Director of Engineering - Ascend (Clinical + Specialty)
We are seeking an Director of Engineering who is passionate about transforming developer experience and delivering beautiful customer experiences. As Engineering Director for Ascend, you'll lead and develop high-performing engineering teams serving dental practices and clinicians across the United States.
We're looking for a force multiplier - someone who drives organizational change and fosters a culture of technical excellence and high trust. As the senior engineering presence in our Vancouver office, you'll partner closely with commercial stakeholders and cross-functional leaders. We operate on trust, focusing on real impact for our customers. Our teams run scrum, deploy multiple times per day, and have a 6-week wider business planning cycle, balancing innovation, technical health, and team growth.
Join a stable, profitable company committed to world-class engineering and capturing market share with Dentrix Ascend.
What You Will Do
Transform developer experience - moving teams from slow-feedback codebases to low latency feedback
Leverage AI to significantly enhance engineering productivity
Drive improvements in DORA metrics (lead time, deployment frequency, change failure rate)
Build psychologically safe, high-trust teams that communicate effectively and resolve issues independently
Maintain and evolve effective Scrum practice
Scale teams through excellent recruiting and talent development
Ensure product security, compliance, and reliability
Build trust with commercial and cross-functional stakeholders across the organization
Travel/Physical Demands
Travel typically less than 10%
Office environment with no special physical demands required
Technologies We Use
Languages \& Frameworks: Groovy, Ember.js, moving to React, Java and Node
Databases: Postgres, Redis
Messaging \& Cloud: RabbitMQ, AWS
DevOps \& Tools: GitLab, Jira, Dynatrace
Qualifications
What You Will Have
Demonstrated impact in senior engineering leadership roles
Proven ability to overcome organizational inertia and remove roadblocks
Deep understanding of modern engineering practices (observability, on-demand deployments, testing strategies)
Understanding of DORA metrics and their usage in modern engineering organizations
Expertise in both backend and frontend technologies
Proficiency with databases such as PostgreSQL or SQL Server
In-depth knowledge of building RESTful APIs
Familiarity with cloud platforms like AWS and Azure
Practical Scrum mastery with ability to coach and tailor the framework
Exceptional communication and collaboration abilities
Skilled in leading within hybrid and remote environments
Customer-obsessed, transparent, accountable, and committed to high standards
Nice to Have
Bachelor's or Master's Degree in Computer Science or a related field
Experience with AI-assisted development workflows
Familiarity with Lencioni's Five Dysfunctions or similar team health frameworks
The HSOne Recruiting Process
Intro/screening call with our Recruiter
Short online behavioural \& cognitive assessment
Interview with Hiring Manager
Panel Interview
Compensation
The posted range for this position is $210,000 – $260,000 for candidates who are new to the role through to fully proficient. Compensation within this range is based on skills, experience, training, and education.
Our benefits also include:
3% RRSP matching
Comprehensive health benefits (including 100% drug coverage)
3 weeks vacation, growing to 5 weeks
Unlimited paid flex days
Paid birthday off