Engineering Manager

About ZocaZoca is an AI-powered growth platform transforming how hyperlocal service businesses get discovered, booked, and rebooked. Founded in 2024, we've powered 120,000+ bookings across 1,000+ businesses, generating $10M+ in revenue for local entrepreneurs. Backed by Accel and Elevation Capital, we're building the future of local business growth with Voice AI and AI Agents.About the RoleWe're seeking an experienced Engineering Manager to lead a high-performing engineering pod focused on helping local businesses maximize their online visibility and customer acquisition. You'll own the technical strategy and execution for products that directly drive business growth for thousands of merchants. This is a leadership role where you'll balance technical excellence with team development, shipping high-impact features.What You'll DoBuild, mentor, and grow a team of 8-10 engineers across backend, frontend, and full-stack rolesOwn the technical roadmap, architecture decisions, and system design for your pod's domainDrive sprint planning, delivery, and ensure predictable execution in a fast-paced environmentPartner with Product Managers to define features and prioritize the roadmapConduct 1-on-1s, performance reviews, career development, and hire top engineering talentMaintain engineering excellence through code reviews, design reviews, and best practicesStay hands-on with code when needed and unblock engineers on complex problemsLead incident response, manage technical debt, and ensure system reliabilityCommunicate progress, risks, and technical decisions to leadership and cross-functional teamsRequired QualificationsExperience: 8+ years of software engineering experience with 3+ years in engineering managementTeam Leadership: Proven track record of building and managing high-performing engineering teamsTechnical Depth: Strong engineering background with hands-on experience in backend/full-stack engineeringSystem Design: Experience designing and scaling distributed systems and microservicesDelivery Focus: Track record of shipping complex features on time in fast-paced environmentsCommunication: Excellent communication skills - ability to explain technical concepts to non-technical stakeholdersMentorship: Experience mentoring junior and mid-level engineersStartup Experience: Comfortable with ambiguity, rapid change, and wearing multiple hatsPreferred QualificationsExperience with AI/ML integration in production systemsExperience in B2B SaaS, growth tech, or marketing automation domainsFamiliarity with local SEO, Google Business APIs, or search ranking systems.Background in data-intensive applications and analytics platformsHands-on familiarity with React, TypeScript, and modern cloud environments (AWS/GCP)Experience managing remote or distributed teamsKey Responsibilities BreakdownTeam Management: Hiring, mentoring, 1-on-1s, performance reviews, career developmentTechnical Strategy: Architecture decisions, tech debt management, system design reviewsExecution: Sprint planning, delivery tracking, risk management, dependency coordinationCross-functional Collaboration: Work closely with Product, Design, AI/ML, QA, and other engineering podsOperational Excellence: On-call rotation ownership, incident management, SLA/SLO trackingCulture Building: Foster ownership culture, psychological safety, and continuous learningWhy Join Zoca as an EM?Build from the ground up - Shape engineering culture and processesHigh impact - Your team's work directly drives revenue for thousands of businessesInnovate with AI - Work on cutting-edge LLM and AI-agent-based featuresJoin early, grow fast - Be part of a high-impact core team at a rapidly scaling startupOwnership culture - We trust you to make decisions and own outcomesWhat We're Looking ForYou're an engineering leader who:Has managed 5+ engineers and helped them grow their careersCan jump into code and unblock engineers when neededMakes data-driven decisions and measures impactThrives in ambiguity and fast-paced environmentsBuilds trust and psychological safety in teamsCan communicate technical concepts to non-technical stakeholdersHas shipped complex, high-impact products