Director of Engineering

Forward Financing is a financial technology company based in Boston, Massachusetts with team members throughout the United States, Dominican Republic, and Canada. The company is on a mission to unlock the capital that fuels small businesses across America. Recognized as a Best Place to Work by Built In Boston and certified as a Great Place To Work®, Forward is investing in its employees, technology, and customer experience – with long-term success in mind every step of the way.

We are a rapidly growing fintech company on a mission to revolutionize small business lending, and we believe the strategic use of data and models is the key to achieving this goal. Our proprietary platform leverages data and technology to provide fast and flexible financing to underserved businesses across the country. We are seeking a Director of Engineering to lead and scale our Engineering organization. You will define the technical strategy and execution across Forward’s core applications, partnering across leadership to deliver innovative, mission-aligned solutions.

In this role you will:

• Lead, manage, and mentor a high-performing team of software engineers (including individual contributors and people leaders), fostering a culture of technical excellence, accountability, and continuous improvement

• Collaborate closely with Product Management and business stakeholders to refine team priorities, contribute to the technical roadmap, and ensure strong alignment between engineering execution and the delivery of maximum business value

• Drive predictable and high-quality engineering execution across the team's projects. You will be accountable for the timely delivery of maintainable, scalable, and cost-efficient software solutions that meet business requirements

• Define and enforce a high bar for technical quality and best practices within the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), including coding standards and robust code review processes. You will provide technical guidance on system and data architecture (e.g., cloud hosting, database design) to ensure long-term stability

• Establish and track key performance metrics across engineering delivery, quality, velocity, uptime, and operational excellence

• Champion the adoption of automation and modern tools (including AI-assisted development practices) to boost engineering productivity and accelerate the delivery pipeline.

Why you should apply:

• Mission driven company: Forward is a trusted source of fast, flexible funding for small businesses that have often been underserved by traditional financing options. When you join the team, you will help ensure all small businesses have access to the financial support they need to succeed.

• Flexibility is a top priority: Our employees are empowered to choose where they want to work (whether that’s from home, in the office, or a combination of both) with flexible hours.

Role Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or a related field

• 5+ years of engineering leadership experience, including oversight of engineering teams and managers

• Proven track record in leading and scaling multiple engineering teams

• Deep understanding of modern software engineering practices, Agile methodologies, and DevOps principles

• Hands-on technical background with the ability to guide architectural and infrastructure decisions

• Direct experience operating within the regulated Financial Services or high-growth FinTech industry

• Strong leadership, coaching, and stakeholder management capabilities

• Familiarity with cloud-native platforms and services (e.g., AWS)

• Experience with API-driven backends, front-ends, and leveraging SaaS solutions is required

• Familiarity with Salesforce and experience managing or interacting with the platform

• Experience with Kubernetes and service-oriented architecture is preferred

• Demonstrated ability to manage managers and technical leads responsible for high-stakes internal platforms, specifically including Salesforce or other mission-critical CRM/ERP systems

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Has a significant ability to influence others

Annual Targeted Salary: $220,000– $295,000 USD

Annual Target Bonus: 20%

At Forward Financing, we're committed to fair and transparent compensation. We believe in providing a compensation package that recognizes your skills, experience, and the unique value you bring to our team. We take a market-based approach to pay, regularly reviewing benchmark data to ensure our compensation remains competitive, equitable, and aligned with our performance-driven culture.

Final offers are determined by a variety of factors, including the candidate's qualifications, relevant experience, specific skills, and internal equity. This approach ensures that our compensation is competitive and equitable. Your recruiter will provide specific details on the expected base and variable earnings as it pertains to this specific role.

Total Rewards:

Additionally, we offer a comprehensive total rewards package, including but not limited to: medical, dental, vision, commuter benefits, a flexible time-off policy, paid parental leave, 401k match for US employees, wellness reimbursement, volunteering days, annual professional development budget, and charitable donation match.

Forward is proud to be a remote-first company, keeping workplace flexibility a top priority for our employees. As a business, we are focused on impact; we are more concerned with your contributions to the success of the company than where you get your work done. To help facilitate in-person collaboration, employees are welcome to work from one of our premiere office locations.

When we aren’t collaborating to drive business and support our customers, we’re finding virtual and in-person ways to get to know our colleagues, celebrate team wins, and have fun together!

• Drive the Mission - We believe in financial opportunity for underserved small businesses. We say “yes” when others say “no.”

• Keep It Real - We value direct communication, candid feedback, and authenticity. We are an open book.

• Act with Kindness - We create an environment where caring is cool and helping is the norm. We do the right thing.

• Shoot for Extraordinary - We are inspired by innovative thinking and continuous improvement. We never settle for yesterday’s best.

About Us:

Forward Financing is a financial technology company based in Boston, Massachusetts with team members throughout the United States, Dominican Republic, and Canada. The company is on a mission to unlock the capital that fuels small businesses across America. Whether facing challenges accessing traditional financing or simply needing a convenient, flexible solution, Forward is committed to funding more of the millions of small businesses nationwide. Forward offers revenue-based financing – delivering an upfront sum of working capital in exchange for a set amount of the business’s future revenue. By simplifying the requirements, streamlining the process, and using advanced proprietary technology, Forward is often able to deliver funds same day – giving more businesses the financial opportunity they need to thrive. Plus, with their dedicated teams and award-winning service, customers get personalized support when they need it most.

Since 2012, Forward has expanded access to capital by providing over $4.1 billion in funding to more than 80,000 small businesses. The company is A+ rated by the Better Business Bureau with an Excellent / 4.7 stars rating on Trustpilot.com. Recognized as a Best Place to Work by Built In Boston and certified as a Great Place To Work®, Forward is dedicated to empowering both its team and the customers they serve, helping them succeed and thrive.

US Equal Opportunity Employment Information

Forward Financing is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and is committed to fostering a fair and inclusive culture built on a foundation of high performance and exceptional customer experience. With a laser focus on employee impact, we’re able to reduce biases and ensure the right people are in the right jobs to contribute to our mission. The varied perspectives of our people fuel innovation and make us a stronger team. By embracing what makes each of us unique, we create a supportive environment where people feel valued, accepted, and empowered to thrive.

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