Engineering Manager - Application Platform & Infrastructure
Top Hat
We are seeking a forward-thinking Engineering Manager to lead our talented backend platform and infrastructure team. You will drive innovation in application framework & technologies, manage a team of engineers and ensure the delivery of high-quality, developer-centric tooling and internal libraries. As an Engineering Manager, you will guide your team to success, foster collaboration, and cultivate a culture of continuous improvement in the ecosystem.
You will:
Lead, motivate, and guide a team of engineers, fostering an environment focused on collaboration, creativity, and growth in the development of cutting-edge user interfaces.
Spearhead the modernization & maturation of the internal platform engineering capabilities, driving the adoption of modern development frameworks, performance optimization techniques, and infrastructure standards
Illicit feedback from developers to validate and clarify ensuring alignment with developers needs and feasibility.
Collaborate with engineering managers in product domain teams to advocate and prioritize capabilities that enhance developer experience while maintaining the integrity and performance of existing internal systems & tooling.
Use emotional intelligence to navigate complex situations, resolve conflicts, and create a psychologically safe and high-performing engineering environment.
Provide coaching and mentorship to team members, supporting their growth in technologies, and career advancement.
Deliver regular and constructive feedback to your team regarding their performance and technical contributions.
Evaluate and optimize development workflows and operational practices to enhance overall efficiency and ensure timely delivery of user-centric features.
Participate in on-call practices as a point of escalation from the team.
Assume scrum master responsibilities and guide the team in following agile processes effectively, with a focus on internal deliverables and sprint planning.
You bring:
A proven track record with a minimum of 7 years in application development, working with modern application frameworks, and/or writing internal tools, SDKs and infrastructure automation.
Demonstrated experience leading and managing teams, with a strong ability to manage relationships and drive collaboration across design, product, and engineering teams.
Strong technical acumen in DevOps concepts and practices, with the confidence to make informed data-driven decisions and guide the team in implementing scalable solutions & processes to improve developer experience.
Experience managing multiple codebases and libraries in different stages of development, from greenfield projects to maintaining and improving legacy systems.
Familiarity in backend application frameworks and languages (e.g., Python, Django, FastAPI), and AWS (Fargate, RDS, Lambda)
High emotional intelligence, with the ability to manage interpersonal relationships, resolve conflicts, and maintain a positive, creative, and collaborative team dynamic.
Excellent communication skills, with the ability to advocate for optimal front-end solutions, address technical challenges, and align goals across departments.
Proven experience in coaching and mentoring engineers, helping them grow their skills in modern web technologies, accessibility, and performance optimization.
A Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field, with a strong focus on front-end development and user experience.
Why team members love working at Top Hat:
A noble mission that creates meaningful, fulfilling work
A team that cares deeply for customers and for each other
Competitive stock options program that encourages our team to act like owners
Professional learning and development for all role levels
An awesome and welcoming Toronto HQ
Competitive health benefits that start on day one
A management team focused on performance, growth, engagement and connection
Our winning strategy and market potential
Innovative PTO policy with lots of time and space for self-care
Passionate customers that believe in us—and what we do
A chance to work with new tech like generative AI - and see the customer impact first-hand in weeks (not years)
Through our Top Hat Field Trip, every Top Hatter has the chance to visit a campus to see and feel the impact we're making in class with instructors and students