Software Engineering Manager - Colorado

About the role

Great Question is a well-funded startup hiring a Software Engineering Manager with experience in Ruby on Rails to join our fully remote team and help us on our mission to democratize user research - helping companies talk to their customers more to ensure they build software that people want.

We’re currently a team of about 30 employees. We tripled revenue in 2024 (see our 2024 year in review here), and we’re looking to do it again in 2025. This is an opportunity to get in early, work on an interesting problem, have a huge impact on the technology and culture of an early-stage company, and shape the future of how teams build software through research.‍

This is a fully remote role open to people living in Denver, or Boulder, Colorado

Why join us? 

At Great Question, we’re building a culture of collaboration, curiosity, and impact. By joining our team, you will:

• Work closely with a passionate, mission-driven team.

• Have a direct impact on the growth and success of the company.

• Be supported in your own career growth with opportunities to shape engineering strategy and process at a high-growth startup.

• Drive key technology and architectural designs across the entire platform.

• Be intimately involved in business and product decisions.

• Learn from experienced startup founders (10 years experience, 2 previous exits)

Why not join us? 

At Great Question, we believe in transparency—not just about our strengths, but also about where we still have room to grow. Here’s what you should know before deciding to apply:

1. We’re Still Figuring Things Out

   • We’re a scaling startup, which means some processes are still being built or refined. Expect ambiguity and some growing pains as we establish systems and frameworks. 

   • While we’re deeply committed to our mission and values, we’re still shaping what our culture looks like day-to-day. There’s a lot of potential here, but it’s not fully baked yet.

2. Lean Teams, Big Responsibilities

   • We operate with a lean team, so everyone wears multiple hats. This can mean juggling tasks that go beyond the typical scope of your role. 

3. Fast-Paced and High Expectations

   • We’re moving quickly to build and scale. This pace can feel exhilarating, but it also means you’ll need to be self-driven and comfortable with occasional chaos.

4. Limited Resources

   • Like most startups, we don’t have endless budgets or extensive support systems. Creativity and resourcefulness are essential to getting things done. 

5. Unpolished Internal Systems

   • You’re probably going to encounter inefficiencies with tools, workflows, or reporting that need attention. Building scalable systems is a priority, but it’s a journey and we’re not there yet. 

We’re pretty far from perfect, and we don’t claim to be. But we’d like to get there. So if you’re someone who thrives on solving problems, enjoys creating structure from scratch, and loves being part of a dynamic, fast-growing environment, Great Question might be the right place for you.

What You’ll Do:

🚚 Delivery & Execution:

• Manage and deliver projects on time, to a high standard, and with scalability in mind.

• Partner with product to uncover complexities early, scope projects effectively, and manage trade-offs.

• Define, implement, and refine product development, testing, and manufacturing processes.

• Oversee project logistics, resource allocation, and budgets while engaging in cost management strategies.

⚡ Team Efficiency:

• Strive to improve efficiency and sustainability of processes and product designs, reducing waste and technical debt.

• Collaborate on technical vision and translate it into actionable plans through architecture docs, design reviews, and all-hands meetings

• Review pull requests to ensure high-quality, maintainable code.

🔎 Staffing:

• Help build and grow a high-performing team by sourcing, hiring, and onboarding top engineering talent.

• Advocate for team members by securing the resources they need to succeed.

🌱 Career Development:

• Run regular 1:1s, define career paths for engineers, and run structured performance reviews mentoring team members and fostering professional growth.

• Ensure engineers perform to a high standard, delivering quality work and driving results.

🎉 Engineering Culture:

• Shape and foster a positive, collaborative engineering culture that emphasizes excellence and innovation.

• Work with marketing and product teams to ensure smooth rollouts and releases.

• Communicate technical information to non-technical stakeholders, including investors and potential customers.

What We’re Looking For:

• Leadership Chops: Proven experience managing or mentoring engineers.

• Team Builder: Experience hiring and growing a high-performing engineering team, with a proven track record of scaling teams effectively.

• Performance Focus: Demonstrated ability to run a high-performing team, ensuring standards remain consistently high.

• Technical Excellence: Strong software development background with hands-on experience.

• Process Mindset: Ability to design and implement effective engineering workflows.

• Project Management Pro: A strong handle on project management and delivery, ensuring smooth execution from start to finish.

• Collaborative Spirit: Skilled at working cross-functionally with product, marketing, and other teams.

• Problem-Solver: You’re great at breaking down complex problems and turning them into simple, executable plans.

• Builder’s Mentality: Comfortable navigating ambiguity and rolling up your sleeves to get things done.

• Industry Expertise: Maintains high-level expertise in their field or sector.

• Strong sense of what constitutes engineering excellence

• Demonstrated interest in product: with a strong ability to connect engineering decisions to product and business outcome

Benefits

• Compensation: Competitive salary and equity. If your compensation expectations are outside of this range, please apply anyway and let us know as we’d love to hear from you. 

• Always Remote: Work from home in one of our hubs; Denver or Boulder, with opportunities to meet in person (if you want).

• PTO & Team Engagement: Four weeks of PTO, public holidays, and regular team events. Our last all-company off-site was in Mexico City.

Hiring Process:

We endeavour to deliver a great candidate experience, including notifications of your status in the hiring process throughout.

The hiring process includes the following steps and typically happens across 2-4 weeks from first interview:

1. Initial phone screens for shortlisted candidates 

2. Collaborative coding exercise

3. Systems and design interview

4. Cultural fit interview

5. Reference checks with a past manager, and if relevant, a person you have managed

Note - Each interview is sequential, so you’ll only move to the next round if you pass the previous one. After each interview, we’ll aim to notify you if you’re progressing within 48 hours of your interview taking place. 

How to Apply:

If this sounds like the opportunity you’ve been waiting for, we’d love to hear from you! Please submit your resume, making sure it’s a concise representation of your previous work experience. 

Where applicable in your resume, please use gross numbers instead of percentages to demonstrate impact.