
• Experience managing and coordinating a team across multiple locations and countries. 
• Comfortable taking calculated risks and experimenting with new approaches. 
• Strong experience in both backend and frontend technologies as well as modern infrastructure technologies (Terraform, Cloudflare, etc.)  

Compensation 

The base compensation range for this position is $155 - $200K annually. Final compensation depends on a number of factors including location, relevant prior experience, or particular skills and expertise 

Classification 

This is an independent contractor (1099) position. 

About Us 

K&L Wine Merchants is widely recognized as one of the leading independent wine retailers in the United States. We offer a world-class selection of wine, spirits, and craft beer at three retail locations in California and through our website. We're a small but growth-minded company with a tight-knit team dedicated to providing excellent products and service.   

K&L Wine Merchants is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Applicants are considered for all positions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital or veteran status, sexual orientation, disability, or any other status protected by law.