We’re a global team of over 400 people, working together to push the boundaries of open-source technology and multi-cloud solutions. Our vision is to become the trusted Data & AI Platform for everyone, leveraging the most popular open-source technologies like Apache Kafka®, Aiven for PostgreSQL®, Aiven for Clickhouse®, and Aiven for OpenSearch®. to help companies accelerate time-to-market, drive efficiency, and build innovative solutions across any cloud.
Who we are:
So, how do we become the trusted open-source data platform for everyone? By listening closely to our customers and taking action to ensure they achieve their business goals. You see, the software we create is merely a means of delivering value. Our thinking is customer-first. That’s why our customers are at the front and center of all we do. And in the spirit of sideways thinking, we’re by their side as well. Actively helping them solve their challenges. Collaborating. Sharing. And innovating. In other words, it really isn’t just about who we are. It’s about who our customers are – and where they want to be.
OEM Technology Manager
As part of delivering world-class managed services, Aiven enables cloud providers - our OEM partners - to create their own DBaaS offerings. We are seeking a dynamic and results-driven Senior Engineering Manager to lead the execution of our OEM-focused product development. You will lead a team of engineers who are responsible for managing MySQL and PostgreSQL services for our partners. We are looking for a person who can effectively manage technical discussions, people development, and customer interactions. Reporting to the Director of OEM Engineering & Strategy, this position acts as the central connection between our engineering teams and our OEM partners.
This role offers a unique opportunity to combine technical leadership with operational excellence and direct customer interaction, enabling you to directly impact the growth of our platform within the partnership landscape. You will not only streamline delivery processes and foster a high-performing engineering team, but also act as a key point of contact for our OEM partners, understanding their requirements, addressing their concerns, and ensuring successful deliveries.
Key Responsibilities
Team Leadership & Development
- Lead the team of engineers responsible for managing services for our partners, currently focused on MySQL and PostgreSQL
- Capacity planning & Delivery: Effectively allocate engineering resources across projects and initiatives, ensuring optimal utilization and alignment with our partner’s priorities. You'll be accountable for the team's delivery in all aspects, including quality, security, and reliability.
- Team Facilitation: Lead team meetings, such as planning sessions and retrospectives, to continuously improve workflows and delivery.
- Culture Building: Foster a psychologically safe, high-trust environment where curiosity and healthy debate are encouraged.
- Talent acquisition: Actively seek and recruit high-potential engineering talent to strengthen the team's capabilities and drive innovation.
- Delivery process optimization: Continuously analyze and improve delivery processes, identifying bottlenecks and implementing solutions to streamline workflows and enhance efficiency.
- Risk management & mitigation: Proactively identify and assess potential risks, developing mitigation strategies to minimize disruptions and ensure on-time deliveries.
Customer management & communication
- Requirements gathering & communication: Collaborate with OEM partners to gather detailed requirements, ensuring clear communication and alignment between partner expectations and engineering deliverables.
- Partner feedback & advocacy: Proactively solicit and analyze customer feedback, acting as an advocate for OEM needs within the engineering organization.
- Regular status updates & reporting: Provide regular status updates to OEMs, including project progress, milestones, and potential risks, ensuring transparency and proactive issue resolution.
What We’re Looking For:
Leadership skills:
- People Leadership: A proven track record of leading diverse and distributed teams, to successfully deliver software products.
- Product Thinking: A strong product sense that enables you to drive the direction of the products towards meeting customer needs (mostly for MySQL)
- Communication: Excellent communication skills in English, with the ability to effectively engage directly with customers.
- Adaptability: The ability to bring order and clarity to a dynamic, ambiguous environment, a trait essential in a fast-growing tech company.
- Team Building: Experience in recruiting engineering talent and a deep understanding of what it takes to build and retain high-performing teams.
- Agile Expertise: Experience with agile software development methodologies.
Technical skills:
- Cloud infrastructure Concepts: Good knowledge of VM-based cloud infrastructure fundamentals.
- Release & Quality: Deep understanding of release management and testing best practices to own the delivery pipeline.
- Problem-Solving: A genuine interest in solving complex technical challenges with customer-focused solutions.
- [Nice to have] Distributed Systems: Experience in building and designing distributed systems at scale in a cloud environment.
- [Nice to have] MySQL concepts: Good understanding of how to manage MySQL or similar databases
Our Offer:
If you ask us what’s the best thing about working for Aiven, many will probably say it’s the high concentration of talent from around the world that we have here. Enjoy the agile environment of a hyperscale scale-up where you can truly make an impact and have fun while at it.
We invest in you:
- Participate in Aiven’s equity plan.
- With Aiven locations spanning the globe, we want all of our crabs to find the right balance with our hybrid work policy.
- Get the equipment you need to set yourself up for success.
- Step up your career game with real employer support (use one of our learning platforms, annual learning budget, and more).
- Get holistic wellbeing support through our global Employee Assistance Program.
Make a difference at Aiven:
- Contribute to open-source projects that you find meaningful outside of work - and get paid for it! Our Plankton program recognizes extra work to the open-source ecosystem for developers and non-developers alike.
- Use up to 5 days per year to volunteer for a good cause of your choice.
- Join one of our team member resource groups - empower yourself and others in missions that resonate with you.
What else:
- Your wellbeing matters: we provide extensive Occupational Health Care, Dental Care, as well as sports, culture, massage, commute and lunch benefits
- We care about your learning! We provide Finnish Language lessons to help you settle in to your new environment
- Love breakfast? So do we! Join us at our monthly office breakfast
- We also have you covered by statutory accident insurance
Amazing! What’s next:
Once applying you should hear from our Talent Experience team within 5 days regarding the status of your application. If you are selected to move forward you can generally expect 4 stages with us
- 60-minute call with one of our Talent Experience Partners
- 60-minute Depth of Expertise Interview with the hiring manager
- 60-minute Skills Interview / Presentation with the wider team
- 60-minute Crabby Principles Interview
How to Recognise and Avoid Employment Scams:
There has been a rise in fake job postings used by scammers to get personal information. Please familiarise yourself with the red flags of a potential scam.
Here at Aiven, all of our emails relating to recruitment come from an @aiven.io, @greenhouse.io or @eu.greenhouse.io domain and all of our interviews are conducted over video call or in person, our interviews will never occur over text or chat. If you’re unsure of the legitimacy of a job opportunity/offer pertaining to Aiven, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at recruitment@aiven.io.
Equal Opportunities:
Aiven provides equal employment opportunities to all qualified employees and applicants for employment without regard to age, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, religion, sexual orientation, physical and mental ability, marital and family status or without regard to any other similar personal attributes. Aiven complies with applicable local laws governing non-discrimination in employment in every location in which the company operates. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, training and any other terms and conditions related to employment.
At Aiven, we are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities or special needs in our working environment and job application procedures. We make all reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities or who otherwise need support to thrive in the workplace. We are committed to continuously improving workplace accessibility. There is an option to request a discussion in the application process but if you have any questions before applying please write to us at recruitment@aiven.io.
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