Senior Engineering Manager

Job Posting Organization:
The Wikimedia Foundation is a nonprofit organization that operates Wikipedia and other Wikimedia free knowledge projects. Established with the vision of a world where every individual can freely share in the sum of all knowledge, the foundation believes in the potential of everyone to contribute to shared knowledge and the necessity for that knowledge to be accessible freely. The organization hosts Wikipedia and various Wikimedia projects, builds software experiences for reading, contributing, and sharing content, supports volunteer communities and partners, and advocates for policies that enable Wikimedia and free knowledge to thrive. The Wikimedia Foundation is a charitable, not-for-profit organization that relies on donations from millions of individuals globally, with an average donation of about $1

• It is recognized as a United States 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization with its headquarters in San Francisco, California, USA. The foundation values diversity and strives to maintain an inclusive and equitable workplace, encouraging individuals from diverse backgrounds to apply for positions.

Job Overview:
As the Senior Engineering Manager, you will lead the technical roadmap and manage a talented team of engineers responsible for the Wikimedia Enterprise product. This role offers a significant opportunity to contribute to the architecture, development, and maintenance of Wikipedia's data feeds for high-volume reusers. You will collaborate with product and sales teams to define the long-term strategy for Wikimedia Enterprise, ensuring the financial sustainability of the Wikimedia movement. The Enterprise product is in its early stages, and the role will evolve as the team grows. The team is distributed and diverse, with a strong drive to explore and embrace new technologies. The work environment is fast-paced, with a focus on quick development and deployment, and has a substantial impact on the global knowledge ecosystem. The ideal candidate will be adaptable, willing to take on multiple roles, and possess experience in managing a strong team while fostering a culture of collaboration and excitement.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The Senior Engineering Manager will be responsible for fostering a supportive team environment, ensuring that diverse voices are heard and that team members feel empowered to lead. You will guide team members using structured development techniques and coach engineers in software engineering and evolvable software architecture. You will own technical decisions and collaborate closely with the team to find optimal solutions to complex problems. Leading discussions about the long-term technical strategy of the Wikimedia Enterprise team will be a key responsibility, along with being a strong voice and collaborator in team activities such as code reviews, ceremonies, and work allocation. You will participate in hiring processes with a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion, partner with peers on cross-team delivery, and facilitate product technical strategy and roadmap setting with software engineers and technical product management. Additionally, you will supervise budget and staffing.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates should have expertise in B2B environments that require high and unpredictable scale, along with a history of developing high productivity engineering teams that tackle challenging problems. Experience managing teams with tight service level agreements (SLAs) is essential. Familiarity with complex web applications running on Amazon Web Services or comparable cloud platforms is required, as well as experience with distributed event processing systems like Kafka. Proficiency in working with Node.js, Go, and PHP applications is necessary, along with comfort in using configuration management and orchestration tools such as ECS and Kubernetes, and modern observability infrastructure including monitoring, metrics, and logging.

Educational Background:
A BS, MS, or Ph.D. in Computer Science or a relevant technical field is required, or equivalent work experience that demonstrates the necessary skills and knowledge for the position.

Experience:
The position requires a significant level of experience in managing engineering teams, particularly in high-scale environments. Candidates should have a proven track record of leading teams in developing complex software solutions and managing projects with tight deadlines and high expectations.

Languages:
While specific language requirements are not mentioned, strong communication skills in English are likely essential for this role, given the international nature of the organization and its remote-first approach. Additional language skills may be beneficial but are not explicitly required.

Additional Notes:
The Wikimedia Foundation operates as a remote-first organization, employing staff and contractors across over 40 countries. The anticipated annual pay range for this position within the United States is between US$157,678 and US$250,357, with compensation determined by various factors including the cost of living in the applicant's location. For candidates located outside the US, the pay range will be adjusted according to the country of hire. The organization does not consider salary history in its compensation decisions. The Wikimedia Foundation is committed to providing accommodations for qualified applicants with disabilities during the application process.