Engineering Manager

About Bluestaq

At Bluestaq, we're not just another tech company-we're a mission-driven team of innovators, problem-solvers, and trailblazers. Whether supporting space exploration, defense systems, global alliances, government initiatives, healthcare advancements, or commercial breakthroughs, our work spans industries that shape the future. Founded in 2018, Bluestaq has quickly become a leader in enterprise software and secure data management. Our name? A nod to our roots-"blue" (military shorthand for the good guys) and "staq" (as in software stack).

Recognized Excellence

We don't just talk about excellence-we deliver it. Bluestaq has earned national recognition as one of Inc. Magazine's Fastest-Growing Private Companies and is consistently ranked among Colorado's Best Workplaces. Whether we're supporting national security, enabling healthcare advancements, or driving commercial innovation, we're committed to building data management solutions that matter.

Join the Mission

Ready to push boundaries with tech that transforms industries? At Bluestaq, we engineer secure, scalable data ecosystems for space, defense, healthcare, and beyond. Join us to tackle mission-critical challenges, protect the world's most valuable data, and build what's next. Let's make extraordinary possible - together.

Software Engineering Manager – Commercial Platform

We are seeking a strategic, people-focused Software Engineering Manager (EM) to lead high-performing teams that design, build, and deliver secure, scalable software solutions for a government customer.

In this role, you'll be accountable for people leadership and delivery first, with enough technical depth to partner effectively with Team Leads, Lead Engineers, Solution Architects, and other engineers. You'll foster a culture of accountability, growth, and collaboration, empowering your teams to deliver with both velocity and quality.

Operating at the intersection of people leadership, technical strategy, and execution, you will partner closely with Product, Program, and Architecture leaders to translate strategic vision into action. Your leadership will ensure that engineering teams are healthy, aligned, and consistently delivering value on mission-critical systems.

Why This Role Matters

Engineering execution is the backbone of our ability to deliver innovation, meet mission-critical needs, and scale into new markets. As a Software Engineering Manager, your leadership directly shapes:

• How teams operate day to day
• How engineers grow in their careers
• How reliably we deliver outcomes that matter to our customers
  
  

If you're motivated by building strong teams, driving delivery at scale, and creating environments where engineers and tech leads thrive, this role gives you a chance to have impact on both national security and commercial innovation.

What You'll Do

Technical / Functional Leadership

• Provide direction and guardrails for technical decisions (e.g., migrations, modernization, platform changes, process improvements) in partnership with Team Leads, Lead Engineers, and Solution Architects.
• Champion quality, operational excellence, and system sustainability across services and applications.
• Ensure teams are applying modern software engineering practices (code review, CI/CD, testing, observability, secure development).
• Partner with engineers, product owners, product managers, program managers, and architects to balance delivery speed with technical integrity and scalability.
• Support the formation and effectiveness of technical leadership on the team.
  
  

People Leadership

• Own direct management and day-to-day people leadership for your teams.
• Hire, onboard, and retain diverse, high-performing engineering talent through inclusive recruiting practices.
• Provide regular feedback (quarterly and annual), performance reviews, coaching, and clear expectations.
• Develop engineers and technical leaders in both technical execution and leadership skills.
• Navigate and resolve team conflicts and foster healthy team dynamics.
• Uphold Bluestaq's core values of trust, ownership, curiosity, teamwork, mentorship, and talent development, creating an environment where people are accountable, supported, and continuously learning.
  
  

Your role is to ensure the team has clear technical ownership while you focus on people, delivery, and cross-functional alignment, with appropriate technical involvement.

Execution & Delivery

• Drive delivery of initiatives by partnering with product owners, product managers, program managers, or project managers to manage scope, priorities, resources, and timelines.
• Support and reinforce agile practices (e.g., planning, standups, reviews, retrospectives) to maintain cadence and accountability.
• Monitor team throughput, quality, and operational health; intervene early when risk, bottlenecks, or misalignment appear.
• Continuously adjust priorities and capacity in coordination with product and program partners to stay aligned with business and mission needs.
  
  

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Product, Program, and Architecture to prioritize work, break down initiatives, and align feasibility with business goals.
• Communicate progress, risks, and blockers clearly to leadership and stakeholders—no surprises.
• Bring engineering and operational insights into customer or product discussions to influence roadmaps and scoping.
• Ensure your teams understand the "why" behind what they're building, not just the "what."
  
  

Strategic Contribution

• Shape technical roadmaps with program, product, and engineering partners, balancing new capabilities, technical debt reduction, and platform sustainability.
• Continuously improve engineering processes, systems, and tooling to reduce friction and increase impact.
• Make cost-conscious decisions regarding infrastructure, tools, and staffing, in alignment with program and organizational constraints.
• Collaborate with product owners, program managers, business development, and other stakeholders to translate business requirements into feasible technical approaches.
  
  

Specialization: Software Engineering

This Software Engineering Manager role specifically focuses on software development teams.

You will:

• Lead teams designing and developing secure, scalable software systems for government and commercial applications.
• Drive adoption of modern software engineering practices (e.g., microservices where appropriate, automated testing, CI/CD, observability, cloud-native patterns).
• Oversee resolution of complex technical challenges across the software stack in partnership with tech leads and senior engineers.
• Foster engineering excellence through mentorship, clear standards, and continuous improvement of development practices.
• Guide selection and implementation of tools, frameworks, and technologies aligned with mission needs and long-term maintainability.
• Ensure secure coding practices are embedded throughout the development lifecycle and aligned with DoD/IC and commercial security expectations.
  
  

Qualifications and Skills

• Proven experience leading software engineering teams in a fast-paced, agile environment.
• Strong understanding of system design, software architecture, and modern cloud-native engineering practices.
• Demonstrated ability to coach, mentor, and develop engineers and technical leaders at multiple levels.
• Hands-on experience with agile methods, backlog planning, and delivery at scale.
• Ability to build trust and alignment across product, architecture, program, and operations teams.
• Familiarity with engaging stakeholders and incorporating user and customer feedback into team execution.
• Ability to balance short-term delivery with long-term sustainability and innovation.
• Comfortable conveying complex technical or operational concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.
  
  

Education

Required Education (one of the following):

• Master's degree in Business, Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field and 4 years of engineering or related experience, OR
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field and 6 years of engineering or related experience, OR
• Associate degree in a related field and 8 years of engineering or related experience, OR
• High School Diploma/GED and 10 years of engineering or related experience.
  
  

Clearance Requirement This position requires the ability to obtain a TS/SCI Clearance. To be eligible for a security clearance, U.S. citizenship is required. Candidates must agree to participate in a background screen and credit check. Eligibility for a TS/SCI Clearance will be assessed as part of the onboarding process or based on programmatic needs.

Location & Relocation

• This position does not offer relocation.
• Candidates must live in the immediate area or relocate at their own expense.
  
  

Salary Range (CO)

$140,000 – $250,000 USD

Exact compensation will depend on experience, role fit, and market conditions.

Physical Requirements

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times.
• Must be able to access and navigate each department at the organization's facilities.
  
  

Salary Range (CO)

$90,000—$235,000 USD