Software Engineering Manager

Paladin Drones•Houston, TX

42d•Hybrid

About The Position

Paladin Drones builds cutting-edge unmanned aerial systems and mission-critical software to support first responders. Our solutions enable fire, police, and emergency teams to gain real-time situational awareness when seconds matter most. We're looking for a technical leader who can help scale our software organization across backend, frontend, data, mobile, and cloud systems as we continue to grow. The Software Engineering Manager will lead and grow a multidisciplinary team building the software backbone of Paladin's drone operations ecosystem. This role is both deeply technical and organizationally strategic. You'll oversee execution across the entire software stack and drive a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement. You will manage engineering domains, including full-stack applications, cloud services, real-time systems, developer tooling, data systems, and mobile apps. This role works closely with product, QA, hardware, and flight operations to ensure seamless integration across all mission-critical systems.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent experience.
5+ years of software engineering experience, including 2+ years leading teams or acting as a technical lead.
Strong hands-on background in modern development, specifically:
TypeScript (Node.js, React, or similar)
Python (API development, data pipelines, automation, or scripting)
Demonstrated experience building and operating systems on AWS, GCP, and Firebase.
Experience with modern cloud architectures, distributed systems, and developer tooling.
Proven track record delivering complex engineering projects from concept through deployment.
Strong communication skills and the ability to work across hardware, product, and field operations.

Nice To Haves

Experience with Kotlin (Android).
Familiarity with mobile development (iOS/Android) or cross-platform frameworks.
Background in IoT, real-time systems, video streaming, or GIS/mapping platforms.
Knowledge of DevOps tooling, cloud infrastructure, and distributed systems.
Experience in a startup or high-growth environment.

Responsibilities

Build, mentor, and lead a high-performing engineering team across full-stack, data, DevOps, cloud, and mobile domains.
Establish a culture of responsibility, innovation, and continuous improvement (Kaizen).
Conduct regular 1:1s, performance reviews, and drive career development.
Recruit, hire, and onboard engineers as the team scales.
Own software architecture across backend, frontend, mobile, data, and cloud services.
Guide long-term technical direction and anticipate future platform needs.
Ensure system scalability, reliability, observability, and security across all software components.
Champion modern engineering practices including testing, code quality, CI/CD, and documentation.
Drive a disciplined engineering culture focused on predictable delivery, high quality, and rapid iteration.
Manage sprint planning, resource allocation, and cross-team prioritization.
Ensure engineering velocity without compromising safety, reliability, or operational stability.
Lead incident response, root cause analysis, and preventive engineering initiatives.
Partner closely with Product, QA, Robotics, Hardware, and Flight Operations teams to deliver integrated solutions.
Communicate timelines, risks, and technical decisions clearly to stakeholders.
Support deployments, customer escalations, and mission-critical operational events.
Ensure alignment between software systems and real-world emergency response needs.

Benefits

Competitive salary and equity packages
Health, dental, and vision insurance
Unlimited PTO and paid holidays
The opportunity to build life-saving technology directly impacting first responders

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