# Senior Engineering Manager (hands-on) - Work Environment
**Company:** [Alan](https://scaleengineer.com/companies/alan)
Senior Engineering Manager leading Alan's Work Environment team, responsible for building AI-native internal platforms and infrastructure that power organizational operations. This hands-on leadership role combines team building, technical strategy, and active code contribution to create the internal operating system used by 800+ employees. The ideal candidate brings 3+ years of engineering leadership experience, modern development practices expertise, and a commitment to building high-performing teams within a transparent, distributed decision-making culture.
**Role:** Engineering Manager
**Seniority:** Manager
**Locations:** Anywhere in France, Belgium, Spain
**Salary:** 95000–145000 EUR
[Apply](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/alan/7cb7ef50-e248-4967-ace5-d2a0d97f395e)
Canonical: https://scaleengineer.com/jobs/alan/senior-engineering-manager-hands-on-work-environment
---
## Responsibilities

- Team Leadership and Development: Build, scale, and mentor a growing engineering team focused on internal platforms. Establish hiring criteria, conduct technical interviews, implement feedback mechanisms, and develop individual growth plans. Foster psychological safety and continuous learning culture while maintaining talent density standards.
- Technical Architecture and Direction: Guide architectural decisions for Alan Home (internal OS), Identity & Access Management systems, and automation platforms. Establish engineering excellence standards, code review practices, security protocols, and incident response procedures for mission-critical infrastructure serving 800+ employees.
- Product Roadmap and Execution: Partner with product and business functions as a technical equal to shape roadmap priorities. Translate business requirements into technical strategy, communicate trade-offs honestly, and drive realistic commitment planning. Own ROI calculations for build-versus-buy decisions on internal tools.
- Hands-On Engineering Contribution: Maintain active technical involvement by writing code, conducting code reviews, and participating in architectural design. Stay current with modern development practices and AI-assisted tools while demonstrating engineering excellence through personal contributions.
- Operational Excellence and Compliance: Oversee systems integration across 25+ platforms including user lifecycle management, privileged access management, and automation infrastructure. Implement security best practices, manage incident response for critical systems, and ensure compliance with organizational policies.
- Strategic Tool Evaluation: Evaluate third-party SaaS solutions and make informed build-versus-buy recommendations. Lead initiative to replace generic vendor solutions with Alan-native software where justified, documented with written cases and measurable ROI analysis.

## Requirements

### education

- {"name":"Computer Science or Related Field (Preferred)","description":"Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Technology, or equivalent professional experience demonstrating deep technical foundation and problem-solving capabilities."}
- {"name":"Continuous Learning and Professional Development","description":"Commitment to staying current with emerging technologies, architectural patterns, and leadership best practices. Participation in technical communities, conferences, or self-directed learning in modern development approaches."}

### technical

- {"name":"Modern Software Architecture and Design","description":"Proven expertise in establishing scalable system architecture patterns, microservices design, API development, and cloud infrastructure. Ability to guide architectural decisions that balance performance, security, and maintainability across complex internal platform ecosystems."}
- {"name":"Identity and Access Management (IAM)","description":"Experience designing or overseeing identity management, single sign-on (SSO), privileged access management (PAM), and role-based access control (RBAC) systems. Knowledge of security protocols including OAuth 2.0, SAML, and multi-factor authentication implementation."}
- {"name":"Automation and Integration Platforms","description":"Hands-on experience building or managing integration platforms, workflow automation, and system orchestration. Familiarity with message queues, event-driven architecture, and API-first integration approaches across multiple systems."}
- {"name":"AI-Assisted Development Tools","description":"Working knowledge of modern AI-powered development tools including GitHub Copilot, AI code completion, and AI-driven debugging. Understanding of how to integrate these tools into team workflows to enhance productivity and code quality."}
- {"name":"Engineering Excellence and Code Standards","description":"Demonstrated ability to establish and enforce code quality standards, testing practices (unit, integration, end-to-end testing), continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines, and security-first development practices."}
- {"name":"Cloud Platforms and DevOps","description":"Proficiency with cloud infrastructure providers (AWS, GCP, or Azure), containerization technologies (Docker, Kubernetes), infrastructure-as-code approaches, and monitoring/observability solutions for production systems."}

### experience

- {"name":"Engineering Team Leadership","description":"Minimum 3+ years of hands-on engineering management experience, including hiring decisions, performance management, career development planning, and team scaling. Track record of building cohesive, high-performing technical teams with demonstrated impact on team productivity and retention."}
- {"name":"Hands-On Technical Contribution","description":"Recent and active involvement in code reviews, architecture design, and direct coding contributions. Ability to balance management responsibilities with meaningful technical work while setting an example of engineering excellence."}
- {"name":"Cross-Functional Collaboration","description":"Experience partnering effectively with product managers, business stakeholders, and other engineering leaders as a technical equal. Ability to shape roadmaps, communicate technical constraints and opportunities, and manage expectations transparently."}
- {"name":"Infrastructure and Platform Building","description":"Experience building or scaling internal platform teams, developing infrastructure-as-a-service solutions, or creating developer tools that improve engineering velocity. Understanding of platform engineering principles and internal customer-centric design."}
- {"name":"Build-versus-Buy Decision Making","description":"Track record of evaluating SaaS tools and internal development options, making data-driven decisions based on ROI analysis, total cost of ownership, and strategic fit. Experience replacing vendor solutions with custom-built alternatives when justified by business case."}

## Skills

### required

- {"name":"Engineering Team Leadership","description":"Proven ability to hire, mentor, and scale engineering teams. Strong track record of developing talent, implementing feedback mechanisms, and creating psychological safety within technical organizations."}
- {"name":"System Architecture and Design","description":"Deep expertise in designing scalable, secure, and maintainable systems. Ability to guide architectural decisions and establish technical standards across complex infrastructure."}
- {"name":"Full-Stack Development","description":"Strong technical foundation across backend systems, frontend integration, API design, and database architecture. Ability to code review and contribute across the full technology stack."}
- {"name":"Cloud Infrastructure Management","description":"Hands-on experience with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure), containerization (Docker/Kubernetes), and infrastructure-as-code principles. Understanding of scalability, reliability, and cost optimization."}
- {"name":"Security and Compliance Mindset","description":"Strong emphasis on security best practices, privileged access management, identity governance, and compliance requirements. Ability to implement security-first development culture."}
- {"name":"Product Thinking and Roadmap Ownership","description":"Ability to think strategically about internal platforms as products serving internal customers. Comfortable translating business objectives into technical roadmaps and owning delivery execution."}
- {"name":"AI-Native Development Practices","description":"Understanding of AI-augmented development workflows, agentic AI patterns, and how to leverage AI tools to enhance team productivity and code quality."}
- {"name":"English Language Proficiency","description":"Fluent written and verbal communication in English for effective cross-functional collaboration and documentation. Required for technical discussions and leadership communication."}

### preferred

- {"name":"French Language Skills","description":"Working knowledge of French beneficial for communication within broader Alan organization, particularly for team interactions and cultural integration. Not required but valued."}
- {"name":"Healthcare Technology Experience","description":"Prior experience in healthtech or regulated industries. Understanding of healthcare compliance requirements, data privacy regulations (GDPR, HIPAA), and security frameworks specific to health data."}
- {"name":"Distributed Systems and Event-Driven Architecture","description":"Deep experience with distributed systems patterns, microservices orchestration, event streaming (Kafka, RabbitMQ), and asynchronous communication patterns. Valuable for platform scaling and resilience."}
- {"name":"Developer Experience and Platform Engineering","description":"Background building developer tools, internal platforms, or infrastructure products. Experience thinking about developer productivity metrics and creating frictionless developer experiences."}
- {"name":"Open-Source Contributions","description":"Active participation in open-source projects demonstrating commitment to code quality, community collaboration, and staying current with technology trends."}
- {"name":"European Tech Experience","description":"Previous work in European tech companies, particularly in transparent, distributed decision-making cultures. Familiarity with European regulatory environment and business practices."}

## Tech stack

### tools

- {"name":"Kubernetes","description":"Container orchestration platform for managing scalable, resilient internal services. Essential for modern infrastructure and microservices deployment."}
- {"name":"Docker","description":"Containerization technology enabling consistent development, testing, and production environments for internal platform components."}
- {"name":"Terraform or CloudFormation","description":"Infrastructure-as-Code tools for managing cloud resources declaratively, ensuring reproducible and version-controlled infrastructure."}
- {"name":"CI/CD Platforms (GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, or Jenkins)","description":"Continuous integration and deployment automation for testing, building, and releasing internal platform updates with high velocity and reliability."}
- {"name":"Prometheus and Grafana","description":"Monitoring and observability stack for tracking internal system health, performance metrics, and creating actionable alerts for platform reliability."}
- {"name":"ELK Stack (Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana)","description":"Centralized logging and analysis for troubleshooting, audit trails, and security monitoring across internal infrastructure."}
- {"name":"Git and GitHub","description":"Version control and collaboration platform for code management, code review workflows, and team collaboration on infrastructure-as-code."}
- {"name":"AI-Assisted Development Tools (GitHub Copilot, etc.)","description":"Modern AI coding assistants to enhance productivity, accelerate development velocity, and maintain high code quality standards across the team."}

### others

- {"name":"OAuth 2.0 and SAML","description":"Industry-standard authentication and authorization protocols for identity management and single sign-on integration across internal systems."}
- {"name":"Privileged Access Management (PAM)","description":"Security framework for managing elevated permissions, monitoring privileged user activities, and ensuring compliance with access governance requirements."}
- {"name":"GDPR and Data Privacy Compliance","description":"Understanding of European data protection regulations, privacy-by-design principles, and implementing privacy controls across internal platforms."}
- {"name":"Distributed Decision-Making and Written Culture","description":"Experience working in or building transparent organizations where decisions are documented, asynchronous communication is prioritized, and written records drive accountability."}
- {"name":"Agile and Kanban Methodologies","description":"Ability to organize teams around iterative delivery, continuous improvement, and flexible roadmaps that respond to organizational needs and technical dependencies."}

### databases

- {"name":"PostgreSQL","description":"Enterprise-grade relational database for identity management, user lifecycle data, and core internal platform storage. Strong ACID guarantees and security features."}
- {"name":"Redis","description":"In-memory data store for caching, session management, and real-time features. Critical for internal portal performance and accessibility features."}
- {"name":"Elasticsearch","description":"Search and analytics engine valuable for user directory searches, audit logging, and analytics across platform infrastructure."}
- {"name":"MongoDB or DynamoDB","description":"NoSQL solutions for flexible data models, particularly useful for automation workflows, event storage, and configuration management."}

### languages

- {"name":"Python","description":"Modern backend development language frequently used for internal automation, data processing, and platform services. Strong ecosystem for DevOps and infrastructure tooling."}
- {"name":"TypeScript/JavaScript","description":"Full-stack development capability spanning both frontend and backend. Essential for building modern web-based internal platforms and Alan Home interface."}
- {"name":"Go","description":"High-performance language suitable for microservices, automation tools, and infrastructure components. Excellent for building scalable internal tools and command-line utilities."}
- {"name":"SQL","description":"Essential for database design, query optimization, and data governance across internal systems and user lifecycle management platforms."}

### frameworks

- {"name":"Next.js or React","description":"Modern frontend frameworks for building Alan Home user interface and internal portal applications with responsive, user-centric design."}
- {"name":"FastAPI or Django","description":"Python-based backend frameworks for building robust APIs, automation services, and internal platform infrastructure with built-in security and validation."}
- {"name":"GraphQL","description":"Query language and runtime for efficient API communication across internal systems, reducing over-fetching and improving developer experience."}
- {"name":"gRPC","description":"High-performance RPC framework for inter-service communication, particularly valuable for distributed system architecture and microservices patterns."}

## Benefits

### benefits

## Compensation

- **max:** 145000
- **min:** 95000
- **currency:** EUR
- **stockOptions:** true

## Interview process

### steps

## Full description
## **Health can’t wait**. 

Not for symptoms to get worse. Not for a six‑month appointment. Not for a system to catch up. But that’s exactly how healthcare works today. You wait, until you can’t.

Alan exists to end the wait.

Health is a universal right, and we believe this right can only become real when it’s coupled with prevention. We need to stop treating health as something we repair and start treating it as something we build, every day. It’s not solely a question of willpower. It’s the healthcare system itself that needs to work for everyone, in a sustainable way.

So we are building the **new standard in prevention insurance.** Alan is the first company that integrates insurance, prevention, and care into a single, acclaimed user experience.

We are on an incredible journey to build a **global leading company, with a** [**unique culture**](https://alan.com/en/careers). We already partner with 40K+ companies of all sizes, serving more than 1M+ members, and have reached €800M+ in ARR.

Prevention as the new norm. That's what we're building with our team of 800+ people. If it speaks to you: we're hiring across France, Spain, Belgium, and Canada. And beyond.

# ⭐ Build the AI-native company, for real

Alan has spent 10 years developing a distinctive way of working: radical transparency, written culture, distributed decision-making, no managers, no meetings by default. This wasn't just philosophy. It was a deliberate architectural choice, and it made Alan one of the most productive companies in European tech.

Now, agentic AI empowers us to make it much more personalized. The principles that made Alan productive become the foundation for a much more ambitious journey: a company where AI agents handle organizational complexity, surface the right context instantly, and let every person focus on the work that matters.

The Work Environment area builds that. Alaners are our users, and our internal platform is a Tier-1 product. The team is small and growing fast, and you'll lead its engineering.

# 🚀 What you'll build **and who you'll work with**

* 🏠 **Alan Home, the portal every Alaner opens first.** The internal Operating System and the source of truth for who's who and who has access to what.
* ⚙️ **The rails the company runs on.** Our automation platform, Identity & Access Management, Privileged Access Management, and user lifecycle automation across 25+ systems.
* 🧱 **Alan-native software instead of generic SaaS.** Where a vendor forces Alan into someone else's way of working, we replace it, internalize and build our own. You'll hold the bar on which replacements earn their place, with a written case and a real ROI.
* 🧑‍🚀 **A growing team.** You'll hire it, shape it, and decide what it works on. Talent density, onboarding, feedback, and the mix of skills the area needs are yours to own.
* 🛡️ **Technical direction and operational excellence.** Architecture calls, quality standards, security practices, and incident response for systems that every single Alaner depends on. And you stay hands-on: at Alan, engineering leaders are expected to build.

# ⚡ Why this role is special

* **Dual impact**: Shape both technical excellence and team growth, engineers become better while building better products
* **Leadership growth**: Influence engineering culture, mentor future leaders, and drive technical strategy that shapes the future of healthcare delivery
* **Your users sit next to you.** Every Alaner uses what your team ships, every day. The feedback loop between building and impact is very short, which allows you to iterate and move quickly.

# **🔍 What we're looking for**

**Leadership experience**

* 3+ years leading engineering teams, with a track record of building high performers.
* You partner with other product functions as a true equal: you shape the roadmap, name trade-offs honestly, and help the team commit to what it can actually deliver.

**Technical foundations**

* Experience establishing engineering excellence standards, with the ability to guide architectural decisions.
* Experience with modern development practices and AI-assisted development tools
* Recent hands-on experience. You still review code, and you still write some.

**What we value**

* Curious, self-starting, humble, collaborative, and eager to grow.
* You develop people as much as you develop products.
* Fluent in English (French is a plus but not required).

**Mission alignment:**

* Healthcare technology and innovation excite you
* You understand that great engineering teams are built on psychological safety and continuous learning

# 🌍 How we work

**Location:** you must be legally eligible to work in France, Belgium, or Spain.

**Hybrid approach:** amazing office spaces, sponsored co-working hubs, or full remote. We want you where you're most effective at leading and developing your team.

**Growth mindset:** every Alaner gets a dedicated coach from day one. As a leader, you'll have additional support for developing your leadership skills.

# 🎯 Important note: we hire people, not roles.

If you're excited about this opportunity but don't check every box, **we'd love to hear from you**. Everyone, no matter how underrepresented, should feel free to apply, as it can only bring learnings or success.

**If you identify yourself as a woman**: Did you know that research shows women often apply only when meeting 100% of requirements?

**Remember, this is just a guide, not a checklist.** We'll be thrilled to receive your application!

🔖 Check out our [About Alan](https://alan.com/about) and [Career](https://alan.com/careers) pages, as well as our [Medium](https://medium.com/alan), [blog](https://blog.alan.com/) and [Glassdoor page](https://www.glassdoor.com/Overview/Working-at-Alan-EI%5FIE1696043.11,15.htm) for more info.

#DNP