2U · 5 days ago
Director Of Software Engineering and Architecture
United States
Full-time
Remote
Director/Executive
$232K/yr - $264K/yr
12+ years exp2U is a company dedicated to making learning limitless through its online education platform. They are seeking a hands-on Director of Software Engineering who will lead technical leadership, architectural ownership, and delivery accountability across large-scale digital platforms.
Cloud ComputingEducationSoftwareEdTech
Responsibilities
Own and drive the architecture and engineering strategy for scalable, cloud-native platforms across student/learner experience, applications, and data ecosystems
Lead the design and evolution of systems using:
Backend: Python, Ruby on Rails, Clojure, or Elixir
Frontend: React, TypeScript, or HTML/CSS
Data: MySQL, PostgreSQL
Define and implement API-first, microservices, and event-driven architectures using modern design patterns
Establish architectural standards across frontend, backend, and integrations, including scalability, resiliency, security, and performance optimization
Drive build vs. buy vs. partner decisions, balancing speed, cost, and long-term platform ownership
Ensure systems are designed for high availability, observability, and global scale
Act as a hands-on technical leader across engineering and DevOps, owning how systems are designed, built, deployed, and operated
Lead architecture and design reviews, code quality, and resolution of complex production issues
Own end-to-end delivery and operations, including release cycles, system reliability, uptime, and performance
Drive DevOps practices across:
CI/CD: GitHub Actions, Jenkins, Argo
Containers: Docker, Kubernetes (EKS)
Infrastructure as Code: Terraform
Observability and monitoring
Lead and mentor teams, ensuring accountability for both delivery outcomes and production stability
Enable and guide adoption of AI/ML capabilities, including:
Integrating AI services, APIs, and intelligent workflows into platforms
Leveraging AI for automation, personalization, and engineering productivity (e.g., code generation, testing, operational insights)
Establish strong execution discipline through:
Definition of Ready / Done, sprint rigor, and release governance
Metrics such as velocity, cycle time, deployment frequency, MTTR, and uptime
Work closely with engineering, product, partner operations, and data teams in Agile environments
Translate long-term architectural vision into incremental, executable delivery plans
Participate actively in PI planning, sprint reviews, and technical design forums
Mentor senior engineers, tech leads, and solution architects
Qualification
Required
12–15+ years of progressive experience in software engineering, with 5+ years in leadership roles
Proven experience as a hands-on technical leader across engineering and DevOps
Strong expertise in at least one of the following in each area: Languages: Python, TypeScript (Ruby, Clojure, or Elixir a plus), Frontend: React ecosystem, Databases: MySQL, PostgreSQL, OpenAI API (GPT models, embeddings, function calling), Azure OpenAI Service, Amazon Bedrock, Google Vertex AI
Deep experience with AWS cloud ecosystem, Docker & Kubernetes (EKS), CI/CD pipelines (GitHub Actions, Jenkins, Argo), Infrastructure as Code (Terraform)
Experience designing and operating: Microservices architectures/Event-driven systems (Kafka or similar)
Proven experience owning production systems, uptime, and operational excellence
Own and drive the architecture and engineering strategy for scalable, cloud-native platforms across student/learner experience, applications, and data ecosystems
Lead the design and evolution of systems using: Backend: Python, Ruby on Rails, Clojure, or Elixir, Frontend: React, TypeScript, or HTML/CSS, Data: MySQL, PostgreSQL
Define and implement API-first, microservices, and event-driven architectures using modern design patterns
Establish architectural standards across frontend, backend, and integrations, including scalability, resiliency, security, and performance optimization
Drive build vs. buy vs. partner decisions, balancing speed, cost, and long-term platform ownership
Ensure systems are designed for high availability, observability, and global scale
Act as a hands-on technical leader across engineering and DevOps, owning how systems are designed, built, deployed, and operated
Lead architecture and design reviews, code quality, and resolution of complex production issues
Own end-to-end delivery and operations, including release cycles, system reliability, uptime, and performance
Drive DevOps practices across: CI/CD: GitHub Actions, Jenkins, Argo, Containers: Docker, Kubernetes (EKS), Infrastructure as Code: Terraform, Observability and monitoring
Lead and mentor teams, ensuring accountability for both delivery outcomes and production stability
Enable and guide adoption of AI/ML capabilities, including: Integrating AI services, APIs, and intelligent workflows into platforms, Leveraging AI for automation, personalization, and engineering productivity (e.g., code generation, testing, operational insights)
Establish strong execution discipline through: Definition of Ready / Done, sprint rigor, and release governance, Metrics such as velocity, cycle time, deployment frequency, MTTR, and uptime
Work closely with engineering, product, partner operations, and data teams in Agile environments
Translate long-term architectural vision into incremental, executable delivery plans
Participate actively in PI planning, sprint reviews, and technical design forums
Mentor senior engineers, tech leads, and solution architects
Preferred
Experience in EdTech, Digital Media, eCommerce, or SaaS platforms
Experience building or scaling high-traffic, customer-facing platforms
Exposure to data platforms and event-driven data architectures
Experience modernizing legacy systems into cloud-native architectures
Experience working with global, distributed engineering teams
Experience with Scaled Agile (e.g., SAFe), PI Planning, and driving delivery predictability across multiple teams
Benefits
Medical, dental, and vision coverage
Life insurance, disability, and 401(k) employer match
Free snacks and drinks in-office
Generous paid holidays and leave policies, including unlimited PTO
Volunteer days
Parental leave
A company-wide winter break
Company
2U is a cloud-based Software-as-a-Service platform that provides schools with the comprehensive operating infrastructure.
1001-5000 employees
H1B Sponsorship
2U has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
93%
Represents job field similar to this job
Engineering and Development
Accounting and Finance
Trends of Total Sponsorships
*2025 (3)
2024 (1)
2023 (5)
2022 (1)
2021 (2)
2020 (2)
Funding
Current Stage
Public CompanyTotal Funding
$426.88MKey Investors
Hilman VenturesBessemer Venture PartnersHighland Capital Partners
2026-04-24Undisclosed
2026-04-24Debt Financing
2019-11-05Acquired
Leadership Team
Kees Bol
Chief Executive Officer
Adrian Norman
Executive Director, edX
Recent News
Bessemer Venture Partners
2026-06-25
2026-06-25
Company data provided by crunchbase