Senior Software Engineering Manager

About us: iconic brand, tiny company.  

Polaroid was founded in 1937 by one of the most seminal innovators of the 20th century, Edwin Land. His motto was, “don't undertake a project unless it is manifestly important and nearly impossible.” In 2008, Polaroid shuttered its last factory but a group of diehard fans came together as The Impossible Project to save instant film. Over 10 years later that startup acquired what was left of Polaroid and today we’re again a small group of people passionate about empowering creators to change the world in the name of Polaroid.  

Job Summary

As Senior Engineering Manager, you will lead Polaroid’s software engineering team and help shape the culture, practices, and technical foundation needed to deliver high-quality mobile software faster and smarter. Reporting to the Chief Product Officer, this is a hands-on leadership role where you actively contribute to architecture, code reviews, and key technical decisions.
At a pivotal moment for Polaroid, you will lead the evolution of our software foundation as we expand into new connected products and experiences like HiPrint. You will collaborate closely across Product, UX, Hardware, Marketing, IT, and senior leadership, bridging technical and non-technical worlds with ease.
A key focus of the role is driving AI-assisted software development, helping the team move faster and raise the quality bar. This role is for someone excited to build what’s next and leave a lasting impact.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the software engineering team across iOS, Android, and QA, owning engineering execution of Polaroid's app experiences: connected device interactions, pairing, syncing, OTA updates, onboarding, and core app features. 

• Drive a transformation in how the team works, actively bringing AI-assisted coding, modern tooling, and new engineering practices into everyday delivery. 

• Work as an equal partner in the digital product triad with Digital Product Management and UX Design, ensuring engineering, design, and product thinking push and pull on each other effectively. 

• Engage early with Hardware Engineering to shape decisions upstream that make digital execution more seamless downstream, including influencing interaction and connectivity decisions before hardware is locked. 

• Collaborate with DTC, Marketing, and central IT and data infrastructure teams to build shared frameworks, platform efficiencies, and a more cohesive experience across all Polaroid touchpoints, including web, app, and communication channels like push notifications. 

• Hold strong points of view on data architecture, security, and scalability, and build those in from the start. 

• Set and maintain clear engineering standards for performance, reliability, and testability, and ensure they are met consistently in shipped products. 

• Attract, develop, and retain strong engineering talent, building a team that is hungry, curious, and proud of what they ship. 

Key Qualifications:

• You have led mobile software engineering teams in a consumer product environment and you know what it takes to build a high-performing engineering culture from the inside. 

• You are a transformation-minded, hands-on leader. You lead by being in the work, not above it, and you have a genuine point of view on how AI-assisted development changes what a small team can do. 

• You demonstrate understanding of backend systems and cloud infrastructure (e.g., GCP), including Firebase, with the ability to guide teams on system design trade-offs and ensure seamless integration between mobile, backend, and platform layers. 

• You are a natural collaborator across disciplines. You are as comfortable in a conversation with a hardware engineer or a marketing team as you are in a code review, and you create alignment without bureaucracy. 

• You have strong, considered views on data architecture, security, and scalability, and you build those into how the team thinks from day one. 

• You thrive in cross-functional environments where design, engineering, and product management operate as peers, and you are energized by small, fast teams and constrained resources. 

• You have a high bar for execution and accountability and you know how to bring a team with you rather than around them. 

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