Senior Director of Software Engineering

Summary

Join Karat's Engineering team as the Senior Director of Software Engineering, leading a global team responsible for flagship products. You will partner with Product leadership, manage engineering leaders and professionals, and drive innovation using AI. This role requires regular travel to India and hands-on technical contributions. You will own the complete software experience, collaborate cross-functionally, and champion technological advancements. The position demands strong leadership, technical expertise, and project management skills. This role is remote but currently limited to candidates residing in WA.

Requirements

• 10+ years of software engineering experience, including 5+ years in people leadership roles
• Demonstrated success leading and developing engineering managers, with proven ability to coach people managers and drive team performance
• Strong technical background with hands-on experience reviewing code and making architectural decisions while operating at a leadership level
• Experience leading cross-functional initiatives and managing teams to achieve strategic goals
• Proven experience managing geographically dispersed engineering teams, with particular emphasis on collaborating with teams in India
• Exceptional project management abilities with experience overseeing complex, multi-disciplinary projects
• Passion for building inclusive, high-performing engineering cultures across different global regions

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and grow a diverse team of software engineers, providing hands-on technical leadership and strategic people management in order to drive team productivity and foster a culture of high performance, accountability, and continuous improvement
• Act as both a leader and an active contributor to the engineering team, ensuring that the software development process is hands-on, collaborative, and aligned with company goals
• Own the complete software experience, from customer-facing applications to internal tools, ensuring cohesion across globally distributed engineering teams
• Work closely with key stakeholders, particularly as the core day-to-day engineering partner with the VP of Product, to build and deliver integrated solutions that solve complex challenges
• Drive value by staying at the forefront of technological advancements, particularly in AI. Proactively identify opportunities to leverage these breakthroughs to transform our business model and interview formats. Partner equally with Product to shape the future vision of technical interviewing while leading the implementation of these innovations
• In an agile environment, work iteratively, demo regularly, and adapt quickly. Be comfortable managing and delivering on tight timelines while ensuring software quality and customer satisfaction across multiple time zones and regions
• Develop and refine software infrastructure, team processes, and company culture to enable rapid iteration and high-velocity feature releases. Balance short- and long-term roadmap goals, addressing both customer-facing features and technical debt while considering the unique needs of a global engineering organization

Benefits

• Employer-sponsored healthcare (100% premium coverage for employees and 75% premium coverage for eligible dependents) Medical (Regence PPO and HDHP available) HSA employer contribution for those enrolled in the HDHP medical plan
• Dental and Vision (Guardian)
• 100% employer-paid Short-Term Disability, Long-Term Disability, and Standard Life Insurance
• Optional Life Insurance available
• Flexible Savings Account (Healthcare)
• 401(k) match of 4%
• 100% employer-paid mental wellness support via Spring Health for employees and eligible dependents 10 therapy sessions per year at no cost to employee
• 10 coaching sessions per year at no cost to employee
• Vacation: flexible policy for salaried employees and three (3) work weeks available for hourly employees per year
• Wellness (Sick & Mental Health): three (3) work weeks available per year
• Karat ‘No Questions Asked’ Leave: one (1) work week per calendar year
• Other: Bereavement, Jury Duty, LOA, etc. available as-needed
• U.S. Parental Leave: 24 weeks16 weeks: full-out, full pay8 weeks: “Karat Phase-Back” 20 hours per week, full pay
• U.S. HolidaysU.S. Holiday Schedule available here : 10 days
• Karat Summer Break: 5 days - July
• Karat Winter Break: 5 days - December