Vice President of Engineering

Sweetwater - Fort Wayne, IN

Full-time - Executive

Fort Wayne, IN

Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, Book, and Miscellaneous Retailers

About the position

Sweetwater, the nation's number 1 online retailer of music instruments and pro audio gear, is seeking to add a driven, hands-on, and experienced Vice President of Engineering to our growing IT team. As the Vice President of Engineering, you will be responsible for our eCommerce, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), and Customer Data Platform (CDP) products. You will be in a senior leadership position with significant strategic responsibilities, requiring a broad perspective and a deep understanding of both technology and the business. You will have a wide scope of influence and be responsible for shaping the overall strategic direction of the software engineering teams that develop Sweetwater.com and our custom CRM and CDP applications. Engineering Directors and their teams will report to you, and you will play a pivotal role in guiding their work and ensuring alignment with the organization's strategic goals. While still maintaining a connection to the day-to-day execution of software engineering activities, your primary focus as the Vice President will be on setting the long-term vision and strategic objectives for the software engineering teams. You will report to the Vice President of IT and work closely with business leaders and other senior executives, to understand the organization's overarching business objectives, market dynamics, and emerging industry trends. In addition to providing strategic direction, you will be responsible for fostering a culture of excellence and technical expertise throughout your team. You will establish and enforce engineering standards, best practices, and architectural guidelines that promote the delivery of high-quality, scalable, and efficient software solutions. By staying ahead of technological advancements and industry disruptions, you will identify opportunities for technological innovation and promote the adoption of cutting-edge tools, methodologies, and frameworks that can propel the organization forward. In this role, you will create a supportive environment that fosters continuous learning and advancement opportunities for individuals within your software engineering organization while cultivating the next generation of technical and management leaders who can drive innovation and effectively navigate complex challenges.

Responsibilities

• Shape the overall strategic direction of the software engineering team, working closely with other senior executives to align technology with business objectives.
• Stay ahead of technological advancements, enforce engineering standards, and foster a culture of technical excellence within the organization.
• Participate in the recruitment process and create an environment that supports continuous learning and professional growth, including building high-performing teams and cultivating leadership skills.
• Leverage insights into market dynamics and industry trends to drive innovation.
• Identify opportunities for technological innovation and promote the adoption of cutting-edge methodologies and frameworks.
• Guide the organization in balancing short-term priorities with long-term objectives, drive architectural evolution, and adopt emerging technologies.
• Effectively communicate and present while simplifying complex technical concepts and advocating for technology's role in driving business success.
• Extend influence beyond software engineering to encompass broader business objectives, organizational leadership, and the future shaping of software engineering within the company.

Requirements

• 10+ years of experience in software engineering leadership, with a strong focus on eCommerce, CRM, and CDP systems.
• Proven experience in managing large-scale eCommerce platforms, integrating payment gateways, and ensuring secure, scalable architecture.
• Track record of leading cross-functional teams of engineers, product managers, and UX/UI designers to deliver cutting-edge eCommerce solutions.
• Hands-on experience with cloud technologies (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) and familiarity with SaaS models.
• Demonstrated expertise in software development methodologies, DevOps practices, and CI/CD pipelines.
• Experience in budget management, vendor relations, and working with third-party software providers.
• Strong proficiency in programming languages such as PHP, Go, Python, JavaScript, or others.
• Solid understanding of data analytics, SEO, digital marketing, and customer experience optimization.
• Expertise in ensuring high data security, privacy compliance (GDPR, CCPA), and familiarity with PCI-DSS standards.

Nice-to-haves

• WOWs The Customer - Deep passion and desire for creating amazing customer & colleague experiences.
• Get Things Done - Great work ethic and moves with a sense of urgency.
• Obsesses over the Details - Committed to paying attention to the details.
• Drives Continuous Improvement - Always focusing on effective and efficient work and ways to get better.
• Develops the Future - Committed to the pursuit of growing personally & professionally and has a focus on bringing your colleagues along with you on that journey.