Director of Product Development

Pontera is a fintech company on a mission to help people retire better. Our software platform enables retirement savers to get the help they need managing their 401(k) and other retirement plan accounts as part of a personalized strategy by their trusted financial advisor.

Pontera is used by financial advisors across the nation– from SMB to Fortune 500 RIA firms, independent broker-dealers, plan custodians, and plan advisors.

Backed by leading venture capital firms including ICONIQ Growth and Lightspeed Venture Partners, Pontera is built by talented individuals who share a dedication to helping people retire with greater security.

Our team is fast-growing and driven to become one of the largest fintech companies in the world. Our culture is built on a people-first principle: in a complex and numbers-driven industry, we never lose sight of the people we serve and work alongside. That's where you come in.

Pontera is looking for an experienced Director of Product Development to lead one of our core product engineering groups. In this role, you'll manage and grow multiple
cross-functional squads
responsible for building Pontera's flagship SaaS platform—delivering both customer-facing functionality and internal tools that power our business.

This is a high-impact leadership position combining team management, and strategic collaboration. You'll play a key role in shaping our product, engineering culture, and technology as we scale.

Responsibilities

• Lead Squad Engineers: Manage several agile, cross-functional squads consisting of backend and frontend engineers, driving a shared product and delivery vision.
• Build Engineering Processes: Build new and refine existing engineering processes in collaboration with other R&D groups, product and QA.
• Deliver High-Impact Features: Own the development lifecycle of Pontera's core SaaS platform—ensuring timely, high-quality delivery aligned with business goals.
• Partner Across Teams: Collaborate closely with Product, UX, DevOps, QA, and other engineering leads to prioritize, plan, and execute on product roadmaps.
• Establish Best Practices: Set and uphold high engineering standards, refine agile processes, and drive continuous improvement in quality and velocity.
• Leverage Cloud Infrastructure: Ensure scalable and secure services on AWS using modern tools and patterns.
• Technical Leader: Be part of the technical leadership within the R&D department.

Requirements

• 7+ years of backend development experience, primarily in Java.
• 3+ years of experience managing multiple engineering teams or squads, ideally in a fast-paced SaaS environment.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional engineering teams and deliver complex features end-to-end.
• Experience working closely with frontend and backend engineers and familiarity with TypeScript/Angular.
• Experience with building systems in a micro-service environment
• Comfort with cloud-based development and AWS-based infrastructure.
• Excellent people leadership, communication, and prioritization skills.
• A proactive, hands-on mindset with a passion for growing teams and building impactful software.

What We Offer

• Impactful Opportunity: Be part of a fast-growing startup that's transforming the FinTech industry and make a significant impact on our products and customers.
• Team Culture: Join a collaborative, collegial, and fun work environment with regular team-building events and a supportive atmosphere.
• Equity Participation: All new hires are eligible for equity grants, ensuring you share in the company's success.
• Professional Growth: Take advantage of sponsored learning and development programs to enhance your skills and grow your career.
• Work Flexibility: Enjoy a hybrid work model with in-office collaboration on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, and remote work on Sunday and Thursday.