Manager, Software Engineering (Santa Barbara)

Description

Who we are looking for: Do you have experience working on a product‑development team, shipping customer‑facing solutions? Are you passionate about expanding housing opportunities and making a real impact on the affordable housing crisis in the U.S.? We are hiring an Engineering Manager to lead a high‑performing team responsible for bringing this mission to reality.

Mixed Portfolio is an enormously complex domain, comprising both Student Housing and Affordable housing. The Mixed Portfolio Foundations team is the cornerstone of both of these areas, building a strong foundation to accelerate these teams. As an Engineering Manager, you will play a key role in shaping our solutions, leading a team to build scalable, intuitive software that empowers property managers and residents alike.

This is an ideal opportunity for an experienced product‑focused engineering leader who thrives in both technical execution and people development. You will foster an environment of collaboration, set the technical direction, and ensure we deliver high‑quality, impactful software that supports thousands of businesses and residents. If you’re excited about building world‑class software while making a tangible difference in housing accessibility, we’d love to hear from you.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and support a small, highly effective team of 4 passionate engineers to foster a high‑performance culture of excellence.
• Take a hands‑on approach to the entire software development lifecycle: perform day‑to‑day project management to ensure successful, on‑time releases; demonstrate ownership and accountability for the team’s delivery.
• Build trusting relationships and collaborate across departments, in particular with product and design, to execute on company strategy.
• Set the technical direction for the team, drive the evolution of the systems architecture, and make appropriate technology choices. Guide the team in ensuring we are set up architecturally for long‑term success.
• Manage the delivery of software using Agile best practices including continuous delivery, continuous integration, and test‑driven development.
• Promote a SMART codebase (Simple, Maintainable, Agile, Refactored, and Tested) for a SAFE product (Secure, Available, Fast, and Easy).
• Implement processes and metrics that allow the team to be efficient and focused and to ensure that products are market‑ready.
• Enable a culture of creativity, collaboration, speed, innovation, and excellence while continuously elevating the quality and caliber of our engineering organization.
• Ensure the team fully understands the goals and objectives of AppFolio as a company and how their work fits into the bigger picture.
• Foster a fun and engaging team culture—keep our tradition of daily standup games alive, where engineers compete for glory (and a free lunch), while building camaraderie.

Skills & Knowledge

• BS, MS, or Ph.D. in Computer Science or related technical discipline.
• Proven experience leading engineering teams during the evolution of the Engineering function from start‑up to mid‑life cycle.
• 2+ years of successfully hiring, directly managing, coaching, and retaining world‑class engineers.
• 5+ years of demonstrated experience leading and contributing to the design, development, delivery, and maintenance of large‑scale customer‑facing products or high‑performance platforms.
• Well‑versed not only in the typical Agile rituals and practices—but also the modern, genuinely agile practices of rapid experimentation and continuous delivery of value.
• Proficiency with most areas of our tech like Ruby, React, and SQL.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills with a proven ability to build productive cross‑functional relationships and motivate team members. Must have a positive, can‑do attitude and value collaboration.
• The ability to thrive with high levels of personal initiative, autonomy, and responsibility.

Compensation & Benefits

The base salary that we reasonably expect to pay for this role is $167,200 - $209,000.

The actual base salary for this role will be determined by a variety of factors, including but not limited to the candidate’s skills, education, experience, etc.

Please note that base pay is one important aspect of a compelling Total Rewards package. The base pay range indicated here does not include any additional benefits or bonuses/commissions that you may be eligible for based on your role and/or employment type.

Regular full‑time employees are eligible for benefits.

About AppFolio

AppFolio is the technology leader powering the future of the real estate industry. Our innovative platform and trusted partnership enable our customers to connect communities, increase operational efficiency, and grow their business. For more information about AppFolio, visit appfolio.com.

Statement of Equal Opportunity

At AppFolio, we value diversity in backgrounds and perspectives and depend on it to drive our innovative culture. That’s why we’re a proud Equal Opportunity Employer, and we believe that our products, our teams, and our business are stronger because of it. This means that no matter what race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identification, national origin, age, marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, or veteran status, you’re always welcome at AppFolio.