Engineering Manager (f/m/d)

OUR PURPOSE AT PLANCRAFT

Building the backbone of European trades together – with AI-first software.
We’re not just building software – we’re on a mission to create space for contractors & tradespeople by equipping them with AI solutions that work the way they do: fast, practical, and AI-first. With Tier 1 Investors from Europe and the US, like Headline and Creandum as well as 30,000+ tradespeople as customer base, we’re scaling across Europe to turn scattered tradespeople into thriving communities. We believe in zero admin, not zero personality – and we build every feature with the people in mind who wear the boots, not the suits. We’re #stoked to shape the future, #together as a team, and #humble in our mission to support the builders of tomorrow.

YOUR MISSION AT PLANCRAFT

As an Engineering Manager (f/m/d), you play a defining role in how plancraft builds software — by developing our engineers, raising the bar for technical excellence, and shaping an engineering organisation that scales with ambition. You’ll collaborate closely with our VP Engineering, Staff Engineers, and cross-functional partners to strengthen our technical foundation, evolve our ways of working, and create an environment where great engineers can do the best work of their careers.
You combine people leadership with technical depth: coaching individuals through growth, guiding performance and development conversations, supporting key technical initiatives, and contributing hands-on when it adds clarity or momentum. In this role, you influence far beyond a single team — you help design the systems, practices, and culture that enable engineering at plancraft to grow sustainably and deliver high-quality products at speed.

Your Responsibilities

• Contribute hands-on at a Senior/Staff technical level, staying close to the craft, supporting architectural discussions, reviewing complex code, and providing technical clarity when teams need it.
• Develop and empower engineers through thoughtful coaching, clear expectations, and regular 1:1s, helping them grow their skills, confidence, and impact over time.
• Shape and elevate engineering excellence by defining high-quality standards, role modeling agency, strengthening engineering practices, and ensuring that performance, reliability, and pragmatism guide how we build software.
• Drive and lead cross-team technical initiatives (e.g., design system, architecture improvements, developer experience), taking ownership for momentum, clarity, and technical direction.
• Build a scalable engineering organisation by improving our structures, rituals, and processes, from hiring and onboarding to collaboration, delivery, and long-term organisational health.
• Lead hiring and talent decisions end-to-end: identifying strong technical talent, assessing skill depth and mindset, and helping build a diverse, high-performing engineering community.
• Influence the evolution of tech@plancraft together with our VP Engineering and Staff Engineers, shaping technical vision, organisational design, and how engineering scales with ambition.
• Strengthen cross-functional collaboration by creating clarity between Engineering, Product, and Design, ensuring that teams operate with shared context, trust, and aligned priorities.
• Reduce complexity and friction across engineering by improving communication, enabling better decision-making, and removing blockers before they slow teams down.
• Act as a builder who manages, someone who leads through competence, empathy, and action, setting the tone for modern, pragmatic, high-quality engineering.

YOUR PROFILE

Must-haves

• Strong technical skills at Senior/Staff level, with the ability to contribute hands-on, review complex code, and support architectural decisions across the stack.
• Extensive experience in modern TypeScript development, including clean-code principles, scalable patterns, and a deep understanding of web application architecture.
• Experience across both frontend and backend environments, enabling you to understand trade-offs, guide teams holistically, and contribute meaningfully to discussions on system design, performance, and reliability.
• Experience mentoring, coaching, and developing engineers, helping people grow their craft, confidence, and ownership.
• Ability to lead and moderate key conversations (e.g. performance, development, hiring, technical debates) with clarity, empathy, and outcomes in mind.
• Strong communication skills, enabling you to align engineering with product and business context, while bringing technical clarity to stakeholders.
• Experience working in modern cloud environments (GCP or similar) and the ability to participate in architectural planning and scaling discussions.
• Hands-on experience with AI-enabled engineering workflows (e.g. GitHub Copilot, Claude Code, Cursor).
• Senior-level ownership and decision-making capability, navigating ambiguity and translating organisational goals into engineering action.
• English at C1/C2 working level for effective communication in our international environment.

Nice-to-haves

• German language skills.
• Additional depth in either frontend or backend that complements your generalist leadership perspective.
• Cross-functional experience in Product, Design, or analytics-driven environments.

WHY PLANCRAFT?

• Team Spirit : We’re driven by passion, commitment, and a shared mission. Team spirit matters to us — and we make it visible: with three major team events per year, two casual monthly formats at our Hamburg HQ, and a strong recognition culture where we regularly celebrate both the big and small wins together.
• Ownership : You’re encouraged to take ownership from day one. In a flat hierarchy and high-trust environment, you’re empowered to make meaningful decisions and drive real impact.
• Learning & Growth : We invest in your personal and professional development through a strong feedback culture, a personal learning budget, and targeted enablement formats. Our goal is to help you unlock your full potential.
• AI Enablement : Our internal tools and workflows are AI-enabled by design. We support every team and individual in applying AI at the next level in their daily work, including getting your own ChatGPT+ license, of course.
• Tech & Tooling : You’ll receive a MacBook, premium over-ear headphones, and everything else you need — from hardware to tools — to be effective in your daily doing.
• Flexibility : Whether remote, hybrid, or on-site — you work where you’re at your best. Our Hamburg office at Rödingsmarkt (with a rooftop terrace) is always open, and you decide each week how often you come in. Some roles even allow for fully remote setups. And if you need a change of scenery, working abroad is always an option.
• Recharge : To ensure the needed rest, we offer 30 vacation days per year (based on a 5-day week) and Dec 24th off. We also subsidize your Urban Sports Club membership and organize internal sport meetups.
• Mobility : You can lease a "JobRad" (Bike) and get a subsidized "Deutschlandticket" or "BahnCard" for public transport to be supported in your commute.
• International Environment : We’re becoming more international every month, with team members already in Italy, France, the Netherlands, and Austria — which is why English is our internal company language.

About us

We’re #stoked to shape the future, #together as a team, and #humble in our mission to support the builders of tomorrow. For a first impression of us, take a look at our Instagram and LinkedIn page .

Diversity makes us better.
We welcome people of all backgrounds, identities, abilities, and experiences, and we believe that different perspectives lead to better ideas, stronger products, and a healthier workplace. If you’re excited about our mission but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every requirement, we encourage you to apply anyway. You might be exactly who we’re looking for.

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On the application process
We want your candidate experience with us to be smooth, transparent, and enjoyable. We aim to get back to you regarding your application within 5 business days. Our interview process typically takes about 4 weeks from start to finish, though this may vary by role. You can learn more about our process . If you need adjustments or flexibility at any stage, please don’t hesitate to let us know — we’ll do our best to make it work for you. Note on creating a test account:
If you would like to create a test account as part of the challenge, please enter "Applicant" in the relevant field during registration and select "Other" under Trade. This ensures that our sales team does not mistakenly register you as a craft business and reach out to you unnecessarily.