Engineering Manager (R+D)

Join Proton and build a better internet where privacy is the default

At Proton, we believe that privacy is a fundamental human right and the cornerstone of democracy. Since our inception in 2014, founded by a team of scientists from CERN, we have dedicated ourselves to providing free and open-source technology to millions worldwide, ensuring access to privacy, security, and freedom online.

Our journey began with Proton Mail, the largest secure email service globally, and has since expanded to include Proton VPN, Proton Calendar, Proton Drive, and Proton Pass. These tools empower individuals and organizations to take control of their personal data, break away from Big Tech’s invasive practices, and defeat censorship. Our work impacts hundreds of millions of lives, from activists on the front lines defending freedom to leaders in governments protecting sensitive information. In some cases, Proton’s services have even been instrumental in saving lives by enabling secure and private communications in high-risk situations.

Proton is a profitable company that does not rely upon VC funding, supporting over 100 million user accounts with a growing team of over 500 people from over 50 different countries, from the world's top companies and universities. We value intelligence, learning potential, and ambition in our hiring process. Adaptability is key as we navigate uncharted territories and redefine how business is conducted online.

Hiring at Proton is highly selective, with less than 1% of candidates hired. We believe smaller teams of exceptional talent will always prevail over larger teams with lower talent density. You will have the opportunity work with many of the world's top minds in their fields, ranging from former international math and science olympiad winners to chess champions.

We have a global mindset and big ambitions but remain a start-up at heart. We value empowerment and flexibility and keep our structure flat to keep moving fast and avoid unnecessary politics. Tired of blending into the crowd? Join us and do work you can truly be proud of. Check our open-source projects here!

The Team

Proton VPN runs on a distributed architecture of Linux servers and a set of apps available on each major platform (Windows, Android, iOS, macOS, and Linux) that interact with our infrastructure.

As an Engineering Manager of the Proton VPN Research and Development team, you will lead your team to help them crack all the various challenges related to censorship, scalability, performance, and future new functionalities. Since the R&D Team is at the center of the most complex functionalities that power our services, you will have an instrumental role in coordinating the execution of large technical projects, within the R&D Team and in close collaboration with the entire Proton VPN development team. You will face unique and varied challenges that will require continuous learning.

The ideal candidate has a software engineer background possibly with networking or system development experience and who loves to bring the best out of a team, and to help project manage complex initiatives.

Team Mission:

Proton VPN's mission is to bring a safer Internet to the World, where freedom of speech and access to global information are available to all.You will be in the driving seat to accelerate our growth and our execution, which is vital for Proton VPN to keep funding the expansion of our free product in the world.

Tech Stack and Tools:

• Our infrastructure is build on a wide tech stack, among it Ansible, Python, Rust, C/C++.
• We use Jira and Confluence and Gitlab to organize our work

Impact Opportunities:

• Scale the impact of the R&D Team by helping unlock each member's potential
• Help complex cross-team initiatives, involving R&D, Backend, Infrastructure and Clients, are executed effectively
• Contribute to the company’s strategic vision by aligning engineering goals with the overall business strategy
• Lead strategic projects that require cross-functional input and coordination to achieve major company milestones
• Establish and optimize Agile/Scrum methodologies to increase the efficiency and output of engineering teams
• Drive the development and implementation of scalable architectures and infrastructures that support exponential user growth
• In collaboration with the Principal Architect and all the engineers, transform great ideas into sounds plans that can be timely executed and reach our users
• Be part of building a Product that can be a live changer for many people around the world

What you will do:

• Work with product and engineering stakeholders to build short and long-term roadmaps with user-centric milestones
• Manage each engineer's performance and career by providing actionable and timely feedback and distributing opportunities fairly across the team
• Drive the hiring and onboarding of new team members by providing them with a clear plan and ensuring quick integration into our organization
• Build a highly collaborative environment where opportunities are regularly discussed and everyone's voice is considered for improving the status quo
• Promote a team of resiliency by eliminating knowledge silos and rotating scrum and project management duties across the engineers and product owners
• Participate in design documents, proposals, and code reviews to unblock the team and shorten feedback loops

What we are looking for:

• Experience leading large and complex projects as a backend engineer
• Experience managing a team of engineers and coaching them on their career development
• Familiarity with agile project management such as scrum
• Experience breaking down large initiatives into smaller, user-centric milestones
• Experience communicating with product owners and stakeholders to ensure team alignment with business objectives
• Bachelor's or master’s degree in a relevant field of study
• Experience in System development or network development

What We Offer

• Office First: Collaboration is easier and more effective in person, which is why we have offices in Geneva, Zurich, Prague, Barcelona, Paris, London, Vilnius, Skopje, and Taipei. You can also enjoy working from home up to 30% of the time, while enjoying great company during our three core days in the office. Depending on the role, fully remote positions may also be available.
• Technology: We provide all the devices and software you need to excel in your role, ensuring you have the best tools at your disposal to achieve your goals.
• Food: Lunch and snacks are provided by Proton every day at our offices.
• Transport: We will always support our employees with transport costs through subsidizing public transport, bike allowances, or parking spaces based on your office location.
• Stock Options: At Proton, we are all owners of the company and you get stock options when you join us.
• Flexible Working: You can define your own working hours as long as it works with team meetings.
• Learning and Development: We are committed to your professional growth. Proton offers various learning opportunities, including training programs, conferences and events, and continual learning.
• Employee Benefits: Comprehensive health insurance plans, competitive retirement savings options, generous vacation and leave policies, and wellness programs.
• Work that Matters: Proton is a community-first organization, started with the support of a crowdfunding campaign and built with community input. To this day, Proton’s only source of revenue is user subscriptions. Over 100 million people trust and support Proton, and we put our users and community first in everything we do. Read more about our impact here.

Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

At Proton, we believe diversity drives innovation and strengthens our mission to provide privacy as a default for all. We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where all individuals, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, physical ability, or socio-economic background, feel valued and empowered. We strive to create equal opportunities, promote open dialogue, and support continuous learning to ensure every voice is heard and respected.

If you need any extra support or reasonable adjustments during the hiring process, please let your talent partner know.

Candidate Privacy Notice

When you apply for a position, refer a candidate, or are considered for a role at Proton Technologies AG (Proton, we, us, or our), your information is stored in Greenhouse, in accordance with their Service Privacy Policy. This information is used to evaluate your suitability for the posted position. We also retain this information for consideration for future roles that you may apply for or that we believe may align with your background and skills.

If we no longer have a legitimate business need to process your information, we will either delete or anonymize it. Should you have any inquiries about how we use or manage your information, or if you wish to access, correct, or delete your data, please contact our privacy team at careers@proton.ch.

Proton does not accept unsolicited resumes from any sources other than directly from candidates. We will not pay a fee for any placement resulting from an unsolicited offer, even if the candidate is subsequently hired by Proton.

To learn more about our privacy policy, please visit our privacy policy page.

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