Software Engineering Manager

Purpose Unlimited
is an independent financial services company with an unrelenting focus on customer-centric innovation, delivered through technology-driven solutions. Led by entrepreneur Som Seif, the company is developing a diversified product platform aimed at addressing historically underserved segments of the market. Purpose Unlimited’s businesses include Purpose Investments, Advisor Solutions by Purpose, and Driven.

Vacancy Status: This is for a current opening.

Compensation: $160,000 - $190,000

Job Description

Who you are

Purpose Unlimited engineering team builds the products our clients depend on. This role exists to make that team better – technically sharper, more collaborative, and more impactful. You'll shape how we build, how we grow our engineers, and how we deliver against the product and business goals that matter most.

You will lead a team of software engineers as a true player-coach – spending meaningful time in the code while setting the technical direction and growing the people around you. You are equal parts technical leader and people leader: someone who can architect a system, review a pull request, coach an engineer through a difficult problem, and then walk into a room of non-technical stakeholders and translate complexity into clarity.

This role reports to Director of Software Engineering and leads a team of 6 to 8 engineers working on our Investment Wealth platform.

Responsibilities: What you will do

Lead & Grow Engineers

• Manage, mentor, and develop a team of software engineers through regular 1:1s, continuous feedback, and deliberate career development planning
• Build a team culture rooted in psychological safety, high standards, and continuous improvement
• Set clear expectations and hold the team accountable for outcomes, not just output

Drive Technical Excellence

• Contribute directly to codebases – architecture decisions, hands-on development, and code reviews – maintaining high standards in design and implementation
• Guide the team on system design, coding practices, and technical problem-solving to raise the overall bar
• Champion engineering best practices, modern development tools, and AI-assisted development workflows to accelerate quality and productivity

Translate Between Engineering and the Business

• Communicate technical concepts, trade-offs, and progress clearly to non-technical stakeholders – including Product, Design, and senior leadership
• Partner closely with Product Managers and Subject Matter Experts to shape the backlog and align engineering work to business priorities
• Build trusted cross-functional relationships and advocate for engineering's perspective in strategic conversations

Own Delivery & Direction

• Own the planning, execution, and delivery of your team's roadmap – ensuring timely, high-quality outcomes
• Collaborate with senior leadership to define technical strategy aligned to product and business objectives
• Identify opportunities to improve how the team works – processes, tools, and ways of collaborating

Embrace AI-Era Engineering

• Integrate AI-assisted development tools and practices into the team's workflow to multiply productivity
• Evaluate how emerging AI/ML capabilities can improve the products you build and the way your team operates
• Foster a mindset of experimentation and continuous learning around new technologies

Qualifications: What you will bring

People Leadership

• Demonstrated experience managing, mentoring, or formally leading software engineers – including giving feedback, navigating difficult conversations, and developing talent
• A track record of building collaborative, high-performing teams where people grow

Technical Depth

• Deep expertise in one or more programming languages and modern frameworks (we primarily use Python)
• Strong understanding of system design, distributed systems, API design, and performance optimization
• Hands-on credibility – you've built and shipped production systems, not just managed teams that did

Communication

• Exceptional ability to communicate with both engineers and non-engineers – translating technical complexity into business language and vice versa
• Comfortable presenting to senior leadership, facilitating cross-functional alignment, and writing clearly

Ways of Working

• Experience with agile development methodologies and DevOps practices
• Familiarity with AI-assisted development tools and a genuine curiosity about how AI is reshaping software engineering
• Bias toward action, continuous improvement, and pragmatic decision-making

Nice to Have

• Experience in financial services, fintech, or wealth management – familiarity with investment products, regulatory environments, or financial data systems
• Background building or scaling platforms in regulated industries
• Experience working in a mid-size or growing technology organization where you had to balance speed with process maturity

Additional Information

Why should you join us?

- We are one of Canada's Top Small & Medium Employers' 2023 & 2024.
- We believe in innovation and a vibrant culture -
work for an innovative, people-first, financial services firm that values entrepreneurialism.
- We believe in a flexible work structure –
A flexible hybrid work model that empowers you to do your best work whether at home or the office.
- We care about your rewards -
Competitive compensation including equity program.
- We care about your health –
comprehensive group health and dental benefits and life insurance at little to no cost to you. We also offer a Lifestyle Spending Account for all your wellness needs.
- We care about your quality of life -
flexible paid time-off policy with unlimited vacation days, and flexible sick and mental health days.
- We care about your family -
Paid parental leave for eligible employees with a top-up.
- We care about your future –
Generous Group RRSP matching and an optional TFSA program.
- We care about your development –
We offer training opportunities and tuition support year-round.

Purpose Unlimited
is an equal employer and we are dedicated to fostering an inclusive and barrier-free work environment for all employees and candidates. We encourage all qualified candidates to apply and if accommodation is required during any stage of the recruitment process, please contact any member of the People & Culture team at PeopleCultureTeam@purpose-unlimited.com. We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those selected for interviews will be contacted.

Our work philosophy is a hybrid model allowing for flexibility and collaboration.

Applicants must be legally entitled to work in Canada. Immigration sponsorship is not offered for this role.

We may use artificial intelligence technology to assist in screening, assessing, or selecting applicants for this position. Final hiring decisions are made by qualified human reviewers.