Engineering Manager Job Description Template (Free, 2026)

Job Title: Engineering Manager Department: Engineering Location: [City, State] / Remote / Hybrid Reports To: VP Engineering / Director of Engineering Employment Type: Full-Time About [Company Name] [Company Name] is a [stage/sector] company building [product description]. Our engineering organization is [X] engineers across [Y] teams, shipping [product/features] used by [customer description]. We believe in high autonomy, a strong feedback culture, and investing in every engineer's growth. Engineering managers here are operators, coaches, and culture carriers. About the Role We're looking for an Engineering Manager to lead our [team name] team of [X] engineers. You will own delivery of [product area], ensure your team grows professionally and technically, and partner closely with product management and design to define and execute the roadmap. You will be directly responsible for the team's velocity, morale, and technical quality while remaining close enough to the code to earn credibility with your reports. Key Responsibilities • Lead a team of [X] software engineers: set clear goals, run effective 1:1s, provide continuous feedback, and conduct performance reviews • Own the team's delivery — break down roadmap goals into executable sprints, remove blockers, and manage dependencies across teams • Hire and retain top engineering talent: own the recruiting process for your team from sourcing to offer • Build a culture of psychological safety, continuous improvement, and engineering excellence • Partner with the Product Manager and Designer to define the team's roadmap; represent engineering in prioritization discussions • Drive technical quality: champion code review practices, testing culture, observability, and incident management • Identify and address technical debt; negotiate trade-offs between speed and quality with product stakeholders • Facilitate architecture and design discussions; escalate cross-cutting concerns to senior engineering leadership • Define career ladders and growth plans for each engineer on the team; create promotion cases • Represent engineering in cross-functional forums (planning, QBR, all-hands) Required Qualifications • [5]+ years of software engineering experience with [2]+ years in an engineering management role • Strong technical background in [relevant domain — web/mobile/infra/data] sufficient to earn credibility with the team • Proven track record of hiring, developing, and retaining engineers at multiple seniority levels • Experience managing roadmap trade-offs with product stakeholders in an agile environment • Strong written and verbal communication skills — ability to represent engineering clearly to executives and cross-functional partners • Demonstrated ability to give effective feedback, handle underperformance, and navigate difficult conversations Nice to Have • Experience scaling a team through rapid headcount growth (from [5] to [20]+ engineers) • Background in [specific technical domain] relevant to this team's work • Experience in a fully remote or distributed engineering organization • Familiarity with engineering productivity metrics (DORA, SPACE) What We Offer • Competitive salary: $[low]–$[high]/year (see benchmarks below) • Equity: [X]% stock options / RSUs • Health, dental, and vision insurance (100% employer-paid for employee) • Flexible PTO + [X] company-wide holidays • Remote-friendly / home office stipend of $[X] • Leadership coaching and management development budget • Learning & development budget: $[X]/year • [Additional perk — wellness stipend, parental leave, etc.] Salary Range: $140,000–$230,000/year (US, 2026 benchmark; exact offer commensurate with experience) [Company Name] is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.