About Position:We are seeking a strong technical leader to take on the critical role of Head of Engineering for SQL Sentry. SQL Sentry is our flagship on-premises database performance monitoring solution, purpose-built for Microsoft SQL Server and related database technologies. In this position, the ideal candidate will provide robust technical leadership and vision, ensuring that SQL Sentry continues to deliver exceptional value, reliability, and performance for our customers who rely on Microsoft SQL Server environments.Role: Head of Engineering Location: All Persistent Locations Experience: 15+ Years Job Type: Full Time EmploymentWhat You'll Do:We are seeking a highly capable technical leader to take on the role of Head of Engineering for SQL Sentry, our premier on-premises database performance monitoring solution designed specifically for Microsoft SQL Server and related database technologies. This individual will play a critical role in steering the technical direction and execution for SQL Sentry, ensuring the product meets the rigorous demands of modern database environments. In this role, you will own the engineering strategy, execution, and team health for SQL Sentry, leading multiple squads of engineers and managers. You will be the technical and organizational anchor for the product—setting a high bar for engineering quality, driving the roadmap in partnership with Product Management, and evolving the architecture to meet modern customer expectations for performance, security, and usability. This role is a Senior Leadership level role in the SolarWinds Engineering Management Ladder, with scope across multiple teams, strong technical depth, and clear expectations on leadership impact, talent development, and operational excellence. As the Head of Engineering for SQL Sentry, you will: Own the engineering outcomesfor SQL Sentry – roadmap execution, quality, reliability, and security of the product in customer environments. Shape the technical directionfor the SQL Sentry codebase and architecture, particularly arounddatabase performance , observability, and scalability of ourC#stack. Build and lead high-performing teams , growing managers and senior ICs, and creating an environment of healthy conflict, ownership, and continuous improvement. Partner closely with Product Management, Support, Customer Success, and Sales Engineering to translate customer pain points and market needs into clear, executable engineering plans. Raise the bar on engineering practices across SQL Sentry – including security-by-design, test automation, release discipline, and operational excellence for on‑prem enterprise software. Leadership & People Lead and develop a multi-team engineering organization for SQL Sentry, including engineering managers, leads, and senior ICs. Hire, retain, and grow top engineering talent; drive succession planning, growth plans, and performance management for your teams. Create a high-performing, inclusive culture that embodies SolarWinds CARE values and encourages ownership, accountability, and collaboration across geographies. Product & Delivery Own end-to-end delivery of SQL Sentry features and releases—from discovery and design through development, testing, hardening, and GA. Work with Product Management to shape the roadmap, ensuring the right balance between new features, platform investments, technical debt, and security/compliance work. Ensure predictable delivery through solid planning, estimation, and execution practices across multiple quarters. Technical Ownership Provide strong technical leadership across the SQL Sentry codebase, with hands-on depth in: Relational databases (SQL Server highly preferred; exposure to other RDBMS is a plus) C#, Windows services, and on-prem enterprise software Performance profiling, query optimization, and troubleshooting complex production issues in customer environments Guide architectural decisions for SQL Sentry, including modernization, modularization, integrations, and performance/scalability improvements. Champion secure-by-design and quality-by-design practices: code reviews, automated testing, security gates, performance regression tests, and robust upgrade/installer flows. Operations & Customer Focus Be accountable for operational health of SQL Sentry: SLAs/SLOs, defect backlog, customer escalations, and field-critical issues. Partner with Support, Customer Success, and key customers to deeply understand real‑world usage patterns and incorporate that feedback into architecture and roadmap decisions. Lead and participate in incident reviews, postmortems, and continuous improvement initiatives that strengthen product reliability and customer trust.Expertise You'll Bring:15+ years of overall software engineering experience, with 7+ years in people management and at least 3–5 years leading managers or multiple teams. Proven track record of building and shipping commercial software products in an enterprise context (on‑prem or hybrid), preferably in the database, performance monitoring, or observability domain. Strong hands-on background in C# and modern engineering practices (CI/CD, code review, test automation), even if you are no longer coding day-to-day. Deep familiarity with relational databases and SQL performance (e.g., query plans, indexing strategies, blocking/deadlocks, wait statistics), with a strong preference for experience with Microsoft SQL Server in production environments. Experience working closely with Product Management to define roadmaps, trade-offs, and release priorities across features, platform, and “keep the lights on” work. Demonstrated ability to lead through influence across functions and time zones; comfortable presenting to senior leadership and representing engineering in customer or field conversations. Solid understanding of agile development practices (e.g., Scrum or Kanban) and the full software development lifecycle for enterprise products. Experience leading engineering for database performance tools, APM, or infrastructure/observability products. Exposure to cloud platforms (Azure/AWS) and hybrid scenarios where on-prem products integrate with cloud services. Experience driving large refactors or modernization initiatives in legacy or complex codebases while maintaining customer commitments. Contributions to technical communities (blogs, talks, OSS) in the areas of databases, .NET, or performance engineering.Benefits:Competitive salary and benefits package Culture focused on talent development with quarterly growth opportunities and company-sponsored higher education and certifications Opportunity to work with cutting-edge technologies Employee engagement initiatives such as project parties, flexible work hours, and Long Service awards Annual health check-ups Insurance coverage: group term life, personal accident, and Mediclaim hospitalization for self, spouse, two children, and parentsValues-Driven, People-Centric & Inclusive Work Environment:Persistent is dedicated to fostering diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We invite applications from all qualified individuals, including those with disabilities, and regardless of gender or gender preference. We welcome diverse candidates from all backgrounds.We support hybrid work and flexible hours to fit diverse lifestyles. Our office is accessibility-friendly, with ergonomic setups and assistive technologies to support employees with physical disabilities. If you are a person with disabilities and have specific requirements, please inform us during the application process or at any time during your employmentLet's unleash your full potential at Persistent - /careers"Persistent is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind."
Job Title
Head of Engineering