Engineering Manager

At Just Appraised, we’re replacing outdated, manual local government workflows with modern software used by hundreds of government agencies across the United States. Our cutting-edge, AI-powered software, which leverages Natural Language Processing (NLP), replaces manual data entry to eliminate delays, backlogs, and errors. This work directly impacts how communities fund schools, infrastructure, and public services. About the Role Lead the team building the software for modern government! We’re hiring an Engineering Manager to lead teams responsible for the core products, systems, and infrastructure that power this software. This role combines technical leadership, architecture, and people development. This is a hands-on role with a strong emphasis on full-stack product engineering and end-to-end delivery. You will lead teams responsible for everything from user-facing features and modern frontend systems to scalable backend services and critical platform integrations. You will be a force multiplier: setting clear technical and business direction, contributing to design and code, and fostering a strong, scalable, and reliable technical foundation while championing the professional growth of every engineer. We don't have QA teams, dedicated designers, or product managers. We believe the best software is built by engineers who are empowered to own the entire journey. Here, you aren’t just executing on a spec; you are the architect, the designer, and the guardian of your code. You will scope the solution, build the interface, and support the production systems that keep local governments running. If you thrive in ambiguity and find "hand-offs" more frustrating than fulfilling, you’ll fit right in. If you prefer a neatly defined roadmap and a team to catch bugs before they ship, we’re likely not the right place for you. What You Will Work On Examples of problems our engineers tackle: Designing and implementing end-to-end features, from user interfaces to scalable backend services Improving the performance and responsiveness of our core application across the full stack Collaborating with our customers to translate their needs into technical solutions Building reliable data pipelines and integrations for our product features Designing systems that support AI-driven automation features Scaling the engineering organization while maintaining high talent density Tech Stack Backend: Java, PostgreSQL Frontend: React, TypeScript Infrastructure: AWS, Docker, Terraform Developer Tools: GitHub, Linear, Claude Code, Cursor, CI/CD, automated testing We understand that engineers may not be an expert in all of these technologies day one. We value engineers with a growth and learning mindset. Your Role Team Leadership & Mentorship Lead and manage a team of Software Engineers. Provide technical guidance and mentorship to develop strong design, coding, and problem-solving skills across the team. Manage team health, set goals, conduct performance reviews, and support individual career development and progression. Strategic Execution & Delivery Partner closely with different functional teams to define and execute roadmaps that result in measurable business and customer outcomes. Hands-on coding for up to 20% of your weekly time, as team needs require. Drive continuous improvement in engineering processes, developer experience, and delivery pipelines. Collaborate cross-functionally with all leadership, Customer Success, and Operations to align technical initiatives with overall company strategy. Architectural Guidance & Standards Guide critical architectural decisions focused on scalability, performance, and maintainability across our core backend and infrastructure systems. Champion and drive high standards for code quality, testing, documentation, and overall engineering excellence. Contribute to technical designs and write or review code, particularly for complex or high-impact projects. What We’re Looking For 4+ years of hands-on experience in software engineering, with strong proficiency in both backend (e.g., Java, Python) and frontend (e.g., React) technologies 2+ years of engineering leadership experience, including successfully managing an engineering team or leading multi-quarter initiatives Proven ability to deliver high-quality, user-facing product features across the full stack Experience with cloud platforms, CI/CD pipelines, observability, monitoring, and system reliability engineering (SRE) practices A demonstrated ability to successfully balance people leadership with significant technical contribution Excellent communication skills, with a proven ability to clearly bridge technical and non-technical stakeholders A strong sense of ownership, a bias for action, and a commitment to leading by example and mentoring others Benefits Competitive compensation and stock equity plan Comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, and life insurance Company sponsored pre-tax retirement savings program (401k) A flexible work environment that supports working from home Flexible PTO Parental Leave Home office stipend