Software Engineering Manager

Position Overview

Tailscale is seeking a talented and motivated full-time Software Engineering Manager to join our growing team. You will work as part of the engineering team to provide guidance, mentorship, and career development for a team of software engineers. You will contribute toward the success of our Product organization, which includes Engineering, Product Management, and Design. We operate in Pods of 2-4 engineers plus a Product Manager and Designer, and each Engineering Manager handles 2-3 such Pods. Pods work across the codebase to implement features, address shortcomings, and answer customer requests. You will also provide technical direction in projects as needed, and grow the technical leadership capabilities of the engineers reporting to you. Additionally, you will help in growing the organization by interviewing and recruiting, guiding the development of the engineering culture, and developing processes as we grow.

As an early-stage and fully remote company, we’re looking for a motivated individual who can help move the product forward. The ability to think on your feet, collaborate with highly technical teams, and comfort working asynchronously are essential.

Key Responsibilities

• People Management: Provide guidance, mentorship, and career development for a team of software engineers.
• Cross-functional Collaboration: Achieve significant business outcomes through collaboration with product managers, data scientists, and designers.
• Team Performance & Quality: Help your team improve their performance and the quality of their work; make major design decisions.
• Hiring & Culture: Hire, nurture, and oversee a team of engineers while fostering an atmosphere of psychological well-being, embracing diversity and promoting inclusion.
• Operational Excellence: Lead a team responsible for managing a critical production service, including operational concerns (monitoring, alerting, on call, etc).
• Conflict Resolution & Feedback: Manage healthy conflict by moderating design discussions and cultivating a positive culture of feedback with candor and kindness.
• Project Leadership: Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams across the organization to complete complex projects spanning multiple technical domains.
• Strategic Planning: Drive planning across multiple time horizons, from immediate tactical needs to long-term strategic direction.

What We Are Looking For

• Management Experience: Demonstrated leadership with substantial experience in managing and mentoring Engineering teams, including performance evaluations, career development, and fostering a collaborative work environment. Experience as a people manager is required; we are not yet at a size and level of maturity as an engineering org to provide the training and support for someone new in the management role.
• Technical Skills: Experience developing in Go, used for much of the system.
• Communication & Autonomy: Ability to give and process constructive feedback, as well as work independently.
• Adaptability: Flexibility to adjust to the dynamic nature of a startup.

Nice to Have

• Networking Background: Experience in networking, including L4-L7 connectivity, browser and DNS behaviors, BGP and related protocols.

About Tailscale

Tailscale is building the new Internet by delivering software that makes it easy to securely interconnect people and their devices, no matter where they are. From hobbyists to multinational corporations, teams of every size use Tailscale each day to protect their networks, share access to internal tools, and more. We're building a future for the Internet that's easy, sensible, and safe, like it used to be. Founded in 2019 and fully distributed, we're backed by Accel, CRV, Insight, Heavybit, and Uncork Capital.

Compensation & Benefits

As a company, we strive to maintain fair and equitable compensation practices within our team across all roles and all levels. Tailscale's compensation package includes base salary, equity, and comprehensive benefits. The salary range displayed on each job posting represents the target range for a new hire's base salary. Individual offers may vary based on experience and skill set.

• US Pay Range: $206,000 - $257,000 USD

We encourage you to apply even if you don't meet 100% of the qualifications. Frequently cited statistics show that people who identify with historically marginalized groups are likely to apply to jobs only if they meet 100% of the qualifications.

Employment Type

• Full-time

Location Type

• Fully Distributed / Remote

Salary

• $206,000 - $257,000 USD