Senior Vice President of Engineering

As Senior Vice President of Engineering at Linden Lab, you will lead the technology vision for Second Life, guiding its evolution and modernizing its foundation. You will partner with Product and Operations to define the technical roadmap, drive operational excellence, and foster a supportive environment for engineers. This hybrid role requires in-office presence in San Francisco, focusing on impactful system design, infrastructure planning, and talent development to shape the future of virtual experiences.

Must Have

• Shape the technology vision behind Second Life
• Guide the evolution of one of the most enduring, imaginative, community-driven virtual worlds
• Bring clarity to complex systems
• Modernize the foundation that supports millions of residents
• Champion the growth and success of engineers
• Partner with leaders across Product and Operations to align on long-term priorities
• Drive a technical roadmap that lays the groundwork for our next era of innovation
• Build on the team’s existing strengths and add structure that unlocks momentum
• Enable an environment where engineers feel supported, empowered, and excited
• Implement transparent prioritization and progress-tracking frameworks
• Own the financial rigor behind technical and organizational decisions
• Engage directly in system design, infrastructure planning, and major technical decisions
• Oversee desktop and mobile architecture decisions
• Drive operational excellence through reliable systems, scalable architecture, and structured engineering practices
• Define clear goals and establish engineering metrics that measure productivity, quality, and delivery
• Optimize processes and communication flows to remove bottlenecks
• Develop engineering leaders and ICs through targeted coaching, real-time feedback, and professional development programs
• Attract and retain exceptional engineering talent
• Cultivate influential relationships with vendors, partners, and the open-source community
• 15+ years of progressive engineering leadership experience
• Deep technical fluency with large-scale distributed systems and experience supporting consumer-facing products
• Experience leading organizations through modernization, architectural transformation, or large-scale refactoring
• Demonstrated success building and sustaining a healthy engineering culture
• Recognized leadership in applying AI to software development and product innovation
• Hands-on proficiency with C++ and Linux
• Proven experience driving modernization efforts in AWS
• Experience designing, launching, and scaling mobile applications
• Strong ability to define and operationalize engineering metrics
• Demonstrated strength in talent development
• Respected leader with the credibility and network to attract top engineering talent

Good to Have

• Familiarity with payments or authentication systems

Perks & Benefits

• Competitive compensation packages
• 401(k) savings plan with company match
• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, and mental health coverage
• Company contributions to HSA
• Reimbursement programs for continued education
• Reimbursement programs for health and wellness
• Reimbursement programs for remote work
• Generous, accrued vacation time off
• Paid time off to support social causes
• Flexible, inclusive work options (fully remote and hybrid)
• Tech and ergonomic resources for remote work
• Opportunities for in-person connection and collaboration (SF and Atlanta offices, annual team summits, company-provided lunch)
• Direct access to executive leadership
• Peer mentors
• Professional development programs
• Love Machine peer appreciation tool with quarterly bonuses
• Inclusive parental leave for birthing and non-birthing parents
• (In)fertility, adoption, and other family planning benefits
• Reimbursement for gender transition-related procedures

Your Mission

As our Senior Vice President of Engineering, you will help shape the technology vision behind Second Life and guide the evolution of one of the most enduring, imaginative, community-driven virtual worlds. You’ll bring clarity to complex systems, modernize the foundation that supports millions of residents who bring our world to life, and champion the growth and success of the engineers who make it possible for people to create, explore, and connect in meaningful ways.

Reporting to the CEO, you’ll partner with leaders across Product and Operations to to align on long-term priorities and drive a technical roadmap that lays the groundwork for our next era of innovation. You’ll build on the team’s existing strengths, add structure that unlocks momentum, and enable an environment where engineers feel supported, empowered, and excited about what they can build together.

This role is hybrid, with in-office presence required Monday through Thursday at our San Francisco office.

How You’ll Grow With Us

At the Lab, you'll experience the best of both worlds: the stability of an established company with over 20 years of expertise and the dynamic momentum of a startup driven by continuous progress. You'll have the unparalleled opportunity to forge meaningful relationships, design impactful systems, and craft strategies that shape the future of virtual experiences.

Our vibrant in-office environment in San Francisco is designed to foster creativity, collaboration, and ingenuity. With spaces purpose-built for brainstorming, team building, and spontaneous conversations, you'll find endless opportunities to engage and grow. We believe in the power of in-person connections to cultivate a strong sense of community and inclusion, ensuring that your ideas are valued, your contributions celebrated, and your impact deeply felt every day.

The Impact You’ll Drive

• Implement transparent prioritization and progress-tracking frameworks that expand visibility, reinforce shared understanding, and equip teams with the context needed for informed decision-making.
• Own the financial rigor behind technical and organizational decisions by partnering closely with Finance to model investment scenarios, cost implications, and long-term outcomes—and communicate these considerations early and openly.
• Engage directly in system design, infrastructure planning, and major technical decisions to ensure high-quality outcomes.
• Oversee desktop and mobile architecture decisions in collaboration with Product, ensuring durable platform efficiency, maintainability, and evolution.
• Drive operational excellence through reliable systems, scalable architecture, and structured engineering practices.
• Define clear goals and establish engineering metrics that measure productivity, quality, and delivery; while reporting progress in ways that help teams understand and elevate their effectiveness.
• Optimize processes and communication flows to remove bottlenecks and ensure engineering work remains tightly aligned with business goals.
• Develop engineering leaders and ICs through targeted coaching, real-time feedback, and professional development programs that build new capabilities and keep the team ahead of emerging technologies.
• Attract and retain exceptional engineering talent by leveraging a strong professional network and a reputation for leadership that draws high-caliber individuals.
• Cultivate influential relationships with vendors, partners, and the open-source community that enhance Linden Lab’s technical capacity and innovation pipeline.

How You’ll Shape Our Future

At Linden, we celebrate all the dimensions of diversity, including diversity of experience. We recognize that candidates applying for this role will be most successful if they bring the following with them:

• 15+ years of progressive engineering leadership experience, including deep technical fluency with large-scale distributed systems and experience supporting consumer-facing products.
• Experience leading organizations through modernization, architectural transformation, or large-scale refactoring—particularly in resource-constrained environments.
• Demonstrated success building and sustaining a healthy engineering culture grounded in transparency, trust, and continuous improvement.
• Recognized leadership in applying AI to software development and product innovation, with a proven ability to identify, implement, and operationalize AI tools and frameworks that enhance velocity, quality, and user experience.
• Hands-on proficiency with C++ and Linux, with a deep understanding of systems architecture, infrastructure management, and reliability engineering.
• Proven experience driving modernization efforts in AWS, including CI/CD pipeline development, Infrastructure-as-Code, and maturing observability in complex, legacy environments.
• Experience designing, launching, and scaling mobile applications, with strong knowledge of mobile architecture, performance optimization, and platform-specific challenges. Familiarity with payments or authentication systems is a plus.
• Strong ability to define and operationalize engineering metrics that surface insights, guide decisions, and measurably improve productivity, quality, and delivery outcomes.
• Demonstrated strength in talent development, known for sharpening thinking, elevating communication, and strengthening collaboration across diverse technical teams.
• Respected leader with the credibility and network to attract top engineering talent.

If you don’t meet every requirement listed for this role, we still encourage you to apply. Too often, the confidence gap or imposter syndrome keeps exceptional candidates from taking the leap—and we don’t want that to hold you back. If you believe in our mission and in your ability to make an impact, we want to hear from you!

The Fine Print

Essential Role Functions & Work Environment

The details below outline the core functions and work environment required for this role. Linden Lab is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to support individuals with disabilities in performing these essential duties.

• Perform focused, computer-based tasks and collaborate effectively with coworkers in a dynamic, in-office environment. While some remote collaboration may occur, in-office presence is an essential requirement of this role to foster creativity, teamwork, and spontaneous problem-solving.
• Communicate clearly and effectively through typing, using hands and fingers for keyboard tasks.
• Maintain the ability to sit, stand, or remain stationary for extended periods (up to eight hours) during calls, meetings, or collaborative sessions, with ergonomic workstations and tools provided.
• Sustain prolonged attention on a computer monitor to perform tasks requiring visual focus and attention to detail.
• Operate office equipment and handle materials as needed for presentations, discussions, or team activities.
• Move freely around the office to attend meetings, participate in team activities, and contribute to shared responsibilities, supporting a collaborative and engaging workplace culture.
• Travel may be required for business meetings, team summits, or company events, where in-person participation is an essential part of the role to foster collaboration, alignment, and engagement.

Our Commitment to Equal Opportunity

At Linden Lab, we know that great work can't happen without a diverse team and an inclusive environment. That’s why we intentionally seek out individuals with a wide range of strengths, backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. We believe this diversity gives us a competitive advantage, helping us better serve our residents, support one another, and grow both as Lindens and as individuals.

We celebrate and value diversity in all its forms, including differences in thought, race, national origin, culture, age, experience, religion, economic and social status, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, and disability. Fostering a culture of inclusion and belonging empowers us to create and share meaningful experiences, both within our team and across the virtual communities we serve. We invite candidates from all backgrounds to apply and help shape the future of virtual experiences.

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