Director of Software Engineering

The Elevator Pitch 

 Are you looking for a role that has meaning and purpose on a team that is crafting the future of security? Evolv’s R&D team is looking for an experienced and innovative software engineering director to provide technical leadership, improve software engineering practices, and be hands on with our team of developers with expertise in embedded, real-time, computer vision, web app/GUI, analytics, and cloud. In Evolv's fast-paced development environment the R&D team is continuously innovating new features and integrating complementary technologies into our products.  

Success in the Role: What are performance outcomes over the first 6-12 months you will work toward completing? 

• Get to know team members within the software team, including, understanding their current roles, handoffs, pain points, and highlighting areas for improvement. 

• Start to build relationships with key stakeholders and members of the R&D team 

• Conduct cross-functional investigations of issues to triage the errors and allocate resources appropriately.  

• Become familiar with the project’s C++, C, and Python codebase and development toolchain. 

• Improve overall software engineering synergy/quality and functionality by developing effective cross functional systems 

• Increase level of support for current team of engineers  
  

After 30 days, you will:  

• Have a technical understanding of our systems including sensors, the data acquisition systems, cameras, and threat detection systems. 

• Identify low hanging software engineering practices improvements and lead discussions with software engineers to put new/improved practices in place 

After 3 months, you will: 

• Provide support to the software roadmap releases by managing the software engineering work, hands-on validation of new functionality, initial triage of bugs, and resource allocation 

After one year, you will,  

• Provide support to scheduled software updates by managing the software engineering work, hands-on validation of new functionality, initial triage of bugs, and resource allocation. 

• Provide leadership to the advanced development software releases with hands-on system integration validation, leading cross-functional tiger teams to address critical issues, resource management, triaging bugs, and allocation of resources. 

The Work: What type of work will you be doing? What assignments, requirements, or skills will you be performing on a regular basis? 

Leadership 

• Demonstrate technical depth and earn the respect of senior developers 

• Mentor junior developers 

• Demonstrate technical depth and earn the respect of senior developers 

• Review code and architecture during the first 30 days 

• Submit PRs for small changes from day 60 

• Pair with junior developers on a regular basis 

• Chart improvements in junior developers' output (quality or quantity) every 30 days 

Team engagement 

• Imbue the team with a sense of purpose 

• Understand individual team members and how they want to develop and grow 

• By day 30, review PRs from colleagues and contribute your own improvements 

• Engage the team through non-work related in-office activities e.g., Ice Cream Social, Craft Hall dinners, Haiku writing, baking contests and more 

• Focus on applying Radical Candor 

• Understand the process by Day 30 

• Receive feedback from peers/boss by Day 60 

• Give feedback to select colleagues by Day 90 

• Develop plan for broader adoption by Day 120 

• Encourage usage within team by Day 180 

Technical development 

• Take on a coding or infrastructure challenge in an area that you wish to grow into 

• By Day 60, identify the challenge and draw up a plan with 30-day deliverables 

Innovation 

• Apply innovations from your repertoire that will improve the software engineering health of the team 

• Solutions and improvements will be challenging, requiring innovative and analytical thinking 

• Apply innovations from your repertoire that will improve the software engineering health of the team 

• By Day 60 identify foundational improvements to software engineering practices 

• By Day 90 propose process and infrastructure changes with buy-in from all stakeholders 

• Outline milestones for the program and provide monthly updates on progress 

Previous training and education in Computer Science is required for this position.  

What is the leadership like for this role? What is the structure and culture of the team? 

• You will be joining the Software Development Team. This role reports to the VP of Software Engineering and you will have a team of 5-7 developers reporting to them.   

• The team culture is one based on building trust, collaboration, on-going development through kindness, authenticity, courage, drive and fun!  

Where is the role located? 

Our headquarters (and this role) is located in Waltham, Massachusetts. As a member of the Engineering leadership team we expect this individual to come into the office daily, but we understand that things come up—you can work remotely from time to time for one-off needs.  

What is the salary range? 

The base salary range for this full-time position is $190,000 - $220,000 + bonus + equity + benefits. Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. The range displayed on each job posting reflects the minimum and maximum target for new hire salaries for the position across all US locations. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. 

Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your preferred location during the hiring process. 

Please note that the compensation details listed in role posting reflect the base salary only, and do not include commission, equity, or benefits. 

At Evolv, we’re on a mission to help make public spaces safer through innovative security technology. Rooted in our values of authenticity, kindness, courage, drive, and fun, we offer the opportunity to make a real impact. Our team thrives in a supportive, honest environment where creativity and collaboration are celebrated, and where we challenge the status quo to keep improving. 

When you join Evolv, you’ll not only work with cutting-edge technology but also enjoy competitive benefits that support your well-being, and personal growth. 

Our Benefits Include: 

• Equity as part of your total compensation package 
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance 
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) 
• A 401(k) plan (and 2% company match) 
• Unlimited vacation policy  
• Quarterly stipend for perks and benefits that matter most to you 
• Tuition reimbursement to support your ongoing learning and development 
• Subscription to Calm 

Evolv Technology (“Evolv”) is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind. We welcome and encourage diversity in the workplace, and all employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, national, social or ethnic origin, sex (including pregnancy), age, disability, HIV Status, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, veteran status, or any other status protected by law in the locations where we operate. Evolv will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics.

Evolv is committed to offering an inclusive and accessible experience for all job seekers, including individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation as part of the job application process, please connect with us at [email protected].