Director of Engineering (Web & Applications)

About Codazen

Want to apply technology in ways that make life more enriching?

We think the digital experiences that make up more and more of our everyday lives should be seamless and engaging—even magical. Using our unique recipe of specialized skills and digital alchemy, we engineer experiences that help businesses engage with users, and users engage with the world.

The source of our magic comes from our people. We continually strive to be better versions of ourselves—and have fun while doing it. If a career creating innovative experiences and digital products sounds exciting, we hope you’ll consider joining our amazing team.

Rethink Experience™

About the Role

Codazen is looking for a Director of Engineering (Web & Applications) with a proven track record of leading high-performing software engineering teams, delivering impactful digital products, and managing client relationships in an agency or consultancy setting. 5+ years of Agency experience, providing software engineering services for other companies is a must have for this role. This position requires a unique combination of technical depth, leadership, business acumen, and delivery oversight. The ideal candidate is a hands-on technical leader who thrives in fast-paced environments, excels at building client trust, and can drive strategic growth while maintaining engineering excellence.

Key Responsibilities

Engineering Leadership & Technical Strategy

• Lead and mentor a cross-functional team of software engineers and production staff (e.g. project managers, product managers, BA, QA) to deliver high-quality, scalable solutions.

• Provide architectural and technical direction across the full stack (frontend, backend, APIs, infrastructure).

• Drive adoption of best-in-class engineering practices, tools, and processes.

• Ensure teams are continuously improving in efficiency, quality, and technical innovation.

• Manage technical debt and maintain sustainable development velocity.

Client Ownership & Relationship Management

• Act as the primary point of contact for client delivery and relationship management.

• Develop a trusted advisor relationship with client stakeholders, aligning delivery to strategic goals.

• Proactively manage client expectations, mitigate concerns, and lead executive-level syncs as needed.

Project Delivery & Oversight

• Ensure successful delivery of all scoped work—on time, on budget, and to quality standards.

• Oversee execution strategy, staffing plans, and team velocity to maintain healthy project outcomes.

• Make critical trade-off decisions and maintain delivery excellence culture.

• Collaborate with TPMs or serve in a dual-delivery/technical lead role when needed.

Financial Ownership & Strategic Growth

• Own P&L responsibility for one or more projects, ensuring margin and profitability targets are met.

• Collaborate with Finance on forecasting, billing cadence, and revenue recognition.

• Author and approve SOWs, renewals, and change orders with a keen eye on scope and value.

• Identify upsell opportunities, pitch new scopes, and extend long-term client roadmaps.

Team Development & Culture

• Recruit, structure, and grow diverse, high-performing engineering teams.

• Act as a functional manager providing performance feedback, coaching, and mentorship.

• Foster a culture of accountability, psychological safety, and career development.

• Collaborate with the Resource Manager to plan staffing and team compositions across project phases.

Governance, Risk, & Escalations

• Own project-level decisions, resolving issues with clarity and diplomacy.

• Escalate strategic risks to executive leadership when necessary.

• Ensure adherence to contractual, operational, and ethical standards.

Qualifications

• 12+ years of software engineering experience, including at least 4+ years in Director of Engineering or management roles.

• 5+ years experience in an Agency, consultancy, or client-facing services environment.

• Hands-on experience as a full-stack engineer (e.g., JavaScript, PHP, Java, React.js) and comfort across frontend/backend systems.

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science or equivalent practical experience.

• Experience leading distributed teams, managing performance, and fostering team culture.

• Proven ability to recruit, coach, and develop high-performing engineers.

• Strong understanding of agile methodologies and delivery operations.

• Hands-on experience designing and deploying secure, scalable web-based products and services.

• Deep understanding of API design, system integrations, and full-stack architecture.

• Experience managing project budgets, forecasts, and financial metrics.

• Ability to thrive in a high-autonomy environment and make hard technical and business decisions.

• Passion for coaching future engineering leaders and scaling technical teams.

Why Join Us?

• Work with top-tier clients on innovative digital products.

• Be part of a mission-driven team that values integrity, growth, and excellence.

• Help shape the future of a fast-growing, people-first engineering culture.

Full compensation packages are based on candidate experience and certifications.
Irvine Pay Range
$185,000—$230,000 USD

What Codazen Offers

• Competitive salary

• Hybrid schedule with on-site electric vehicle charging

• On-site catered meals

• Generous paid time off and sick leave

• Paid holidays

• Health, dental, vision

• 401k (with company contribution)

• Income protection plans (life, accidental death and dismemberment, short- and long-term disability)

• Free drinks and snacks

• An incredible leadership team that cares about your development

• Fun, smart, diverse colleagues

Some benefits listed apply to full time employees only.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, status as a veteran, and basis of disability or any other federal, state or local protected class.