About the Role:

As the first Senior Software Engineering Manager hired in Poland for Confluent, you'll have the opportunity to lead our innovative EMEA Cloud Deployment Platform team, comprised of 6 engineers, including two Staff engineers. Together, you will build a scalable, efficient, and user-friendly platform that powers the release and deployment of Confluent Cloud—an essential part of our mission!

Our cutting-edge deployment platform is crafted in Golang and utilises native Kubernetes operator patterns to orchestrate deployments across an impressive fleet of over 4,000 Kubernetes clusters spanning three cloud providers. You'll be at the helm of this mission-critical component, overseeing thousands of deployments with safety and efficiency. If you're passionate about large-scale cloud-native technology and excited to nurture a growing team, this role is for you!

In this position, you'll work independently to shape the team's vision while championing the needs of your engineers and internal customers. While this role is not hands-on, your technical mindset will be invaluable as you guide architectural decisions and engage in meaningful technical discussions within and outside your team.

Beyond the scope of your engineering team, we’re seeking a passionate people leader to help grow our investment in Poland as the next major location in our EMEA engineering strategy. The role reports directly to the EMEA Site Lead, making this an incredible opportunity for growth and responsibility, whilst joining an already established platform engineering team.

What You Will Do:

• Lead the development and maintenance of our deployment platform—a cornerstone of our investment strategy for the coming years

• Ensure our platform remains scalable, efficient, and user-friendly for all stakeholders

• Collaborate cross-functionally to seamlessly integrate the deployment platform with various systems and processes

• Drive the mission and vision of the deployment platform team with enthusiasm and clarity

• Manage the team's sprint board and long-term strategic plans to ensure alignment with our goals

• Facilitate engaging team meetings that foster effective communication and collaboration

• Monitor progress towards team goals and provide insightful reports on achievements

• Be a pillar to anchor the growth of our Poland-based engineering function

What You Will Bring:

• A minimum of 10+ years in software development, with at least 3+ years in a management capacity

• Technical expertise in large-scale systems engineering or distributed systems - your knowledge will inspire others

• Exceptional problem-solving skills paired with meticulous attention to detail

• A natural influencer who can communicate effectively across all levels - from team members to upper management

• Experience in hiring, motivating engineers, coaching/mentoring, and managing performance with a focus on growth

• A proven track record of delivering features on time while prioritising tasks effectively

• A BS Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent experience; an advanced degree is a plus