Role Overview

The Software Engineering (SWE) Director is the head of all technical aspects within Longhorn Developers (LHD). This director is responsible for the overall technical health, strategy, and execution across all LHD projects. The SWE director ensures that the organization follows modern software development best practices and that all project members are technically supported. They are the key leader with Technical Leads in fostering a culture of engineering excellence, mentorship, and collaborative problem-solving, directly impacting LHD's ability to build reliable and effective solutions for the UT Austin community.

A crucial aspect of the Software Engineering Director role is the level of autonomy and leadership expected. As an Executive Board member, the SWE Director should not expect extensive guidance in their day-to-day operations. Instead, they are expected to be the source of guidance and expertise for others in their domain. They must take initiative to advance the goals and mission of LHD as set by the President, and fulfill all key responsibilities listed below as a minimum expectation.

However, a truly successful and effective director will go beyond these minimum requirements. They will proactively pursue their own initiatives to advance LHD's mission, introduce innovative ideas, and improve current processes based on their software engineering expertise. This includes identifying opportunities for enhancement in areas not explicitly mentioned in this position document. The ideal candidate will be a self-starter who can operate independently while maintaining alignment with organizational objectives.

Key Responsibilities

• Technical Strategy & Oversight
  • Define coding conventions and best practices.
  • Provide high-level technical guidance for all project teams.
  • Oversee the technical architecture of projects to ensure they are scalable, maintainable, and well-documented.
  • Lead technical workshops to introduce new tools and concepts to the organization.
  • Promote and manage LHD's open-source policy, encouraging and reviewing contributions from both internal and external developers.
• Documentation Oversight
  • Ensure comprehensive GitHub READMEs, setup/deployment guides, and architecture documentation are maintained.
• Leadership & Mentorship
  • Provide direct leadership and mentorship to the Technical Leads of each project team.
  • Foster the growth of Software Engineer – Seniors, Software Engineer – Juniors, and Developer Fellows by creating opportunities for skill development through the Skill Tags Framework.
  • Facilitate a collaborative environment where engineers can share knowledge and help each other with technical challenges.
  • Collaborate with the Events Director to identify relevant design-related workshop topics for each academic semester.
  • Conduct regular check-ins with Technical Leads to monitor project progress, identify technical roadblocks, and ensure timelines are met.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
  • Partner with the Product Director and UX Design Director to validate technical feasibility and integrate engineering needs into product roadmaps.
• Finance Management
  • President
• Recruitment & Onboarding
  • Recruit Technical Leads with the Product Director; assist them in recruiting Developer Fellows.
  • From a technical perspective, onboard new Technical Leads and Developer Fellows: grant GitHub org access, configure repository permissions, and orient them to LHD’s technical workflow.

Qualifications & Skills

• Required
  • Strong proficiency in modern frontend (ex: React/TypeScript) and backend (ex: Node.js/Python) ecosystems. Strategic understanding of data structures, algorithms, and asynchronous programming, along with an expert-level command of Git, to drive performance and scalability.
  • Demonstrated experience in a technical leadership capacity, either through leading a project or mentoring other developers.
  • Solid understanding of software engineering principles, including version control (Git), agile methodologies, and testing.
  • Excellent problem-solving, communication, and leadership skills.
  • Must be an active student at The University of Texas at Austin.
• Preferred
  • Previous experience as a Technical Lead or Software Engineer – Senior within LHD.
  • Familiarity with cloud platforms and CI/CD pipelines.
  • Familiarity with software deployment platforms, such as the Chrome Web Store (CWS) for extensions or the Apple Developer Program for iOS apps.
  • Familiarity with product management tools (Notion) and agile development methodologies. Capacity to serve as Technical Lead for an LHD project, if necessary.

Term of Office

The Software Engineering Director is expected to serve a full academic year, with renewal determined by majority approval of the Executive Board.