Engineering Manager, Pay

Last reviewed: 2/10/26

Reports to: CTO

FLSA Status: Exempt

About Us:

We have been recognized as one of Built In Chicago’s Best Startups to Work for in 2026!

Aeropay is a financial technology company modernizing money movement with pay by bank solutions. Headquartered in Chicago and backed by leading investors, Aeropay enables businesses to accept compliant, cashless payments through direct bank-to-bank (ACH) transfers, eliminating card fees and outdated payment rails. Powering online checkouts, in-store transactions and embedded payments, Aeropay’s flexible APIs and integrations are built on a secure and scalable infrastructure with compliance at the core. In industries where risk mitigation and user experience matter most, our platform gives our partners a faster, safer and more intuitive way to pay.

Aeropay is redefining what it means to pay—and get paid—by bank.

Position Overview:

The Engineering Manager, Pay is a technical leadership role responsible for setting technical direction, mentoring engineering teams and ensuring the delivery of reliable, secure and high-impact software solutions for our flagship payments product. This role operates at the intersection of business strategy, stakeholder mentorship and technical execution.

The Engineering Manager owns critical areas of Aeropay’s payment platform and will partner closely with Product, Design and related functions to align long-term technical investments with company goals, regulatory requirements and customer needs.

Key Responsibilities:

Technical & Strategic Leadership

• Define and drive the technical vision and architecture for Aeropay’s payment product
• Partner with senior engineering leadership to shape Aeropay’s long-term technical roadmap and infrastructure strategy
• Ensure systems are designed for scalability, reliability, security and regulatory compliance in a payments environment
• Evaluate and introduce new technologies, frameworks and architectural patterns where they create meaningful business value
• Stay informed about industry trends and emerging technologies to help shape the technical roadmap and strategy for the team’s domain

Engineering Execution & Delivery

• Own delivery outcomes for their team, ensuring consistent execution against product milestones and business objectives
• Establish clear engineering standards for code quality, testing, observability and operational excellence
• Oversee project planning, prioritization and resource allocation to balance speed, quality and sustainability
• Act as a technical advisor and escalation point for the team, leveraging deep system understanding to help resolve complex technical challenges

People & Organizational Leadership

• Lead, mentor and develop engineers, with a strong focus on coaching strategies
• Leverage experience to drive an engineering culture that values clear expectations, accountability, technical integrity and skills development
• Foster an inclusive and transparent environment at Aeropay that encourages innovation, open communication and accountability

Cross-Functional Partnership

• Collaborate closely with Product, Design, Risk & Compliance and Business Operations leaders to align technical execution with business priorities
• Translate high-level business and customer needs into executable technical initiatives
• Communicate technical trade-offs, risks and progress clearly to executive and cross-functional stakeholders

Qualifications:

• 8+ years of software engineering experience
• 2+ years of experience leading engineering teams
• Willingness to be flexible between strategic and tactical execution
• Strong bias to action
• Relevant work experience with Python, modern software architecture, distributed systems and cloud infrastructure (AWS)
• Deep familiarity with Agile development methodologies and organizational delivery practices
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to navigate complex technical trade-offs
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to lead and influence cross-functional stakeholders
• Ability to work effectively both independently and as a collaborative member of the broader engineering leadership team
• Experience working with regulated systems (fintech, payments and compliance-driven environments strongly preferred)

Compensation & Benefits:

• This role is expected to be in office at Aeropay’s Chicago HQ a minimum of three days per week prior to 4/6/26 and then Monday through Thursday following 4/6/26
• Salary Range: $180K – $200K base salary (DOE)

Benefits Offered:

• Medical, Dental & Vision Coverage
• Flexible PTO
• 401(k) with Employer Match
• Maternity / Paternity Leave

NOTE: This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. Employees may perform other related duties as negotiated to meet the ongoing needs of the organization.

Aeropay is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing a workplace free from harassment and discrimination. We celebrate the unique differences of our employees because that is what drives curiosity, innovation and the overall success of our business. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status, parental status, genetic history, political affiliation or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations in which we operate.