Director of Engineering, Search & Discovery

THE PURPOSE:

Slickdeals is seeking a highly skilled and experienced Director/Staff-level Engineering Manager to join our Search and Discovery Team. We are looking for someone with expertise in information retrieval and a passion for creating exceptional search experiences. The ideal candidate will have a strong technical background, excellent leadership skills, and a deep understanding of search algorithms and systems. As the leader of the Search and Discovery Team, you will play a crucial role in enhancing our search capabilities and driving the discovery of deals and content for our users.

THE ROLE:

• Lead and manage a team of 8 talented engineers in the Search and Discovery Team, fostering a collaborative and innovative environment.
• Collaborate with product managers, designers, and stakeholders to define the vision and strategy for search and discovery features.
• Drive innovation in search algorithms, relevance ranking, and information retrieval techniques to improve search accuracy, speed, and user engagement.
• Develop and maintain scalable search infrastructure and systems to handle large volumes of data and ensure high availability.
• Monitor and analyze search metrics and user feedback to identify areas for improvement and optimize search performance.
• Stay up-to-date with the latest advancements in search technology and apply them to enhance the search experience on Slickdeals.
• Provide technical guidance and mentorship to the team, fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous learning.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including backend engineers, frontend developers, and data scientists, to integrate search capabilities into various Slickdeals products.

THE CANDIDATE:

• Strong expertise in information retrieval, search algorithms, and search infrastructure.
• Proven experience leading and managing engineering teams of 8 or more members in developing search solutions.
• In-depth understanding of relevance ranking, query parsing, indexing, and search performance optimization techniques.
• Proficiency in programming languages such as Python, Java, or C++.
• Solid knowledge of search technologies, such as Elasticsearch, Solr, Lucene, or similar.
• Experience with machine learning techniques for search relevance and personalization is a plus.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to analyze complex search-related challenges and propose effective solutions.
• Excellent leadership skills, with the ability to inspire and motivate a team to deliver high-quality results.
• Effective communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work cross-functionally and influence stakeholders.
• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Information Retrieval, or a related field (or equivalent industry experience).

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE:

• Previous experience in a similar role, leading search and discovery teams in a fast-paced industry.
• Familiarity with e-commerce or deal-oriented platforms and the unique challenges of search in such domains.
• Experience with large-scale distributed systems and cloud technologies.
• Knowledge of natural language processing (NLP) techniques and text analysis.
• Understanding of A/B testing and data-driven decision-making processes.
• Strong publication record or contributions to the field of information retrieval or related areas.

At Slickdeals, we value innovation, collaboration, and a dedication to delivering exceptional user experiences. If you are a seasoned Engineering Lead or Manager with expertise in search and discovery and are excited about leading a talented team of 8 engineers to revolutionize search capabilities, we would love to hear from you.

Please submit your resume, highlighting your experience in information retrieval and search-related projects, along with any relevant publications or contributions.