VP, Engineering

At Acorns, our mission is to look after the financial best interests of the up-and-coming, beginning with the empowering, proud step of micro-investing. How do we accomplish our mission? Our values.

Lead With Heart - With compassion, integrity, and tenacity, inspire yourself and others to move past all previous thresholds of possibility

Make Bold Decisions - We are creating a new world. Be optimistic, adventurous, and courageous. Leap fearlessly into the future

Always Build Trust - Say what you mean, mean what you say, and do what you say you’re going to do. We are all owners. We are one team

Never Stop Growing - Change IS the constant. Stay hungry and curious. Be relentless in the pursuit of progress

Find a way - Never settle, no excuses, nothing is impossible. Just make it happen

Our values guide us, and our mission drives us. Come join us and help deliver financial wellness for the whole family, putting the tools of wealth-making into everyone’s hands.

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VP, Engineering | Acorns

Every small money decision, whether it’s saving, investing, or staying consistent, relies on a system that makes it feel simple and rewarding. At Acorns, engineers build these systems. They turn everyday actions into lasting financial progress.

We’re not just building an app. We’re building a financial wellness system that helps people grow their money, build healthy financial habits, and feel better about their futures, often for the first time. That means every architectural choice, every reliability improvement, every AI-powered feature contributes to something bigger than software. It adds up to real emotional impact.

We’re looking for a Vice President of Engineering to help us grow that impact. You will lead a talented, mission-driven team and partner with our Chief Technology Officer to define the technical strategy, elevate engineering practices, develop high-quality products, and strengthen the connection between product, design, data, and engineering. You will help us build for the long term with systems that are scalable, resilient, and human-centered. And you will help us integrate AI into everything we do to boost team velocity and deepen the support we give our customers.

This isn’t just about shipping fast. It’s about shipping with intention. It’s about leading a team that builds with care, for the craft, for the mission, and for the millions of people counting on us to make money feel less overwhelming and more empowering.

If that sounds like the kind of work you’re ready to lead, we’d love to meet you.

Acorns is a remote-first organization, offering the flexibility to work remotely while providing optional access to office space in Irvine, CA.

What you will do at Acorns:

Strategic & Technical Vision

• Drive AI adoption, envisioning how AI can empower engineers and enhance the customer experience.

• Partner with stakeholders to create a cohesive vision for delivering a Financial Wellness System that helps our customers manage their everyday finances. You will drive cross-functional engagement, stakeholders even as priorities shift.

• Ensure the scalability and reliability of systems, optimizing cloud architecture for cost efficiency and performance.

• Maintain deep expertise in Acorns’ software stack, serving as a technical authority within the company.

Organizational Leadership & Talent Development

• Attract, hire, and retain top engineering talent to ensure Acorns remains a hub for technical excellence.

• Establish an education program to keep our engineers at the forefront of the best engineering techniques.

• Design and scale onshore and offshore teams effectively, including managing organizational changes driven by attrition or hiring needs.

• Create a culture of engineering excellence demonstrated by DORA metrics, AI usage metrics, cycle times, and defect escape rates.

• Cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset among leaders, encouraging ownership, industry engagement, and thought leadership.

Driving Clarity

• Balance competing priorities between speed, quality, and business impact while staying aligned with company goals and operating within a defined annual budget.

• Lead teams through ambiguous challenges, clearly articulate the ‘why’ behind decisions to foster buy-in and alignment.

• Provide clear and frequent high-impact updates to executives, ensuring transparency and alignment across teams.

Financial & Operational Responsibility

• Optimize budget and payroll management, ensuring alignment with business objectives.

• Strengthen MarTech capabilities, enhancing marketing attribution tracking.

• Ensure public readiness and compliance, preparing the org for industry regulations and future growth.

• Drive incident management, ensuring rapid issue resolution and continuous momentum.

Industry Awareness & Business Development

• Stay ahead of industry trends, ensuring Acorns remains a leader in engineering best practices.

• Conduct build vs. buy evaluations, determining when to invest in in-house solutions or external tools.

• Make strategic sunsetting decisions, retiring outdated technologies and processes efficiently.

• Secure optimal vendor contracts and negotiate trade-offs that maximize value for Acorns.

What you will bring to Acorns: 

• 15+ years of engineering experience, with 7+ years in senior leadership roles (Director, VP, or equivalent).

• Proven ability to design, scale, and restructure engineering teams in high-growth environments.

• Deep knowledge of software architecture, cloud infrastructure (AWS, GCP, or Azure), system scalability, coding standards, databases, and incident management.

• Experience leading AI-driven engineering initiatives and automation strategies.

• Exceptional business acumen, with the ability to align engineering efforts with financial objectives and revenue impact.

• Industry awareness, with experience in M&A due diligence and technology partnerships.

• Change management and communication skills, with the ability to align teams through organizational shifts.

• Exceptional executive communication, including presenting complex ideas to stakeholders.

• Ability to influence and drive alignment across engineering, product, and business teams.

• Experience fostering an entrepreneurial, ownership-driven culture within teams.

• Demonstrated experience motivating, supporting, and developing team members to meet performance expectations and build their careers

• Ability to align company vision and organizational goals with team execution

• Commitment to upholding policy and procedures per company standards

• Own strategic decision-making and effectively communicate direction to team members

• Hunger to deliver game-changing products

• Exceptional drive and precision in delivery

• A belief that your work is tied to your life's mission

• Optimistic about the potential of societal change

You are not expected to have experience with all listed requirements. If you feel passionate about Acorns' mission, vision, and values, please apply.  

What we offer: 

• Competitive salary and stock options

• A comprehensive benefits package for you and your family

• Flexible work location, hours, and paid time off 

• 401(k) discretionary match

• Monthly Acorns account contribution & GoHenry account for your family

• Mindfulness and Financial Wellness resources, Headspace and Addition Wealth

• Acorns Career Development Program (Ongoing training sessions, development plans, development check-ins, Cornerstone’s online training platform)

• Roots Leadership Program for Emerging Leaders

• Community week onsite gatherings and various virtual events

• Talented and motivated team members who care deeply about one another, our mission, and our customers.

• The rare opportunity to create a new world. We inspire one another every day to do meaningful work that solves major societal challenges.

About Acorns:

Acorns is a financial wellness app that helps everyday people and families save and invest money for the long term. Since 2014, Acorns has grown into a global company with multiple life-stage products serving the needs of kids, teens, adults, and parents. Named one of Time’s “World’s Best Brands of 2024,” Acorns has helped over 14 million people save & invest over $25 billion dollars, much of it from spare change and small amounts.

Management Principles:

• Managers are constantly raising the bar

• Managers ensure all team members have a voice and a path

• No surprises - Managers give and receive feedback early and often

• Managers continuously assess performance action on concerns quickly

• Managers foster a resilient, results-oriented mindset

Compensation Information:

The pay range for this position at commencement of employment is expected to be between $304,000 and $355,000/year; however, base pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. The total compensation package for this position may also include other elements, including a sign-on bonus, equity grants, and discretionary cash bonus awards in addition to a full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits (including 401(k) eligibility and various paid time off benefits, such as vacation, sick time, and parental leave), dependent on the position offered. Details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer of employment.

If hired, employee will be in an “at-will position” and the Company reserves the right to modify base salary (as well as any other discretionary payment or compensation program) at any time, including for reasons related to individual performance, Company or individual department/team performance, and market factors.

Work Authorization:

Acorns participates in E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. For more information about E-Verify, please visit www.e-verify.gov