theSkimm

Were hiring a VP, Engineering. 

About our team & what well build together

We're looking for a VP of Software Engineering with a passion for team leadership & deep experience in software development & systems architecture to join our leadership team. You will be the central technology leader within theSkimm & will be responsible for owning our technical architecture, roadmap, vision, & driving execution. Your wide-ranging responsibilities will include our consumer-facing products & services, the systems which drive those experiences, our internal IT infrastructure & policies, security & compliance, & systems architecture.

You will mentor & guide our dedicated staff of software engineers, technical architects, QA/DevOps professionals, & IT technicians. You are an inclusive leader who encourages divergent views & uses them to create discourse that leads to the best outcome.  You prioritize curiosity, possess a drive for self-learning, & a desire to keep up to date in new technologies, services, industry trends, & methodologies.

You will not just be responsible for building our systems & tools, but for evolving the culture by which we will deliver our best work.  Our ideal candidate will have a passion for pushing the bounds of whats possible through ethical & inspired technology, mentoring & motivating colleagues & staff through shared learning & exploration, & fostering a positive culture of collaboration & accountability that continually improves upon itself.

How youll contribute to our mission

• Plan, architect, & build a scalable & robust architecture across our portfolio of consumer-facing products, internal systems, & vendors
• Hire, manage, motivate, & grow a team of software engineers, QA, Dev/Net Ops, IT, & security personnel 
• Develop & mentor staff; provide regular feedback & constantly ensure improvement in professional skills & attainment of career development goals
• Own our short & long term technology roadmaps
• Understand, identify, & evaluate the best partners & vendors in our space. Work with cross-functional teams to connect our vision with those partners
• Manage our technology & IT budgets
• Develop proposals, RFPs, & presentations
• Ensure that all employees at theSkimm have the technology to effectively perform their jobs & seamlessly collaborate in a remote/on-site hybrid environment
• Define & model a culture of excellence, inclusivity, & accountability
• Ensure our systems, technical partners, & data are secure & compliant with necessary regulations
• Adapt, implement, & champion current best practices in digital development methodologies (e.g., Lean, Agile, user-centered design) and, where appropriate, work with other departments to understand & embrace them
• Build & manage relationships internally & with third parties across the technology & media landscape
• Create technical specifications & requirements
• Take a hands-on role in the design, development, deployment, & maintenance of software on an as-needed basis
• Oversee software development life-cycle processes that drive delivery toward a scalable product portfolio that will, in-turn, drive the organizations goals of audience & financial growth

Youre ready for this! Heres a bit more about what were looking for

• 10+ years of software engineering experience with progressively increasing responsibilities
• 6+ years of engineering leadership experience, with a proven track record designing & executing large scale, complex platforms with high availability in a rapidly evolving environment
• Demonstrated ability to attract top talent & inspire high performing teams
• Ability to clearly communicate & lead discussions around strategy, architecture, & engineering principles
• Technical adeptness across the full stack
• Deep proficiency with modern software engineering languages & frameworks, cloud computing platforms, & orchestration technologies
• Strong experience in agile & test-driven methodologies
• Effective negotiation & vendor management skills
• Experience weighing strategic, operational, & budget factors to make & implement sound decisions around build-vs-buy options
• Exceptional understanding of modern security practices
• Ability to think big, while paying attention to detail; ability to balance technical vision with business needs
• Strong communication skills & passion for sharing expertise with other team members
• Ability to organize & motivate large cross-functional teams & lead through influence
• Self-learning & desire to keep up-to-date in new technologies, services, industry trends & methodologies
• Collaborative, open, & able to have strong opinions that are weakly held
• Ability to balance technical vision with business needs
• Strong quantitative & analytical abilities; use data to drive decisions
• Entrepreneurial spirit & a willingness to take risks & move into uncharted territory
• Tactical problem-solving skills & the readiness to get in the weeds when necessary
• Ability to manage conflicting interests between teams & drive towards solutions

Why we love working here

We are mission driven & values driven:

We are collectively building an impactful brand for women by helping them maneuver through lifes necessities. We are providing this community with information & resources so they have the ability, agency & confidence to live their smartest lives. Every role has a purpose & allows us to equip & enable women to make their best decisions, feel more educated & have the right knowledge at the right time.  

We are values driven at every point - how we work, the way we work & our culture come straight from our core values. Each of us support this incredible brand & take part in its continued growth, fulfilling the needs of our audience each & every day.

We put you & your personal lives first - we have a generous benefits policy that demonstrates we are listening to what our employees need:

• Unlimited vacation policy & generous holiday observances
• A hybrid working model with flexibility for remote work
• Comprehensive insurance plans & commuter benefits
• Auto-enrollment into a MassMutual 401(k) plan starting on your first day & employer contribution available after one year of employment 
• Access to family building & fertility benefits
• Rewards for every work anniversary
• One month paid sabbatical after your five year anniversary as a full-time employee

We support our parents at all points on their journey: 

• Generous paid parental leave
• Access to family building & fertility benefits
• Flexible & broad scale child support program

Your well being is our priority: 

• We honor Sacred Time in our workplace
• We have aligned company time off during the summer to truly allow for us all to break from our work at the same time
• We offer fitness membership reimbursement
• One Medical Membership is included with our benefits

We have a vibrant, collaborative & supportive culture (we celebrate & have fun!):

• Weekly company updates led by our co-founders/co-CEOs
• Weekly lunch stipend for HQ employees
• ERGs
• Employee awards ceremonies to celebrate individual accomplishments
• Clubs & activities designed to meet other employees like book clubs, new hire buddy programs, rooftop lunches, off-sites, & wellness focused classes
• Numerous culture events that enable our workforce, in the office & remote, to connect & have fun

Your career & development are a priority: 

• Annual learning & development stipend
• LEAD@theSkimm, our leadership development program
• DEI initiatives to ensure we are the best partners & colleagues to each other
• Career development guidance & planning

And more

• Competitive salary & equity packages
• Complimentary access to theSkimms suite of membership products & swag
• The opportunity to be part of a values-driven, hardworking, & diverse group of people building a media company that makes it easier to live smarter

Our story, Skimmd

Were a mission-driven digital media company giving millennial women the information they need to live their smartest lives. 

At our core, we are writers, editors, producers, designers, marketers, engineers, analysts, sellers, creatives & strategists all working together to achieve this goal.

Since launching in 2012, we have become a trusted source for a community of millions of Skimmrs by seamlessly integrating into their existing routines, fundamentally changing the way our audience consumes news & makes decisions. Our flagship product, the Daily Skimm, remains the fastest-growing newsletter on the market, & we continue to innovate, find new ways to Skimm everything from finance and careers to voting, wellness and downtime. Our product suite has expanded to include three top-rated podcasts, Skimm This'', Pop Cultured, & 9 to 5ish, theSkimm mobile app, Skimm Money & Skimm Your Life newsletters, a new virtual course series called SkimmU, & Skimm Studios for innovative in-house video & audio content. Our first book, How to Skimm Your Life, was released in June 2019 & debuted at #1 on The New York Times Best Seller list. 

And were not done! We continue to grow the breadth of our offerings in lifes necessary categories & by expanding our products across events, commerce, customized content & audio, our ecosystem will become the go-to resource for this generation - & the ones that follow -  in the most critical areas of their lives. 

Come join us!

Learn more about us & our other opportunities here.

What about the office?

This is a full-time role based in New York, NY with flexibility for remote work.

Our office is available to use three days a week - Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday. We have a hybrid environment & ask that employees within the New York Metro area come together in person a minimum of three days per month. All other days are up to the discretion of the employees during the three days a week that the office will be open. We are continuing to closely monitor the state of COVID-19 in New York & will adjust this plan accordingly.

We will require COVID-19 vaccinations for anyone coming to our office. We are following CDC recommendations & will also require additional boosters, & will always follow CDC & NY state guidance on wearing masks in the office.