Engineering Team Leader

Black Canyon Consulting•Bethesda, MD

5d•$145,000 - $190,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Black Canyon Consulting (BCC) is seeking a highly technical Engineering Team Leader, functioning as a Technical Program Manager, to support work for the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) at the National Library of Medicine (NLM), an institute of the National Institutes of Health. The full-time role is onsite at NIH-NCBI in Bethesda, Maryland, with the possibility of working remotely one day per week. The role has a strong engineering team management focus, leading multiple software development teams responsible for high-performance, high-throughput data management systems. The Technical Program Manager works with NCBI technical leadership to ensure mission-critical applications are reliable, scalable, and aligned with modernization and data infrastructure goals. The position integrates engineering domains to support the design, development, and delivery of scalable, secure, high-performance data systems used in biomedical research. Working closely with a Program Head, the role manages software development teams and serves as the primary program operational contact for technical activities, supporting the preservation and dissemination of data for scientific reuse. The position reports to the IEB Software Development Section Head.

Requirements

Eligible to work in the United States as a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
Master of Science degree in engineering, computer sciences, information systems, bioinformatics, or a related or emerging field.
At least 7 years of experience leading complex software engineering or technical program management initiatives.
Demonstrated expertise in C++ and Python, with the ability to engage directly in technical design discussions and code reviews.
Proven track record managing software development teams working on highly available, high-throughput data management applications.
Experience building petabyte-scale data warehousing and data transformation applications.
Experience leading teams in an Agile environment and translating business and policy requirements into sound architecture and designs.
Experience building cohesive, high-performance teams, including staff development and coaching.
Knowledge of cloud technologies.
Excellent communication and organizational skills.

Nice To Haves

Experience implementing DevOps and DataOps practices.
Experience working on bioinformatics and sequence analysis projects.
Experience leading teams through Agile transformation.
Prior experience in federal contracting or large-scale mission-driven technical environments.

Responsibilities

Serve as software engineering manager for multiple technical teams delivering high-throughput, high-availability data management systems, ensuring schedule, budget, and risk management targets are met.
Plan, track, and deliver software initiatives aligned with program objectives, schedules, and performance expectations.
Understand the Program Head's program and project goals and communicate goals and scope to technical staff in the context of technical activities.
Collaborate with the IEB Chief Technology Officer and Program Tech Leads to define technology strategy for the program.
Manage interdependencies between development teams to mitigate risks and support collaboration across organizational boundaries.
Work with the CTO to ensure key technical decisions are appropriately vetted.
Communicate technical status, risks, and progress clearly to senior management.
Develop and enforce NCBI standard practices for software development and delivery as a member of the Software Section.
Oversee the design and delivery of distributed, data-intensive applications built primarily in C++ and Python.
Directly manage engineers and technical leads, providing direction, performance oversight, and mentoring.
Foster collaboration, cohesive team dynamics, and shared ownership of outcomes.
Build a culture focused on accountability, technical excellence, and continuous improvement.
Coordinate shared technical activities with other programs.