Engineering Manager

About the Role

Vestd is seeking a seasoned Engineering Manager to lead and grow our engineering team within a fully remote setup based in India. Reporting directly to the Head of Technology, this position blends leadership, management, and hands-on software development responsibilities. The role requires spending 20% to 40% of the time actively coding and contributing to the codebase while also driving team productivity and improvement initiatives.

Company Overview

Vestd is a pioneering equity management platform offering tools for share schemes, fundraising, and company secretarial services, aimed at helping companies attract and retain talent effectively. The company is driven by a mission to enable a billion people worldwide to become shareholders in their workplace by 2030 and holds B Corp certification for its commitment to social and environmental responsibility.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage software engineers by setting clear expectations, supporting career development, providing feedback, and managing performance issues equitably.
• Collaborate with engineering and product leaders to oversee delivery, identify risks proactively, unblock teams, and enhance predictability without excess bureaucracy.
• Develop engineering management practices including onboarding, succession planning, retention strategies, and continuous process improvements.
• Contribute significantly to software development efforts including product work, internal tooling, prototypes, and technical enhancements approximately 20%-40% of the time.
• Maintain technical credibility by coaching engineers, influencing technical decisions, and remaining engaged with the codebase.

Requirements

• Minimum of 10 years hands-on experience in software engineering with a proven record of designing, building, and maintaining production-grade software.
• Current, practical experience in software development with active contribution to modern codebases.
• Demonstrated experience in managing engineering teams and handling challenging conversations around performance and career growth.
• Strong technical judgment and ability to mentor engineers effectively.
• Ability to balance introduction of necessary process improvements while avoiding bureaucratic overhead.
• Comfortable and experienced with PHP and Laravel, or similar backend frameworks, with willingness to work actively in these environments.
• Excellent attention to detail and strong communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Experience working in a remote-first environment.

Nicer to Have

• Recent direct experience with PHP and Laravel.
• Experience managing engineering managers or technical leads.
• Background working with distributed or remote teams.
• Exposure to fintech, SaaS, or regulated sectors.
• Experience scaling engineering management practices.
• Experience building internal tools, prototypes, or early-stage products.

Culture and Workstyle Fit

• Thrives in a fast-paced startup environment with diverse challenges.
• Flexibility to take on tasks beyond the defined scope.
• Committed to innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Embraces technology to enhance processes and operational efficiency.

Working Conditions and Benefits

• Remote-first work environment based in India, with required overlapping hours: IST 1:30 PM to 10:00 PM.
• Competitive salary up to INR 4,500,000 per annum, along with equity participation and various benefits.
• Flexible work-life balance with autonomy over working hours and locations.
• Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) available post-qualification period.
• Personal professional development budget and support for home office equipment.
• Private medical insurance after qualifying period.
• Biannual team retreats and frequent social events fostering team connection.
• Generous annual leave policy: 25 days plus an additional day for each year of service, up to five extra days.

Additional Information

Vestd maintains a strict policy on candidate communication – all contact must go through official channels only. Harassment or informal contact attempts may disqualify candidates. The company is committed to a respectful and inclusive work environment with a focus on equity, diversity, and inclusion. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis with a multi-stage, candidate-friendly interview process. Interviews may be recorded strictly for internal use and deleted following the hiring process. Applicants must have a suitable home workspace and reliable internet connection.

This position requires the candidate to be India-based and eligible to work in the country.