Director, Engineering (BlackLocus)

Director, Engineering

Position Purpose : BlackLocus is building cloud-based analytic tools to optimize and automate retail merchandising decisions such as pricing, assortment, space and fulfillment. By applying machine learning and revenue management techniques, the BlackLocus platform enables intelligent retail software to identify opportunities for competitive advantage. The company was a venture-funded startup, founded by Carnegie Mellon alumni and entrepreneurs with a passion for creative deployment of new technology. The Director, Engineering is responsible for collaborating across business groups to plan for and achieve multi-year plans and goals. This role is also responsible for making proactive contributions to and providing course corrections on the overall vision, strategy, goals, and roadmap for the division.

Key Responsibilities :

• 50% Strategy & Planning :
• Partners with functional and technical leaders to identify and plan requirements necessary to meet short and long-term, multi-year business needs
• Develops and executes strategic plans in support of key objectives in a timely and fiscally responsible manner
• Informs and drives strategic alignment and partnerships with functional and technical peers and leaders
• Connects the dots across multiple levels and related functions to understand the business holistically
• Evaluates research and market analysis, including meeting with third party vendors, on industry innovations and technology platforms to understand demand; translates findings to inform the strategy
• Establishes and nurtures strategic vendor relationships; influences vendors to align to domain, portfolio, and enterprise strategic objectives
• Drives growth for the business by applying technical and domain expertise to provide thought leadership and translate vision into action
• Contributes to the customer-centric, data-driven vision, strategy, goals, and roadmap for the experience
• Suggests proactive changes and course corrections to drive alignment of vision, strategy, goals, and roadmap with organizational core values and industry trends by assessing effectiveness and course correcting as needed
• 10% Delivery & Execution :
• Defines and communicates value propositions, success metrics, and outcomes
• Documents, reviews and ensures that all quality and change control standards are met
• Develops, plans, and implements sustainable, repeatable, and reliable processes; oversees process improvement
• Drives operational excellence to create internal customer satisfaction and meet operational metrics, simultaneously prioritizing external customer needs
• Understands and articulates the value creation and business proposition to teams and functional partners
• Enables the Product Team to provide consistent, empathetic assistance in support of our products and services whenever the customer needs us
• Defines, implements, and executes on a strategic initiative prioritization process
• 40% People :
• Provides leadership, mentoring and coaching to direct reports
• Manages and coordinates strategic direction for staff
• Attracts, retains, develops, and motivates top talent
• Drives the development of leaders by conducting annual and mid-year reviews, reviewing individual development plans and providing performance feedback
• Supports talent management efforts by monitoring the succession planning and selection process, as well as challenging and empowering leaders on individual development plans

Direct Manager / Direct Reports : Typically reports to a Sr. Director.

Travel Requirements : Typically requires overnight travel 5% to 20% of the time.

Physical Requirements : Most of the time is spent sitting in a comfortable position and there is frequent opportunity to move about. On rare occasions there may be a need to move or lift light articles.

Working Conditions : Located in a comfortable indoor area. Any unpleasant conditions would be infrequent and not objectionable.

Minimum Qualifications : Must be eighteen years of age or older. Must be legally permitted to work in the United States.

Preferred Qualifications : 10+ years of relevant work experience. Expertise in defining, communicating, and driving value propositions, success metrics, and outcomes. Expertise in shaping, aligning, and guiding execution of strategic direction across a portfolio of products. Expertise in communicating, building influence, and developing relationships with functional and technical leaders, with high-level vendor partners, and across all levels in the organization. Expertise in selecting and leading strategic vendor relationships or acting as the primary point of contact for strategic partnerships. Expertise in managing and developing direct reports with their own span of control. Expertise in utilizing deep market and industry knowledge for a related portfolio segment or domain to achieve strategic objectives.

Minimum Education : The knowledge, skills and abilities typically acquired through the completion of a bachelor's degree program or equivalent degree in a field of study related to the job.

Preferred Education : No additional education.

Minimum Years of Work Experience : 10.

Preferred Years of Work Experience : No additional years of experience.

Minimum Leadership Experience : None.

Preferred Leadership Experience : None.

Certifications : None.

Competencies : Attracts Top Talent : Attracting and selecting the best talent to meet current and future business needs. Builds Effective Teams : Building strong-identity teams that apply their diverse skills and perspectives to achieve common goals. Business Insight : Applying knowledge of business and the marketplace to advance the organization's goals. Collaborates : Building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives. Courage : Stepping up to address difficult issues, saying what needs to be said. Cultivates Innovation : Creates new and better ways for the organization to be successful. Customer Focus : Builds strong customer relationships and delivering customer-centric solutions. Decision Quality : Making good and timely decisions that keep the organization moving forward. Develops Talent : Developing people to meet both their career goals and the organization's goals. Drives Engagement : Creating a climate where people are motivated to do their best to help the organization achieve its objectives. Drives Results : Consistently achieving results, even under tough circumstances. Drives Vision and Purpose : Painting a compelling picture of the vision and strategy that motivates others to action. Financial Acumen : Interpreting and applying understanding of key financial indicators to make better business decisions. Organizational Savvy : Maneuvering comfortably through complex policy, process, and people-related organizational dynamics. Persuades : Using compelling arguments to gain the support and commitment of others. Plans and Aligns : Planning and prioritizing work to meet commitments aligned with organizational goals. Situational Adaptability : Adapting approach and demeanor in real time to match the shifting demands of different situations. Strategic Mindset : Seeing ahead to future possibilities and translating them into breakthrough strategies. Tech Savvy : Anticipating and adopting innovations in business-building digital and technology applications.