Onebrief seeks a Director of Engineering, Backend Platforms to lead our foundational teams. This role guides the people and systems responsible for data storage, information movement, and smart workflows. You will report to the VP of Engineering and shape the vision across data, APIs, and AI enablement.

What You'll Do

Set direction and connect the dots. Shape vision across data, APIs, and AI enablement, then turn vision into focused, sequenced initiatives.
Support and scale great teams. Coach 2–3 Engineering Managers and their teams of ~8 engineers. Help them grow, navigate ambiguity, and scale their own leadership.
Invest in technical quality. Ensure backend systems are observable, secure, performant, and cost-aware. Raise bar on architecture without slowing delivery.
Collaborate deeply. Work with PM, Design, and other engineering leaders to shape quarterly plans, unblock cross-team delivery, and align technical work with real user outcomes.
Make systems better over time. Guide evolution of microservices, cloud infra, and AI foundations. Balance speed with sound engineering judgment.
Build a healthy culture. Model low-ego, context-rich leadership. Create rituals that help teams plan, reflect, and work asynchronously without burning out.

What We're Looking For

2+ years leading managers in backend or platform teams
6–10+ years of engineering experience, with significant depth in backend or infrastructure domains
Experience growing healthy teams, mentoring Engineering Managers, and designing org structures that support autonomy and focus
Clear communicator across functions and async-first teams
Strong grasp of backend platforms: Node.js, Postgres, Redis, Kubernetes, AWS
Experience with data pipelines, secure ingestion, API ecosystems, and system design at scale
Familiarity with observability, cost optimization, and reliability patterns
History of driving multi-quarter platform roadmaps in product-led companies
Comfort shaping team scopes, defining SLAs, and guiding technical standards
Ability to translate complexity into clarity, and align cross-functional teams around the work that matters

Nice to Have

Experience enabling AI/ML teams or building infra for LLM-powered features

Technical Stack

Node.js, Postgres, Redis, Kubernetes, AWS

Team & Environment

You will lead Backend Platform teams (Data Platform, API & Integrations, Applied AI), coaching 2–3 Engineering Managers who lead teams of ~8 engineers. You report directly to the VP of Engineering.