US Director of Engineering

Fictiv

Job Summary

Fictiv is seeking an experienced Director of Engineering to lead a critical segment of its software engineering organization. This role, reporting to the Head of Engineering, will oversee multiple Engineering Managers and their teams. Responsibilities include building high-performing teams, driving technical excellence, and delivering strategic initiatives that directly impact the business. The position is based in the Oakland, California office and involves close collaboration with Product, Infrastructure, and other cross-functional partners.

Must Have

  • Build, scale, and lead high-performing engineering teams.
  • Lead planning and execution of strategic technical initiatives.
  • Partner with Product, Infrastructure, and cross-functional stakeholders to define technical roadmaps and ensure timely delivery.
  • Continuously improve engineering processes to support iterative delivery, innovation, and system reliability.
  • Drive improvements to engineering practices, including SDLC, code quality standards, testing strategies, and deployment processes.
  • Own hiring, onboarding, and development of engineering talent; build a strong bench of future leaders.
  • Coach and develop Engineering Managers, strengthening leadership capability and organizational maturity.
  • Identify and resolve systemic obstacles impacting team health, productivity, and delivery velocity.
  • Ensure systems are scalable, maintainable, and aligned with long-term business growth objectives.
  • Foster a culture of transparency, psychological safety, accountability, and continuous learning.
  • Maintain and contribute to the company’s Quality Management System (QMS).
  • 15+ years of experience in software engineering with a strong technical foundation.
  • 5+ years of experience leading engineering teams at the Director level or equivalent.
  • Proven track record managing Engineering Managers and building organizational capability.
  • Experience supporting business-critical, cloud-based SaaS platforms.
  • Demonstrated success recruiting, retaining, and developing high-performing engineering teams.
  • Strong technical judgment and ability to guide architectural decisions without being hands-on daily.
  • Excellent communication skills and ability to influence across functions and leadership levels.
  • Experience operating in fast-paced, growth-stage environments.
  • Must be a U.S. Citizen or Green Card holder.

Good to Have

  • Experience in manufacturing, industrial, or hardware-adjacent software domains.
  • Background in modern software development stacks (e.g., JavaScript/TypeScript, Node.js, React).
  • Experience with cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, or GCP.
  • Track record of leading teams through significant technical scaling or modernization initiatives.
  • Experience building or scaling AI/ML-powered services, including LLM integrations or intelligent automation.
  • Familiarity with compliance frameworks such as SOC 2, CMMC, or similar.

Job Description

US Director of Engineering

Fictiv Exists to Enable Hardware Innovators to Build Better Products, Faster

Fictiv exists to help product innovators create.

Fictiv is a global manufacturing and supply chain company that enables organizations to scale globally across Fictiv’s four global manufacturing centers in India, Mexico, China, and the U.S.. Companies use Fictiv to access high-quality production, optimize supply chain logistics, and mitigate supply chain risk—ensuring they can move from prototype to full-scale manufacturing with speed and confidence. To date, Fictiv has delivered more than 35 million commercial and prototype parts for industries such as aerospace, robotics, automotive, climate tech, and more, helping them innovate faster, free up precious resources, and drive profitable growth.

***

Director of Engineering

Oakland, CA (On-site)

Full-Time

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced Director of Engineering to lead a critical segment of our software engineering organization. Reporting to the Head of Engineering, this role will oversee multiple Engineering Managers and their teams and will be responsible for building high-performing teams, driving technical excellence, and delivering strategic initiatives that directly impact the business.

This role is based in our Oakland, California office and works closely with Product, Infrastructure, and other cross-functional partners.

What You’ll Do

  • Build, scale, and lead high-performing engineering teams where engineers can grow their careers and do their best work
  • Lead planning and execution of strategic technical initiatives, ensuring alignment and clarity across teams
  • Partner with Product, Infrastructure, and cross-functional stakeholders to define technical roadmaps and ensure timely delivery
  • Continuously improve engineering processes to support iterative delivery, innovation, and system reliability
  • Drive improvements to engineering practices, including SDLC, code quality standards, testing strategies, and deployment processes
  • Own hiring, onboarding, and development of engineering talent; build a strong bench of future leaders
  • Coach and develop Engineering Managers, strengthening leadership capability and organizational maturity
  • Identify and resolve systemic obstacles impacting team health, productivity, and delivery velocity
  • Ensure systems are scalable, maintainable, and aligned with long-term business growth objectives
  • Foster a culture of transparency, psychological safety, accountability, and continuous learning
  • Maintain and contribute to the company’s Quality Management System (QMS)

Travel Expectations

  • Travel required approximately 11–25%

Required Qualifications

  • 15+ years of experience in software engineering with a strong technical foundation
  • 5+ years of experience leading engineering teams at the Director level or equivalent
  • Proven track record managing Engineering Managers and building organizational capability
  • Experience supporting business-critical, cloud-based SaaS platforms
  • Demonstrated success recruiting, retaining, and developing high-performing engineering teams
  • Strong technical judgment and ability to guide architectural decisions without being hands-on daily
  • Excellent communication skills and ability to influence across functions and leadership levels
  • Experience operating in fast-paced, growth-stage environments
  • Must be a U.S. Citizen or Green Card holder

Preferred Qualifications

  • Experience in manufacturing, industrial, or hardware-adjacent software domains
  • Background in modern software development stacks (e.g., JavaScript/TypeScript, Node.js, React)
  • Experience with cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, or GCP
  • Track record of leading teams through significant technical scaling or modernization initiatives
  • Experience building or scaling AI/ML-powered services, including LLM integrations or intelligent automation
  • Familiarity with compliance frameworks such as SOC 2, CMMC, or similar

Compensation

1. The salary range for this role is $215,000 – $265,000, depending on experience.

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About Fictiv

Fictiv is transforming how the next rockets, self-driving cars, and life-saving robots are designed, developed, and delivered to customers around the world. People who succeed at Fictiv are talented, creative, and driven to achieve professional excellence and support our vision to help product innovators create.

We’re actively seeking teammates who:

  • Bring diverse perspectives and experience to our culture and company.
  • Excel at being part of a strong, empathetic team.
  • Thrive in an environment emphasizing respect, honesty, collaboration, and growth.
  • Have an ‘always learning’ mindset that celebrates learning, not just wins.
  • Help us continue to build a world-class organization that values the contributions of all of our teammates

We encourage applications from members of underrepresented groups, including but not limited to women, members of the LGBTQ community, people of color, people with disabilities, and veterans.

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Are you able to work on-site from our Oakland, California office on a full-time basis?*

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Do you have at least 5 years of experience leading engineering teams at the Director level or equivalent (including managing Engineering Managers)?*

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Have you led or supported teams responsible for business-critical, cloud-based SaaS platforms in production environments?*

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Have you directly managed Engineering Managers and been accountable for their performance, development, and organizational outcomes?*

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Have you led or supported teams building or operating AI/ML-enabled services (e.g., LLM integrations, machine learning models, or intelligent automation)?*

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