Director of Platform & Infrastructure at Academia.edu

Academia.edu is on a mission to accelerate the world's research. As a profitable, venture-backed company based in San Francisco, we provide the leading platform for millions of scholars to share their work and connect globally. We believe that academic research is a powerful lever for human progress, and we are looking for a visionary leader to help us scale the infrastructure that makes this mission possible. If you are ready to shape the future of scientific discovery, we want to hear from you.

Role at a glance

We are seeking a Director of Platform & Infrastructure to lead our engineering efforts. This is a full-time, hybrid position based in the San Francisco Bay Area. You will work from our Financial District office on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays to collaborate with your team, while enjoying flexibility for the remainder of the week. We are looking for an experienced director who can own our infrastructure roadmap and drive technical excellence across our platform.

Your impact

• Lead, mentor, and grow a team of six or more platform and infrastructure engineers while fostering a culture of high achievement and continuous improvement.
• Own the end-to-end infrastructure roadmap, ensuring our systems are secure, scalable, and capable of supporting our global community of researchers.
• Translate high-level strategic goals into actionable technical plans, balancing the maintenance of our mature systems with the integration of innovative new solutions.

What you'll need

You should be a versatile technologist with a deep background in building and managing large-scale web infrastructures. We value leaders who prioritize data-driven decision-making and clear communication.

• Over 10 years of experience in SRE, DevOps, or software engineering, with significant leadership experience in public cloud environments like AWS.
• Expertise in managing large, mature codebases, particularly with dynamic web frameworks like Ruby on Rails.
• Strong proficiency in Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, and configuration management tools such as Terraform and Ansible.
• A proven ability to scale and secure databases using both SQL and NoSQL technologies.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to bridge the gap between complex technical requirements and business objectives.
• Fluency in English.

Perks and compensation

We offer a competitive compensation package designed to support you and your family, alongside a mission-driven work environment.

• Comprehensive Healthcare: 100% employer-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance for you and your dependents.
• Generous Time Off: 21 days of paid vacation, 12 company holidays, unlimited sick days, paid parental leave, and a 6-week paid sabbatical every 4 years.
• Financial Future: 401k plan and stock options.
• Flexible Work: A hybrid schedule with an annual remote-office budget and a monthly internet stipend.
• Collaborative Culture: Access to a modern office space in San Francisco designed for focused work, 1:1 mentoring, and team innovation.