Director of Software Engineering, Underwriting

Job Description

About Ethos

Ethos was built to make it faster and easier to get life insurance for the next million families. Our approach blends industry expertise, technology, and the human touch to find you the right policy to protect your loved ones.

We leverage deep technology and data science to streamline the life insurance process, making it more accessible and convenient. Using predictive analytics, we are able to transform a traditionally multi-week process into a modern digital experience for our users that can take just minutes Weve issued billions in coverage each month and eliminated the traditional barriers, ushering the industry into the modern age. Our full-stack technology platform is the backbone of family financial health.

We make getting life insurance easier, faster and better for everyone.

Our investors include General Catalyst, Sequoia Capital, Accel Partners, Google Ventures, SoftBank, and the investment vehicles of Jay-Z, Kevin Durant, Robert Downey Jr and others. This year, we were named on CB Insights&apos Global Insurtech 50 list and BuiltIn&aposs Top 100 Midsize Companies in San Francisco. We are scaling quickly and looking for passionate people to protect the next million families

Director of Software Engineering, Underwriting Technology

Were looking for a senior engineering leader to own and scale underwriting engineering. This team owns the core technology that creates a differentiated instant underwriting experience for Ethos customers. The platform sits at the intersection of data science, rule engine, advanced authoring workflows, complex risk ontology, and information graph.

Youll lead high-performing teams, work directly with executive leadership, and partner closely with underwriters, actuaries, and product leaders to deliver impact and drive innovation.

What Youll Do

- Lead all underwriting engineering, including rules engines, data science, integrations, and backend services.
- Inspire, grow, and retain top engineering talent, including Principal-level engineers.
- Partner with business stakeholders to turn complex underwriting needs into scalable systems.
- Balance innovation with speed, making decisions from first principles.
- Drive execution across teams and stakeholders in multiple time zones.

What Were Looking For

- 15+ years of software engineering experience with a strong track record in product-based companies.
- Bachelors or higher degree in Computer Science.
- Proven leadership in building and scaling impactful backend and complex data products.
- Strong architectural skills and ability to operate in high-stakes environments.
- Experience leading distributed teams and managing global stakeholders.
- Track record of delivering measurable business impact.

If youre an outcome-driven leader who thrives at the intersection of technology, business, and AI, wed love to talk.

Dont meet every single requirement If youre excited about this role but your past experience doesnt align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. At Ethos we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace.

We are an equal opportunity employer who values diversity and inclusion and look for applicants who understand, embrace and thrive in a multicultural world. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. Pursuant to the SF Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider employment for qualified applicants with arrests and conviction records.

To learn more about what information we collect and how it may be used, please refer to our California Candidate Privacy Notice.

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