Engineering Leader

Promise • Oakland, CA

73d

About The Position

Promise is looking for an Engineering Leader to guide the technical vision and team behind our Payment Plans platform—the engine of our business and a lifeline for families nationwide. Payment Plans empower residents with flexible, interest-free installment options, helping them avoid penalties while enabling utilities and governments to recover revenue more effectively. It’s a product that creates a true win-win—and you’ll be at the helm. You’ll lead a high-performing engineering team, scaling the platform to meet the growing demand from cities, states, and utilities across the country. This is a role for someone who thrives at the intersection of technology, leadership, and mission impact—setting direction, building systems that last, and ensuring our work reflects Promise’s dignity-first values.

Requirements

• 6+ years building and scaling production software, including at least 2 years leading teams or projects.
• A track record of setting technical direction, aligning stakeholders, and delivering against ambitious goals.
• Strong background in backend systems, system design, and secure architecture.
• Experience working with legacy or third-party systems (government, fintech, or regulated industries a plus).
• Ability to turn complex challenges into simple, scalable solutions.
• Comfort operating in a fast-paced, feedback-driven environment where priorities can shift quickly.
• Belief in Promise’s vision that better systems create more equitable outcomes.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in payments, civic tech, or public infrastructure.

Responsibilities

• Manage and mentor engineers, setting technical direction and ensuring the team is delivering at speed and scale.
• Partner with Product and Design to prioritize the right features—balancing usability, scalability, and measurable real-world impact.
• Ensure the platform is secure, composable, and capable of supporting governments and utilities nationwide.
• Deliver features that make it easier for families to stay on track—like flexible installments, smart reminders, and personalized plans.
• Dive into technical details when needed, from debugging production issues to optimizing system performance.
• Leverage AI and automation to eliminate inefficiencies, reduce operational overhead, and free teams to focus on what counts.
• Partner with Customer Success and Operations to ensure seamless deployments and reliable performance in the field.
• Define and enforce standards for engineering quality, system reliability, and collaborative excellence.

Benefits

• 100% paid health coverage
• Generous PTO and sick leave
• Lunch, snacks, and coffee provided
• Company retreats
• Opportunities to travel and see the impact of your work
• Hybrid work: we deeply value in-person collaboration and are in-office at least 3 days a week, but are flexible on working from home

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior