Director of Software Engineering

About Basic Software Systems

Basic Software Systems is the developer of Primus, a cloud-based SaaS ERP and Dealer Management System purpose-built for the heavy equipment industry. We serve a growing base of enterprise customers who depend on Primus for mission-critical operations, and we are committed to delivering a best-in-class product and customer experience.
We are a lean, high-impact organization where every leader owns real outcomes. Engineering is central to everything we do, and this hire will shape the trajectory of the product, the team, and the company. Company

Basic Software Systems

Product

Primus — Cloud SaaS ERP & Dealer Management System

Industry

Heavy Equipment / Enterprise SaaS

Location

Onsite

Employment Type

Full-Time, Direct Hire

Compensation

$130,000 – $160,000 annually, commensurate with experience

Reports To

Executive Leadership

Position Overview

We are seeking a seasoned Director of Software Engineering to lead our engineering organization. This is a hands-on leadership role requiring equal parts strategic thinking, technical depth, and people leadership. The right candidate has a proven track record of transforming engineering teams, driving measurable delivery improvements, and directly influencing customer and business outcomes.
You will own the engineering organization end-to-end — from Agile process and team culture to cloud infrastructure, CI/CD delivery, and customer-facing product quality. You will be the engineering voice at the leadership table and a key contributor to company strategy.

What You'll Own

Agile Transformation & Engineering Process

• Drive and sustain a high-performance Scrum delivery model across onshore and offshore engineering teams.
• Own sprint planning, velocity tracking, defect metrics, and commitment rate — and hold the team accountable to continuous improvement.
• Establish and maintain KPI dashboards that give leadership real-time visibility into engineering health.

Technical Leadership & Architecture

• Provide hands-on technical guidance on cloud infrastructure, CI/CD pipeline design, and application architecture decisions.
• Lead and oversee cloud cost optimization initiatives across AWS and Azure environments.
• Drive adoption of modern DevOps practices including GitHub Actions, containerization (Docker/Kubernetes), and automated deployment pipelines.
• Evaluate and guide the integration of AI-augmented development practices into the engineering workflow.

Customer Impact & Revenue Growth

• Engage directly with at-risk or strategic customers to resolve technical escalations, protect retention, and identify expansion opportunities.
• Partner with commercial teams to surface unmet customer needs and translate them into product and engineering priorities.
• Own the quality and reliability of production systems — including deployment oversight and post-release validation.

Team Leadership & Culture

• Recruit, develop, and retain a high-performing engineering team spanning multiple geographies and time zones.
• Conduct regular 1:1s, performance conversations, and career development planning with all direct reports.
• Build a culture of accountability, psychological safety, and continuous delivery.
• Balance onshore and offshore staffing strategy to optimize delivery capacity and cost efficiency.

Leadership Collaboration

• Participate in weekly executive leadership meetings and contribute an informed engineering perspective to company strategy.
• Provide technical advisory support across vendor evaluations, partnership discussions, and marketing/growth initiatives.
• Represent engineering credibly with customers, partners, and prospective hires.

What We're Looking For

Required Experience

• 8+ years of progressive software engineering experience, with 3+ years in a Director-level or equivalent engineering leadership role.
• Demonstrated success leading an Agile/Scrum transformation — including measurable improvements in sprint commitment rate, velocity, and defect escape rate.
• Hands-on experience with cloud platforms (AWS and/or Azure), CI/CD pipeline design, and modern DevOps tooling.
• Proven ability to directly impact customer retention and revenue through technical leadership.
• Experience managing distributed teams including offshore resources.
• Track record of reducing cloud infrastructure costs through architecture review and right-sizing.

Technical Proficiency

• Cloud: AWS, Azure, Google Cloud — infrastructure management, cost optimization, and service architecture.
• Languages & Frameworks: C#/.NET, JavaScript/TypeScript, Angular, Node.js, or equivalent modern stack.
• DevOps: GitHub Actions, Jenkins, Docker, Kubernetes, CI/CD pipeline design.
• Databases: SQL Server, PostgreSQL, Azure SQL, or equivalent relational databases.
• Security & Compliance: SOC 2, ISO 13485, SOX, or similar regulatory frameworks a plus.
• AI/Emerging Tech: Familiarity with LLM integration and AI-augmented development workflows is a strong differentiator.

Leadership Attributes

• You lead through clarity, accountability, and trust — not just authority.
• You are equally comfortable in a sprint planning meeting, a customer escalation call, and a board-level strategy discussion.
• You think in outcomes, not activity — and you build teams that do the same.
• You communicate with precision and candor, especially when the message is difficult.
• You bring a startup mindset: bias for action, comfort with ambiguity, and ownership of results.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in SaaS ERP, Dealer Management Systems, or enterprise software for vertical markets.
• Experience in the heavy equipment, construction, or industrial equipment industry.
• Experience building or scaling a proprietary engineering management or KPI platform.
• SAFe, PMP, or equivalent Agile/project management certification.

Compensation & Work Environment

This role offers a competitive compensation package commensurate with experience and impact. Annual bonus available.