Description
Build the operational backbone that gets mission-critical software and hardware systems into production - and keeps them there at scale.
We are seeking a Director, Engineering Operations to serve as the CTO's strategic operational partner. You will design and own the systems that make engineering execution visible, predictable, and accountable across a distributed, multi-discipline organization spanning embedded systems, firmware, software, DevOps, and data science. You bring deep experience delivering production-grade software and hardware systems—you understand what it takes to get to production, what can go wrong, and how to solve it. If you are energized by building infrastructure that scales and want your work to directly impact how utilities deliver affordable, reliable power—join us at LineVision, Built In Boston Best Places to Work!
What will you do?
Core Responsibilities and Key Performance Objectives
- Apply hands-on production software and systems experience to validate plans, identify risks, and ensure deliverables reflect real-world production requirements
- Find problems early — surface schedule risks, resource conflicts, technical blockers, and production dependencies before they impact delivery
- Resolve blockers directly and escalate immediately when leadership attention is needed, with clear context and a recommended path forward
- Own the engineering metrics framework that keeps execution visible and accountable across all engineering disciplines
- Synthesize engineering health for the CTO and serve as the connective tissue between product roadmap commitments and squad-level delivery
Within the first 3 months:
- Map all active engineering commitments with particular focus on production readiness gaps, dependencies, and delivery risks
- Build strong relationships with engineering leads and product owners across all disciplines, becoming a trusted operational partner
- Identify the top 3–5 execution risks—especially those tied to production delivery—and develop a plan to address them
Within the first 6 months:
- Implement early warning systems and operational review cadence that give leadership consistent, reliable visibility into engineering health
- Build commitment tracking infrastructure that links the product roadmap to squad-level execution with full visibility into production dependencies and readiness criteria
- Free up CTO and engineering lead bandwidth through operational infrastructure that provides real-time visibility without manual overhead
Within the first year:
- Position the engineering organization to scale to 100+ engineers while continuously refining execution discipline and production quality standards
- Build a metrics culture where teams own their numbers and use data to continuously improve performance
- Create operational playbooks—covering production delivery, incident response, and cross-functional coordination—used across all engineering disciplines
How to succeed in this role
Key Competencies
- Taking Ownership: Drive full accountability for engineering execution outcomes. Communicate proactively on risks and blockers.
- Critical Thinking: Diagnose operational and technical problems independently and propose solutions. Bring a production systems lens that critically enhances the team's collective problem-solving.
- Delivering Innovative Solutions: Devise operational systems with a growth mindset. Utilize technical expertise in novel ways to achieve reliable, scalable delivery.
- Judgment & Decision Making: Make prioritization calls under ambiguity, backed by evidence and first principles. Understand production risk well enough to know when to escalate versus resolve.
- Follow Through – Execution: Deliver operational systems that teams actually use. Build a track record for doing what you say, on time, with rigor.
Essential Skills
- 6+ years in engineering leadership, technical program management, or engineering operations with hands-on experience delivering production-grade software and hardware/software systems
- Deep understanding of what production-level delivery requires: dependencies, release criteria, incident response, reliability standards, and the failure modes that derail timelines
- Proven ability to partner with and earn the trust of senior engineering leaders (VP/CTO level)
- Technical background sufficient for credible conversations across firmware, software, data science, and DevOps—you understand the work well enough to know when a plan is unrealistic
- Track record building metrics frameworks and early warning systems that teams use and trust
What Sets the Best Candidates Apart
- Experience shipping mission-critical software systems in regulated or critical infrastructure industries—utilities, energy, defense, medical devices, or similar
- Background in hardware-software hybrid environments (embedded systems, firmware, and cloud infrastructure together)
- Prior experience as an Engineering Manager or Tech Lead before moving into operations; you've been in the trench and it shows
- Demonstrated history of directly solving blocked production issues rather than escalating and waiting
Reporting & Team Structure
- Reports to the CTO
- Collaborates closely with Engineering Leads across all disciplines, Product Management, DevOps, IT, and Security
What does joining LineVision mean for you?
- Impact. Your talent, time, and energy will critically impact our success in accelerating our mission of providing utilities with grid intelligence to enable affordable, reliable power.
- Ownership. You will hold broad responsibilities with high autonomy and trust in a communicative, collaborative, and fast-paced environment.
- Flexibility. You will be empowered to maintain work-life balance with trust-based PTO.
- Real World Innovation. You will join a motivated and high-performing team working with cutting-edge, patented technology to help solve key obstacles to meet the demands of an AI-powered future.
Who we are…
LineVision is a grid-enhancing technology company enabling electric utilities to deliver affordable, reliable power and accelerate the electrification of the global economy. Our grid intelligence platform delivers the most accurate, network-wide dynamic line ratings and enables safer, more reliable grid operations with a combination of optical sensors and advanced environmental modeling. LineVision's global customer base includes eight of the ten largest US utilities, including National Grid, Southern Company, and Exelon.
We are LineVisionaries:
- We are Innovators: we light the way with tenacious creativity and do good work.
- We are Empowered: With high trust and high autonomy, the floor is yours, and the opportunity is ours.
- We are Welcoming: Come as you are, our doors are open. We are better together.
- We are Trusted Partners: We elevate our customer champions through shared thought leadership. We deliver on commitments.
- We are All In: We are building a community of passionate individuals who want to dent the universe.
At LineVision there's no such thing as a "perfect" candidate. We are looking for exceptional people who want to make a positive impact through their work and facilitate an organization where everyone can thrive. So whatever background you bring with you, please apply if this role would make you excited to come to work every day.
Meet our team and understand our mission: https://www.linevisioninc.com/about-us
