Engineering Director, Backend at DuckDuckGo

Engineering Director, Backend at DuckDuckGo

Hi, we're DuckDuckGo, the online protection company and a remote-first team of over 300 individuals dedicated to raising the standard of trust online. Established in 2008 and profitable since 2014, our annual revenue now exceeds $100 million USD. Millions of users rely on our browser across Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android, as well as our search engine and the DuckDuckGo subscription services. Our culture is built on trust, inclusivity, and empowered project management, where every team member takes full ownership of their projects, from initial scoping and execution to post-mortem analysis. If you're looking for end-to-end ownership of your work, you've found the right place!

Your Team and Role

As an Engineering Director, Backend, you will lead core DuckDuckGo products, taking ownership of complex challenges that impact tens of millions of people. You will skillfully balance the imperative to build robust solutions with the need to swiftly deliver impactful features, all while striving to enhance online trust. Your role involves growing and accelerating a team of 30 engineers. This includes identifying and resolving bottlenecks, coaching engineers and leaders to tackle larger problems, driving hiring decisions, and evolving our operational methods as we scale. You will hold the team accountable while fostering an environment conducive to their success. Day-to-day, you will ground technical decisions in data, navigate complex projects with company-wide stakeholders, and shape roadmaps to align backend work with top priorities across multiple company objectives. You will provide expert advice on the most challenging problems and make decisive calls when projects require clear direction.

Example Projects:

• Validate and ship a complex cross-team project globally.
• Define the optimal balance of privacy-respecting ads on search results.
• Explore new techniques to expand instant answer triggering.

About You

• 10+ years of experience in software engineering, with 4+ years in engineering leadership, including managing managers.
• Expert-level knowledge of backend systems with strong hands-on technical capabilities.
• Moderate experience in data analysis and machine learning.
• Comfortable navigating ambiguity and making decisive calls on complex problems with stakeholders across the company.
• A hands-on leader who is enthusiastic about contributing directly to problem-solving and delving into technical details when necessary.
• Proven track record of coaching engineers and leaders, driving effective hiring decisions, and evolving team processes as organizations scale.
• Experience in setting multi-project roadmaps aligned with business priorities and swiftly adapting when priorities shift.
• A strong passion for privacy and for raising the standard of trust online.

Compensation

We offer $243,800 USD annually and stock options. Compensation is consistent within each professional level, irrespective of geographic location or functional area, with transparent compensation across the organization. Our Team Member Support Guide details how we prioritize your wellbeing, including paid parental leave, office setup support, and co-working allowances.

Hiring Process

We believe hiring is a two-way street. Learn how we help you get to know DuckDuckGo, envision your future role, and discover more about our hiring process. DuckDuckGo provides equal work opportunities to all team members and applicants, prohibiting discrimination and harassment based on any protected characteristic. We are committed to an accessible hiring process; if you require reasonable accommodation, please contact [email protected].

Please Note:

• You will be required to attend meetings on camera via video conferencing.
• Expect to travel at least twice a year: once for our all-hands meetup and again for a team retreat (each approximately 4-5 days). While extenuating circumstances may impact attendance, everyone is strongly encouraged to attend.
• While we offer a flexible work arrangement with no core hours, expect an average full-time commitment of 40 hours per week.
• A successful candidate must pass a background check as a condition of joining the team.
• By applying for this role, you confirm that all information submitted is accurate and complete. Providing false or fraudulent information during the application process may lead to denial of an offer, revocation of any existing offer, or other adverse actions, including termination after commencement of work.

Disclosure Statement: Use of AI in Hiring Process

As part of our commitment to enhancing our recruitment process, we utilize artificial intelligence (AI) technology to assist in reviewing and summarizing job applications and test projects, including tools integrated into our recruitment vendor platforms. We use AI to flag potentially fraudulent applications, analyze and summarize applicants' experience, interviews, and project performance, and streamline our selection process. Key principles include Data Privacy, Human Oversight and Accountability (all final decisions are made by our hiring team), and Transparency. By submitting your application, you acknowledge and consent to the use of AI technology in our review process. If you would like to request an alternative selection process, please contact us at [email protected].

Thank you for your interest in joining DuckDuckGo!