🚀 Head of Engineering, Scholarships

Position: Head of Engineering, Scholarships - Austin, TX

Location: Austin, TX

Job Id: 335

# of Openings: 1

Michael & Susan Dell Foundation

The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation ( ) builds pathways that change lives for families around the world. With offices in Austin, New Delhi, Cape Town, Nairobi, and Tel Aviv, the foundation supports programs that advance quality public education, promote children’s health, and strengthen family economic stability. Since its inception, the foundation has committed over $2.8 billion to initiatives that expand opportunities and improve outcomes for families globally.

Current Opportunity: Head of Engineering - Scholarships
Dell Foundation – Austin, TX (On-Site)

The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation is seeking an experienced and mission-driven Head of Engineering to lead the technology function across our Global Scholarship Programs. This leader will report to the Head of Technology and will play a critical part of the Technology leadership team along with global visibility while supporting international partners. This leader will be responsible for setting technical vision and product roadmap , managing a talented team of engineers and technical business analysts, and guiding the team through the delivery of innovative and impactful solutions. You’ll help build and evolve a powerful suite of products supporting existing scholarship programs in the United States, South Africa, India, and launching new programs in other geographies. These platforms support the full scholarship lifecycle—from selection and onboarding to student support, renewal, and graduation—and are a critical part of how we help students succeed. The ideal candidate is excited about solving real-world problems with elegant technology , energized by mentoring and leading teams , and curious about how emerging technologies like AI can further our mission.

As Head of Engineering your responsibilities will include:

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of engineers and Business Analysts in building, maintaining, and innovating on the global scholarship program application suite. Support the team by managing risk while promoting responsible innovation, clearing blockers, and escalating or negotiating with business leads on time, scope, and cost.
• Define and own the technical vision and product strategy/roadmap for the global scholarship program. This includes understanding business needs, market trends, and the technology landscape, prioritizing deliverables, and recommending solutions to enable program goals.
• Build and foster strong cross-functional and external relationships: Develop and maintain connections between technology, business teams, and external vendors, consultant firms, and key partners, collaborating across multiple time zones—including attending meetings during non-US hours as needed.
• Oversee all phases of the software development lifecycle (SDLC): From ideation and requirements definition through solution design, technical specifications, development, Code Reviews, QA, and delivery (CI/CD, release management) driving successful execution of key projects and ensuring product quality.
• Support the team with hands-on technical and product contributions as needed, including ad hoc programming, QA, and requirements definition to meet critical deadlines and maintain delivery excellence.
• Prioritize and manage competing demands and shifting priorities across multiple programs and within teams, ensuring optimal allocation of resources (including internal staff and external contractors).

• A Bachelor’s degree or higher in Computer Science, Engineering, MIS, or a related field
• 8+ years of progressive software development experience in all phases of the SDLC
• 5+ years of experience in engineering leadership, managing development teams and collaborating with business partners.
• Proficient in Agile development methodologies (Scrum, Kanban), backlog tracking (Jira), and product management best practices.
• Proven experience delivering and scaling complex web applications with strategic understanding of business objectives, UI/UX design principles, and a passion for building technology that delights users and delivers measurable impact.
• Experience with C#, ASP.NET MVC Core, and SQL Server, with the ability to engage in technical discussions and support scope estimation.
• Experience with modern architecture patterns , cloud technologies (Azure preferred), and DevOps practices
• A natural curiosity about emerging tech (especially AI/ML) and an interest in how it can enhance developer productivity and end-user experience
• Skilled at growing and mentoring team members, planning and executing projects, and influencing business and technical teams. Proven ability to prioritize, reallocate, and manage resources across a dynamic environment.
• Experienced in building and managing relationships with vendors, consultants, and partners, across multiple time zones and geographies.

• Have a servant leadership mindset —you support, unblock, and empower your team to succeed
• Take a collaborative approach to decision-making and are comfortable balancing business, end user, and technical needs
• Enjoy coaching developers and analysts while continuing to grow your own skills
• Stay up to date with new technologies and proactively evaluate their fit
• Are motivated by creating real, measurable impact for students around the world