Engineering Manager, Query Engine

About Ditto:

Ditto is redefining how data moves at the edge. Our mission is to make it seamless for developers to build resilient, real-time applications, regardless of network conditions. Whether you're in a stadium, airplane, or remote military base, Ditto's peer-to-peer sync engine ensures devices stay connected and data stays consistent, even without internet. With more than $145 million in funding and trusted by organizations like Chick-fil-A, Delta Airlines, and the U.S. military, Ditto powers mission-critical experiences across aviation, retail, travel, hospitality, defense, and more. As a globally distributed, fast-growing startup, we’re committed to building a diverse and inclusive team that reflects the wide range of perspectives needed to solve the world’s hardest connectivity problems.

About the Position

Your role is to lead our team of query engineers. The Query Engine team at Ditto is responsible for building the primary surface for our customers to interact with their data and the Ditto system: the Ditto Query Language (DQL). We use DQL extensively throughout both the cloud database and on-device SDKs, and query engineers work closely with many other teams to integrate with their systems. This team owns a core technology that spans the entire Ditto product.

Ditto is rapidly growing. Today, while the team is small, there is an opportunity for hands-on contributions, but your role should be considered a pure people management role in the near future. As a specialist team this group is laser-focused on enabling customers to get the most out of Ditto while providing a familiar, SQL-like experience. You will work closely with product managers, designers, and other teams to shape the future of our technology and the services that underpin it.

As the Engineering Manager, You Will:

• Lead, Mentor, and Grow: Guide and grow a team of 5–8 skilled and globally distributed engineers, supporting their technical success, career development, and personal growth. Provide mentorship and coaching to help team members achieve their full potential.
• Deliver Excellence: Plan and deliver high-quality solutions that meet business and technical goals, focusing on query performance, reliability, and developer experience.
• Contribute to Architecture: Be an active participant in the design and implementation of query optimization strategies, execution plans, and indexing mechanisms that work efficiently in distributed edge environments.
• Optimize Query Performance: Drive initiatives to improve query execution speed, reduce memory footprint, and enhance the efficiency of our custom query language and execution engine.
• Shape the Roadmap: Collaborate with product managers and stakeholders to build the team's roadmap, incorporating input from customers, engineers, and researchers.
• Cross-team Collaboration: Work closely with the Database, Core Library, Data Sync, and SDK teams to ensure seamless integration of query capabilities across the entire Ditto platform.
• Foster Culture: Set an example by cultivating a culture of trust, collaboration, and continual improvement aligned with Ditto's core values.

What You’ll Need:

• Management Experience: 3+ years managing software engineering teams, including responsibilities like hiring, performance management, and career development.
• Technical Expertise: 5+ years of technical leadership experience with a strong background in platform and database technologies, distributed systems, and similar domains.
• Systems Programming: Strong experience with systems programming languages, preferably Rust or C++, and understanding of performance optimization at the systems level.
• Distributed Systems Experience: Understanding of distributed systems concepts including consistency models, replication strategies, and the challenges of operating in eventually consistent environments.
• Project Management Excellence: Strong project management skills including stakeholder management, resource allocation and scheduling, risk identification and mitigation, and the ability to deliver complex technical projects on time.
• Collaborative Leadership: Proven ability to manage remote, globally distributed teams with strong asynchronous communication skills. Exceptional written and verbal communication to effectively convey complex ideas and align team efforts.
• Proactive Leadership: A high level of self-direction, autonomy, and responsibility in leading teams and driving projects forward.
• Ability to Travel: You likely will need to travel (including internationally) once a quarter for team get-togethers and design sessions.

Nice to Haves:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Computer Science or Engineering.
• Experience building or maintaining SQL query engines, custom query languages, or similar systems
• Knowledge of CRDTs and their implications for query processing in eventually consistent systems
• Experience with property-based testing, formal verification, or other advanced testing methodologies for query correctness
• Understanding of mobile and embedded system constraints and their impact on query processing
• Experience with incremental computation, materialized views, or reactive query systems
• Familiarity with various indexing structures (B-trees, LSM trees, inverted indexes) and their trade-offs
• Previous experience leading teams working with Rust as the primary programming language
• Experience managing a remote, globally distributed team

The Benefits of Building with Us

We offer competitive salaries and meaningful equity. We believe everyone on the team should have a stake in what we’re building. Benefits vary by region to make sure you're covered in the ways that matter most. In the US, that includes health, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance, plus a 401(k) and flexible spending accounts. In the UK, we offer private healthcare through Vitality, a pension plan, and region-specific coverage. For our team members elsewhere in the world, we work with our global employer platform to offer equitable benefits and coverage.

Regardless of where you live, everyone at Ditto can utilize flexible time off. And while we work remotely, our Atlanta and San Francisco offices are open if you ever want a place to work or meet up with teammates.

Apply Anyway

At Ditto, we believe success isn’t defined by a flawless resume, a set number of years of experience, or checking every box in a job description. What matters most to us are qualities like grit, resilience, and adaptability. If you're excited about our mission but don't meet every requirement, we encourage you to apply anyway. Use your application to tell us how you’ll make an impact here. We’re always looking for exceptional people ready to grow with us.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Ditto is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. We do not discriminate in hiring or any employment decision based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. Ditto is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application procedures. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please let us know.

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