Engineering Manager

Cardless
San Francisco, CA
On-site

Who this role is best for

Best suited to candidates with experience in fintech and payments systems, working in a collaborative, high-scale environment.

Best fit for

  • Candidates with a history of leading backend engineering teams in fintech or payments infrastructure
    — “Several years of engineering management experience, ideally leading backend teams building complex, high-scale systems.”
  • Individuals who can balance hands-on technical contributions with strategic team development
    — “Be a hands-on technical partner: go deep on system design and complex technical decisions when it matters, while also stepping back to implement frameworks and processes.”

Things to consider

  • Requires full-time, in-office presence in San Francisco for 5 days per week
    — “This role requires 5 days a week in office.”
  • Candidates must be prepared to navigate complex regulatory and compliance landscapes
    — “Experience in fintech, payments, credit or debit card infrastructure, or money movement. You understand the compliance and regulatory realities of building in this space.”

How to stand out

  • Highlight your experience with AI tooling in system design and developer productivity
    — “Champion the thoughtful use of AI tooling across the team — from developer productivity to how we design and build systems.”
  • Emphasize your ability to define technical standards and lead with clarity in ambiguous situations
    — “Bring clarity to ambiguous situations — define the right problems, set technical standards, and build a team that can move fast without breaking things that matter.”
  • Showcase your leadership in growing teams and establishing scalable processes
    — “A track record of scaling teams as well as systems — you've grown people, defined processes, and built cultures that ship.”
Pace · SteadyCollaboration · HighAutonomy · HighDecision Impact · Company

Derived from job-description analysis by Serendipath's career intelligence engine.

What success looks like

  • team growth
  • system reliability
  • technical standards
Typical background
engineering managementfintechbackend development

Skills & requirements

Required

Engineering ManagementTechnical LeadershipSystem DesignCross-functional CollaborationQuality Standards

Preferred

AI ToolingFintech ExperienceTeam Scaling

Stack & domain

BackendSystem DesignAI ToolingLeadershipCommunicationProblem-solvingFintechPaymentsCredit Card Infrastructure

About the role

Original posting from Cardless via Ashby

At Cardless, we're building a credit card and loyalty platform that consumer businesses use to engage their customers. We power programs for names like Coinbase, Bilt, Qatar Airways, and Alibaba — real products, real cardholders, real transaction volume. And we're growing fast.

Our north star is to become the platform that powers the next generation of credit card programs globally: deeper integrations with partners, higher reliability at scale, and a platform that lets any consumer business launch and operate a card program without needing to build the infrastructure themselves.

We're looking for an engineering manager to lead one of our product engineering teams. This is a critical hire: you'll help shape not just the team, but how we build at Cardless as we scale toward that goal.

RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Lead and grow a high-performing engineering team working at the intersection of payments, money movement, and financial infrastructure.
  • Own the technical health, execution, and culture of your team — from sprint planning to architectural direction.
  • Be a hands-on technical partner: go deep on system design and complex technical decisions when it matters, while also stepping back to implement frameworks and processes that help the team operate autonomously at scale.
  • Partner closely with the Head of Engineering on hiring strategy, technical roadmap, and organizational planning.
  • Work directly with external partners, compliance, and cross-functional stakeholders to translate complex requirements into reliable, high-quality systems.
  • Bring clarity to ambiguous situations — define the right problems, set technical standards, and build a team that can move fast without breaking things that matter.
  • Champion the thoughtful use of AI tooling across the team — from developer productivity to how we design and build systems — and help set the standard for how engineering at Cardless evolves alongside these tools.

WHAT WE LOOK FOR

  • Several years of engineering management experience, ideally leading backend teams building complex, high-scale systems.
  • Strong technical depth — you can credibly engage in system design discussions, challenge architectural decisions, and earn the trust of senior engineers.
  • Experience in fintech, payments, credit or debit card infrastructure, or money movement. You understand the compliance and regulatory realities of building in this space.
  • A track record of scaling teams as well as systems — you've grown people, defined processes, and built cultures that ship.
  • Strong cross-functional instincts. You're comfortable navigating ambiguity alongside product, compliance, operations, and external partners.
  • High standards and a commitment to quality — in code, in communication, and in outcomes.
  • Excitement about how AI is reshaping software development and a track record of putting these tools to work — whether for developer productivity, system design, or building smarter products.

WHY CARDLESS

You'll join a collaborative, fast-moving team that values craftsmanship, curiosity, and impact. We're building the platform that powers the next generation of credit card programs — and we're just getting started.

BENEFITS

We're proud to offer our team excellent benefits:

  • 💸 Meaningful start-up equity
  • 🏥 100% health, vision & dental primary coverage
  • ➕ 75% health, vision & dental dependent coverage
  • 🍱 Catered lunches and dinners
  • 🚎 $250/month commuter benefit
  • 👶 Parental leave
  • ✈️ Team building events
  • 🌴 Flexible PTO with a minimum of 15 days off per year
  • 💸 401(k) plan
  • 🚛 Relocation assistance

COMPENSATION

This role has an annual starting salary range of $230,000-$300,000 + equity + benefits (see above). Actual compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skills, experience, and specific work location.

LOCATION

We're headquartered in San Francisco, CA, with a beautiful new office in the Jackson Square district. This role requires 5 days a week in office.

Source: Cardless careers (Ashby)

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