Director of Software Engineering

Farmers and Merchants Bank of Long Beach•Seal Beach, CA

About The Position

The Director of Software Engineering will be a senior leader responsible for leading the design, development, and delivery of innovative, customer-facing financial products and digital services for FMB. Reporting to the CIO, the Director of Software Engineering will own the engineering roadmap and execution, drive technical strategy and scale high-performing engineering teams to support the growth ambitions of FMB. You will oversee the entire software development lifecycle, ensuring that all products are delivered with high quality, exceptional scalability, and robust security, all while aligning with the FMB’s overall technology vision.

Requirements

Technical Expertise: Proven expertise in modern programming languages (Java, Python, Full Stack) and software design patterns relevant to financial applications.
Cloud and Microservices: Extensive experience with cloud computing platforms (AWS, Azure - preferred) and developing distributed, microservices-based architectures.
DevOps and CI/CD: Demonstrated success in implementing and managing CI/CD pipelines and modern DevOps practices.
Workflow Automation/RPA: Hands-on experience with RPA platforms (e.g., UiPath, Automation Anywhere, Blue Prism) and intelligent automation strategies.
Data Engineering: Strong knowledge of data architecture, ETL pipelines, data lakes, and real-time streaming technologies (e.g., Kafka, Spark).
Financial Services: Deep knowledge of the financial services industry, including an understanding of transaction processing, data security standards, and regulatory compliance.
Excellent leadership and management skills
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
Excellent analytical and organization skills
Hands-on troubleshooting abilities of complex problems
Requires proactive knowledge of current and future concepts of potential IT sectors.
Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a closely related field is required. A master’s degree in a related field such as Computer Science, Software Engineering, or Organizational Leadership is preferred.
10+ years of progressively responsible experience in software engineering, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role managing cross-functional technical teams.

Nice To Haves

A master’s degree in a related field such as Computer Science, Software Engineering, or Organizational Leadership is preferred.

Responsibilities

Technical Strategy and Execution: Develop and implement the engineering roadmap in alignment with the CIO’s strategic objectives and the business goals of FMB. Translate product vision into buildable architecture, delivery timelines, and scalable systems.
Engineering Leadership and Team Management: Lead, mentor, and scale a diverse team of engineering managers, software developers, data engineers, and automation specialists responsible for building innovative software products. Establish clear roles, expectations, and growth paths for all engineering personnel.
Product Delivery and Quality Assurance: Own the delivery process for all software, overseeing the full development lifecycle from sprint planning to deployment. Implement and enforce engineering best practices, including code quality standards, automated testing strategies, and a rigorous, metrics-driven approach to delivery.
Platform and Architectural Oversight: Oversee architectural decisions and technology selection to ensure the scalability, performance, and security of customer-facing systems. Guide teams in developing and maintaining robust platforms built on cloud-native solutions and microservices architecture, ensuring high availability and resilience in a dynamic financial environment.
Workflow Automation and RPA: Drive the adoption and implementation of Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and intelligent workflow automation solutions to streamline internal operations, reduce manual effort, and improve efficiency across banking processes. Collaborate with business units to identify automation opportunities and deliver scalable, secure automation frameworks.
Data Engineering and Analytics Enablement: Lead the design and development of data pipelines, ETL processes, and data integration frameworks to support real-time analytics, reporting, and AI-driven insights. Ensure data quality, governance, and compliance with regulatory standards while enabling advanced analytics and machine learning capabilities.
Budgeting and Resource Management: Manage the engineering department's budget, including headcount planning, technology investments, and resource allocation across multiple engineering projects. Ensure resources are used efficiently to maximize ROI and achieve product goals.
Collaboration with Key Stakeholders: Collaborate extensively with cross-functional teams, including business, project management, Information Security, and the CIO's technology team, to define product requirements, manage dependencies, and ensure seamless execution. Act as a key spokesperson for the engineering organization, reporting progress and technical vision to the CIO and other executive stakeholders.
Talent Management: Oversee the interview, recruitment, and onboarding processes for engineering talent. Create and implement strategies to attract and retain top-tier engineers with highly specialized financial technology skills.
Risk Management and Compliance: Work closely with the risk and CISO's team to ensure that all software applications and their underlying infrastructure adhere to the bank’s security policies and financial regulatory requirements.
Complies with all State and Federal Banking regulatory requirements, including but not limited to: BSA, Anti-Money Laundering OFAC, CIP, Financial Elder Abuse Reporting, Sexual Harassment, Information Security and privacy requirements. Acts as the control point for the office to ensure that all CIP, BSA, OFAC requirements, procedures and time frames are met.