Director of Engineering

About the Working Families Party

The Working Families Party (WFP) is the progressive party for the multiracial working class, fighting for a nation that works for the many, not the few. We recruit, train, and support transformational candidates up and down the ballot — and run them to win.  

We believe that no matter where we come from or what our color, most of us want the same things. We want to earn enough to thrive, not just survive, and leave a better future for our kids. We want healthy food and clean water, safe neighborhoods and a safe world. We want to be free.

The Working Families Party is regular people coming together across our differences to make a better future for us all. We’re a multiracial party that fights for workers over bosses and people over the powerful. We want an America which realizes the promise – unrealized in our history – of freedom and equality for all.

ABOUT THIS ROLE

The Director of Engineering is the technical backbone of the Working Families Power and Working Families Party data and engineering operation. This role is responsible for the full spectrum of integrated data systems — from cloud infrastructure and data pipelines to internal web applications and workflow automations — and for the small team of engineers who work within that ecosystem. This includes playing a senior role in the architecture, engineering, and strategy of a proprietary internal voter file tool, Votivate.

The Director is part of a six person Data, Analytics, Technology, and Ængineering team which improves how we use data and technology to support organizing, campaigns, and daily operations. This includes strengthening core systems, fixing bottlenecks, and making it easier for staff to do their work. They oversee the systems that move and store data, ensure tools are connected and working smoothly, and maintain reliable processes for building and updating our technology. They also help the organizations make better decisions by ensuring teams have clear, useful data and analysis. They support staff in using key tools, improve documentation, and make sure systems are well maintained over time.

This is not a purely strategic or purely hands-on role. The Director of Engineering will spend significant time writing and shipping code alongside their team, while also serving as the primary technical point of contact for engineering requests from non-engineering staff across the organization. A major part of the job is translating organizer and campaign needs into scoped, prioritized engineering work — then leading implementation, whether by delegating to direct reports or doing it themselves.

Our data infrastructure is mature and robust. The team is not in a phase of ambitious system-building; it's in a phase of disciplined stewardship. The right candidate is someone who finds satisfaction in keeping complex systems running well, building features on top of solid foundations, and supporting staff in getting the most out of tools that already exist.

This role reports to the Director of Data, Analytics, Technology, & Engineering and manages the Senior Software Engineer and Analytics Engineer.

• Performs other related duties as assigned.

• This is a full-time, fully remote position. Candidates must be based in the United States.

• The position is full time.

• Working Families Party / Working Families Power is a unionized workplace. This is a managerial position, not included in WFP’s staff bargaining unit WFP's union employees are represented by the New York Metropolitan Area Joint Board, Workers United union.

Applicants must be currently authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor, or take over sponsorship of, employment visas at this time.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Working Families Party is an equal opportunity employer with a commitment to economic and social justice. Women, people of color, LGBTQ people, people with disabilities, and members of other historically disenfranchised populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Any applicant who requires an accommodation in order to apply for or perform the essential functions of the job should contact us at jobs@workingfamilies.org with the subject line "Application Accommodation" to request such an accommodation.