Senior Director, Education Engineering

Summary

Join DataKind as a Senior Director, Education Engineering Software to lead the technical strategy and execution for education software products. This role involves overseeing a team of data scientists and software engineers, establishing processes and infrastructure, and ensuring software solutions meet customer and funder needs. You will establish essential processes, infrastructure, and team structure to grow our technical capabilities. Working closely with our Education Programs, Customer Success, and Data Security/Compliance teams, you’ll ensure our software solutions meet our customer and funder needs, while also meeting the highest standards of data protection. The position is remote, based anywhere in the U.S., with working hours primarily between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Eastern Time. The salary range is $170,000-$190,000.

Requirements

• Alignment and enthusiasm for DataKind’s mission and values
• 10+ years of software engineering or data science experience with at least 4-5 years in leadership roles
• Passion for educational mission and commitment to social impact
• Proven experience managing cross-functional technical teams including both software engineers and data scientists
• Experience building technical infrastructure and processes from the ground up in growing organizations
• Strong understanding of data science applications in software products and ability to evaluate data science work
• Track record of delivering software products with limited resources in lean/startup environments
• Experience implementing agile methodologies suited to small, remote flexible teams
• Demonstrated ability to translate mission-oriented goals into technical execution plans
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Data Science, or related field
• Experience balancing technical excellence with pragmatic solutions in a shifting work environment

Responsibilities

• Establish scalable technical architecture and infrastructure to support the development and scale of our education products
• Design and implement standardized development processes, coding standards, and quality assurance practices
• Create data governance frameworks that balance innovation with compliance requirements
• Oversee the full software development lifecycle across multiple education products simultaneously
• Balance feature development with technical debt management and platform stability
• Implement metrics and analytics frameworks to measure product success and inform development priorities
• Make strategic decisions to prioritize development efforts that fulfill grant obligations while advancing product goals
• Directly manage and mentor data scientists and software engineers for our education products
• Develop career growth paths, performance standards, and technical skill development for team members
• Lead hiring efforts to build out technical team capacity in alignment with strategic priorities
• Partner with Head of Education Programs to translate educational needs into technical requirements and solutions
• Work closely with Customer Success to incorporate user feedback into technical planning
• Collaborate with Data Security and Compliance teams to ensure adherence to education-specific regulations
• Present technical strategies and progress to executive leadership and board members
• Serve as technical ambassador when engaging with educational partners and stakeholders
• Develop realistic technical roadmaps that align with organizational resources and mission
• Create and manage engineering and data science budgets effectively
• Establish resource allocation frameworks across products to maximize overall impact
• Align technical planning and resource allocation with grant commitments and milestone requirements

Preferred Qualifications

• Understanding of the unique technical challenges in nonprofit space
• Experience in education technology or working with educational institutions
• Knowledge of education data privacy regulations (FERPA, COPPA, etc.)
• Background in scaling technical products from early stage to wider adoption
• Familiarity with data infrastructure needed for educational software products
• Strong communication skills for engaging with non-technical stakeholders
• Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field

Benefits

• Flexibility and time off . Enjoy genuine flexibility that goes beyond adjustable hours. We build in shared time off, organization-wide recharge days, bi-weekly meeting-free days, and flexible PTO (with a minimum of 20 vacation days encouraged annually)
• Comprehensive Wellness Support . We care for your total wellbeing with 100% employer-paid medical, vision, and dental benefits for employees (72% for dependents), a wellness reimbursement program for the activities and purchases that matter to you, and 12 weeks paid parental leave when you need it most
• A Culture of Growth . Every team member receives professional development funding each year, alongside mentorship and advancement opportunities. We invest in your future with a 401(k) plan with 5% employer matching