Desktop Software Engineering Manager

AlphaSense•Chicago, IL

3d•$110,000 - $150,000

About The Position

AlphaSense is establishing a new Desktop Software Engineering function within Corporate Technology and is seeking a manager to lead its development. This role focuses on enterprise endpoint engineering and internal product quality, ensuring AlphaSense's desktop applications function reliably on all managed company endpoints. The position involves managing a team of engineers responsible for MDM platforms, automation, and bridging the gap between Corporate IT and product engineering. The founding manager will define the team's operational model, prioritization strategies, and methods for building trust with internal IT and partner engineering teams. The role reports to the Senior Manager of Integrated IT and collaborates with Security, Business Applications, and Information Engineering teams as part of the Secure IT initiative.

Requirements

5+ years of experience in endpoint engineering, desktop platform engineering, or a related technical discipline.
At least 2 years in a people management or formal tech lead role.
Hands-on background with macOS and/or Windows at a systems/configuration level, beyond standard user support.
Demonstrated experience with one or more enterprise MDM platforms: Kandji/Iru, Jamf Pro, or Microsoft Intune.
Experience managing or closely partnering with product engineering teams on client-side issues.
Proven ability to build and run a technical function: defining process, establishing standards, and driving accountability without micromanaging.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Experience hiring and developing technical talent.

Nice To Haves

Experience with Kandji/Iru specifically, including Blueprint architecture and enforcement scripting.
Familiarity with Electron-based desktop applications and their specific deployment, update, and permission behaviors on managed endpoints.
Experience with CrowdStrike Falcon, Cloudflare Zero Trust / WARP, or Okta in an enterprise endpoint context.
Background in a SaaS product company where Corporate IT and Engineering teams collaborate closely.
Familiarity with Qualys VMDR or similar vulnerability management tooling.
Experience operating within a formal security-focused IT program (Zero Trust, SOC 2, endpoint compliance).
Familiarity with Jira Service Management for ticket and change management workflows.

Responsibilities

Testing new desktop application releases against the managed device baseline before broad internal rollout.
Managing the team's relationship with product engineering regarding AlphaSense desktop application behavior on managed employee endpoints.
Defining the standard for capturing and communicating diagnostic data (logs, traces, environmental context) to product engineering to accelerate resolution.
Establishing and maintaining a process for reproducing, triaging, and escalating employee-reported desktop application issues, including crash analysis, update failures, OS permission conflicts, and performance degradation.
Maintaining visibility into the health of the endpoint fleet and desktop application experience, and reporting proactively on trends, risks, and improvements.
Coordinating with Integrated IT leadership on resourcing, prioritization, and roadmap planning.
Owning the endpoint engineering workstream within the broader Corporate Technology program as part of the Secure IT initiative.
Hiring, onboarding, and developing a team of 2-4 Desktop System Software Engineers, focusing on endpoint engineering and desktop application diagnostics.
Defining the operating model for the function: issue triage, escalation, diagnosis, resolution, interface with product engineering, and work tracking/reporting.
Building and maintaining a culture of engineering rigor (runbooks, documentation, automation, post-incident review) rather than reactive ticket-chasing.
Setting clear expectations, providing regular feedback, and supporting career development for team members.
Representing the Desktop Engineering function in cross-functional forums and planning cycles.
Collaborating and contributing to the strategy and execution of macOS and Windows endpoint management via Kandji/Iru and Microsoft Intune.
Guiding the team in designing and maintaining enrollment workflows, configuration profiles, compliance policies, and custom automation scripts.
Ensuring software deployment, patch management, and application control strategies are current, scalable, and aligned with the Security team's posture.
Partnering with Security on EDR (CrowdStrike Falcon), Zero Trust (Cloudflare WARP/Gateway), and identity (Okta) integrations at the endpoint layer.