Director, Software Engineering - AppFolio, Inc

Hi, we’re AppFolio.

We’re innovators, changemakers, and collaborators. More than just a software company, we’re pioneers in cloud and AI, delivering magical experiences that make our customers’ lives easier. We’re revolutionizing how people do business in the real estate industry, and we want your ideas, enthusiasm, and passion to help us continue innovating.

The Director of Software Engineering in Screening will lead, inspire, and grow the team responsible for our resident screening services. From verifying documentation to analyzing information, making critical resident decisions, and ensuring compliance with fair housing laws, tenant screening is one of the most essential aspects of property management. This leader will play a key role in driving the future of this business. This role will impact millions of users and leverage cutting-edge technologies to reimagine how users interact with our products. It is a unique opportunity for a talented engineering leader to shape the strategic direction of a critically important AppFolio product and make a significant impact on a high-growth company.

Your impact

• You’ll advocate for engineering excellence. We respect the craft of software engineering and understand that the only way to build a sustainable business is to deliver well-designed, high-quality products.

• You’ll be working on services that fall under specific laws and regulations and will be a leader in ensuring regulatory compliance.

• You’ll regularly engage with internal and external customers, because when we understand our customers better than anyone else, we will win.

• You’ll work with your product partners to build a screening services strategy that aligns with our mission, vision, and values.

• You’ll lead a team of dedicated engineers with expertise in data, AI, developer experience, and service design.

• You’ll collaborate with leadership to manage the screening team's objectives. Today, we use OKRs to shape processes, define responsibilities, affect behavior, and ensure we execute our strategy while learning and growing daily.

• You’ll play a key part in evolving our engineering culture and drive initiatives that enable engineers to achieve greater results and impact.

• You’ll hire the next generation of world-class AppFolio engineers. We love it when our leaders are highly engaged in recruiting as we scale.

• You’ll craft and execute a strategic vision for the screening engineering group in harmony with AppFolio’s overarching goals.

• You’ll cultivate a customer-first, cooperative culture, inspiring your engineering teams to pursue craftsmanship and focus on long-term outcomes.

• You’ll lead by example, living AppFolio’s core values and nurturing diverse, high-performing teams.

• You’ll make strategic staffing decisions to maintain an optimal balance within teams and support robust engineering talent pipelines.

• You’ll drive transparent operations and endorse a workspace that values creativity, clear communication, and efficiency.

• You’ll steer significant projects with your technical insights and ensure swift, informed decision-making to navigate complex challenges.

• You’ll commit to continuous improvement, embracing metrics to enhance team satisfaction, product quality, and operational efficiency.

Must have

• Experience hiring and nurturing amazing talent.

• Experience as a technical leader, with a high degree of programming and architectural proficiency, and a track record of successfully leading engineers and engineering managers.

• A background in a regulated environment and success in developing solutions that are safe, scalable, and customer-focused.

• A history of fostering a performance-oriented culture of metrics, where teams proactively seek to improve key measures around people, organizational health, quality, throughput, vulnerability, availability, consistency, drag, and Keep The Lights On (KTLO) vs. Making Progress (MP).

• A consistent record of improving the quality of software delivered, as measured by DORA-esque CFR, MTTR, and CP metrics, and improving the velocity of software delivery, as measured by LTTC and DF.

Qualifications 

• BS, MS, or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.

• 7-10 years of engineering leadership experience, ideally in regulated, dynamic, and fast-paced environments.

• Strong strategic vision and problem-solving capabilities.

• Exceptional leadership skills, with a passion for developing and nurturing talent.

• Excellent written and in-person communication and collaboration skills.

Compensation & Benefits

The base salary that we reasonably expect to pay for this role is: $216,000 - $270,000.

The actual base salary for this role may vary greatly to account for the wide range of skills, experience, and qualifications that candidates may possess at this level. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary expectations during the hiring process.

Please note that base pay is one important aspect of a compelling Total Rewards package. The base pay range indicated here does not include any additional benefits or bonuses/commissions that you may be eligible for based on your role and/or employment type.

Regular full-time employees are eligible for benefits including but not limited to: 

• Paid Time Off (PTO) 

• Medical, dental, and vision benefits 

• Long-term and short-term disability insurance

• 401(k)

• Wellness benefits

Interns / full-time temporary / eligible variable hour employees are eligible for benefits including but not limited to:

• Medical

• 401(k)

• Wellness benefits