VAS is seeking an exceptional Software Engineering Manager who combines deep technical expertise with strong leadership and stakeholder management skills. This is a hands-on role where you'll lead our engineering team while driving innovation, actively contributing to architecture decisions, and working collaboratively across the organization. You'll deliver results at pace, champion new ideas and technologies, and build strong partnerships with Product, Design, and Business teams to drive impact.

Responsibilities

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead, mentor, and grow a team of software engineers, fostering a high-performance, innovative culture
• Conduct regular 1:1s, provide constructive feedback, and support career development
• Recruit, onboard, and retain top engineering talent
• Build an inclusive, collaborative environment where engineers thrive and feel empowered to innovate
• Balance team workload and manage capacity planning
• Champion a culture of experimentation, learning, and continuous improvement

Agile Delivery & Execution

• Drive rapid, iterative delivery using Agile/Scrum methodologies
• Run effective sprint planning, retrospectives, and daily standups
• Remove blockers and maintain team velocity
• Set clear goals and hold the team accountable for measurable results
• Balance speed with quality, ensuring sustainable pace
• Make data-driven decisions to optimize delivery processes
• Adapt quickly to changing priorities while maintaining team focus

Technical Leadership & Innovation

• Contribute to architectural decisions and technical strategy
• Drive innovation by evaluating and adopting emerging technologies and best practices
• Champion proof-of-concepts and technical experiments to explore new solutions
• Review code and provide technical guidance to the team
• Stay current with industry trends and bring forward innovative ideas
• Jump into critical technical challenges when needed (hands-on debugging, problem-solving)
• Establish engineering best practices, coding standards, and quality processes
• Drive technical debt reduction while pushing boundaries on what's possible
• Foster a culture where engineers feel safe to propose bold ideas and challenge the status quo

Stakeholder Management & Collaboration

• Build and maintain strong relationships with Product, Design, Business, and Executive stakeholders
• Translate complex technical concepts into clear, business-focused communication
• Partner with Product Managers to align engineering roadmap with business objectives
• Proactively communicate progress, risks, and trade-offs to stakeholders
• Manage expectations and negotiate priorities when necessary
• Present technical proposals and recommendations to leadership
• Advocate for engineering needs (technical debt, infrastructure, tooling) in planning discussions
• Facilitate alignment between technical and business goals
• Build trust through transparency, reliability, and consistent delivery

Delivery at Pace

• Drive urgency and maintain momentum on key initiatives
• Make quick, informed decisions to keep projects moving
• Identify and mitigate risks early
• Implement processes that accelerate delivery without sacrificing quality
• Foster a bias toward action, rapid prototyping, and smart risk-taking
• Balance strategic long-term thinking with tactical short-term execution

Qualifications

Technical Background

• 8+ years of software development experience with strong hands-on coding skills
  Proficiency in modern programming languages (e.g., JavaScript/TypeScript, Python, .Net, TypeScript and Node)
• Experience with mobile development (React Native, iOS, Android)
• Familiarity with offline-first architecture and integration with IoT
• Deep understanding of software architecture, design patterns, and system design
• Solid grasp of CI/CD, testing strategies, and DevOps practices
• Track record of introducing new technologies or methodologies to teams
• Experience with AWS solutions
• Knowledge of AI/ML, data engineering, or emerging tech domains

Leadership Experience

• 4+ years managing software engineering teams (minimum 5+ engineers)
• Experience with remote or distributed teams
• Proven track record of leading Agile/Scrum teams to successful outcomes
• Experience coaching engineers at various skill levels and fostering innovation
• History of successfully delivering complex projects on aggressive timelines
• Demonstrated ability to build and scale high-performing, innovative teams
• Experience driving cultural change and process improvements

Stakeholder Management

• Proven ability to work effectively with senior stakeholders and executives
• Experience translating between technical and business stakeholders
• Track record of influencing product roadmap and technical strategy
• Ability to manage competing priorities and negotiate trade-offs diplomatically
• Experience presenting to diverse audiences (technical teams, business leaders, customers)
• Skilled at building consensus and driving alignment across teams

Innovation & Thought Leadership

• Track record of introducing innovative solutions that drove measurable business impact
• Experience evaluating and adopting new technologies, frameworks, or methodologies
• History of challenging the status quo and improving engineering practices
• Ability to balance innovation with pragmatism and delivery
• Experience with experimentation frameworks (A/B testing, feature flags, etc.)

Delivery & Execution

• Proven track record of shipping products quickly and iteratively
• Experience working in fast-paced and high-growth environments
• Demonstrated ability to balance multiple priorities and adapt to rapid change
• Strong project management and organizational skills
• Comfortable with ambiguity and able to drive clarity from complexity

Soft Skills

• Excellent communication skills across all levels (written, verbal, presentations)
• Strong problem-solving and critical thinking abilities
• Collaborative mindset with proven ability to influence without authority
• Comfortable giving and receiving candid feedback
• High emotional intelligence, and conflict resolution skills
• Strategic thinking combined with tactical execution capability

For the past 40 years we’ve woken up each day to support those that never stop feeding the world – and we have no plans to quit. We set the standard for farm management solutions and fix our eyes on raising the bar to meet the next generation of expectations.

Our software and information solutions help collect and connect a farm's data – from herd management to feed performance, tracking and more. These insights are a source of truth, empowering producers and their trusted advisors to make profit-driven and sustainable management decisions.

Whether near or far, large or small, VAS is at the heart of your dairy.

VAS has deep roots in the industry through its origin within the URUS family of companies. As a holding company with cooperative and private ownership, URUS is a family of businesses at the heart of the dairy and beef industry – Alta Genetics, GENEX, Genetics Australia, Leachman Cattle, Jetstream, PEAK, SCCL, Trans Ova Genetics and VAS.  Each organization has its unique identity, products, and services. These companies work globally to provide cutting-edge dairy and beef genetics, customized reproductive services to maximize conceptions, dairy management information to take producers to the frontline of progressive dairy farming, and an array of products and services to help bovines reach their full genetic potential. URUS has 9 brands in 17 retail countries and employs nearly 2,800 people globally.