Director Engineering, Internal IT

Etsy•Brooklyn, NY

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Director of Engineering, Internal IT is a senior engineering leader responsible for shaping and implementing the technology strategy that keeps Etsy’s global workforce productive, connected, and enabled to do their best work. This is fundamentally an engineering role where you will apply your IT knowledge to lead engineers and managers who build, automate, and continuously improve the internal systems, platforms, and tooling that Etsy employees depend on every day. You will be at the forefront of how Internal IT reimagines itself through automation and AI enablement by reducing repetitive work, and building intelligent systems that scale with Etsy’s business. Where others see a support function, you see a platform engineering opportunity and a connective backbone for how the company operates across identity, access, SaaS, internal tooling, and employee enablement. You will set the vision, build the roadmap, and manage your team to deliver enterprise-grade internal tooling and infrastructure that is reliable, secure, and substantially ahead of what employees expect. Reporting into the VP of Engineering, CISO, you will partner closely with Security, Product and G&A to align internal technology investments with company priorities. You will lead managers and senior ICs, set the strategic direction for your functional area, and serve as a key voice for the Internal IT function across Etsy’s broader Engineering organization. This is a full-time position reporting to the VP of Engineering, CISO. In addition to salary, you will also be eligible for an equity package, an annual performance bonus, and our competitive benefits that support you and your family as part of your total rewards package at Etsy. This role requires your presence in Etsy’s Brooklyn Office once or twice per week depending on your proximity to the office. Candidates living within commutable distance of Etsy’s Brooklyn Office Hub may be the first to be considered. Learn more details about our work modes and workplace safety policies here. The Internal IT Engineering team builds and operates the Etsy systems that power how Etsy works ranging from endpoint management and SaaS platform automation to access workflows, productivity tooling, and enterprise integrations. The team thinks like software engineers first: they write code, build automations, design scalable architectures, and measure their impact. The team spans IT Operations and IT Engineering, with a growing focus on AI enablement of finding opportunities to embed intelligent tooling into internal workflows to reduce manual overhead and improve the employee experience at scale. Engineers here are scrappy and creative, proud of the outsized impact a small, high-craft team can have across a company of thousands. Collaboration is central to how the team operates. You’ll work asynchronously with teams across time zones, partner with Security on compliance and endpoint posture, and engage with the engineering team to ensure Internal IT is a first-class participant in the company's broader technical community. We value honest feedback, clear communication, continuous learning, and a genuine investment in each other’s growth.

Requirements

10+ years of experience in IT or engineering roles, with at least 4–5 years in a senior engineering leadership position leading managers and multi-disciplinary teams - ideally with direct exposure across support/helpdesk operations, platform or systems engineering, and SaaS or enterprise tooling functions.
Deep technical fluency across enterprise infrastructure, SaaS platform engineering, endpoint management, identity and access management, and IT automation with the capability to engage meaningfully in architectural discussions and technical trade-offs.
Proven experience leading AI enablement and automation initiatives where you’ve reduced operational toil through engineering, not just process, and you have a point of view on where AI can most meaningfully change how an internal IT organization operates.
A track record of developing engineering leaders, investing in your team, giving honest feedback, and creating conditions where people grow.
The ability to balance big-picture strategy with operational precision to guide the architecture decisions that make or break your team’s ability to implement it.
Strong cross-functional influence skills of building trust with partners in Security, Finance, People, and Legal without requiring authority, and you can communicate technical strategy to non-technical stakeholders clearly and credibly.
A genuine curiosity about what motivates your team, stakeholders, and users through a leadership style built on empathy, candor, and follow-through.

Responsibilities

Setting and leading a multi-year IT strategy with a real standpoint — not just operational continuity, but a specific perspective on where the function is going, including AI enablement, build-versus-buy principles, employee experience goals, and translating that vision into actionable team priorities.
Leading and developing a team of engineering senior ICs and managers, across diverse skills, providing coaching, performance feedback, and career growth investment across the organization.
Driving a culture of engineering excellence by establishing standard processes, promoting automation over manual toil, reducing technical debt, and ensuring the team builds systems that are maintainable and scalable.
Identifying and leading AI enablement opportunities in Internal IT, partnering with the our Engineering and Product teams to define how intelligent tooling can improve internal workflows, automate repeatable tasks, and surface better insights for employees.
Building and maintaining deep cross-functional relationships with stakeholders in Security, People, Finance, Legal, and Workplace to understand their operational needs and ensure IT systems meet compliance, privacy, and business requirements.
Owning the IT budget and vendor relationships for your function or in support of other functions, handling operating expenses, participating in contract negotiations, and making sure the team is equipped with the right tools to meet current and future needs.
Defining, tracking, and reporting on core metrics — automation coverage, ticket resolution, employee satisfaction, infrastructure performance, token efficiency — and using data to drive continuous improvement.
Serving as an escalation point and executive sponsor for major incidents, infrastructure migrations, and high-stakes IT initiatives across the company.
Recruiting, onboarding, and retaining diverse, top engineering talent, and aiding in Etsy Engineering’s broader hiring and culture efforts.
Participating in Engineering-wide working groups and giving to the direction of Etsy Engineering at large not just as a leader within Internal IT, but as a stakeholder in how the broader function operates.