Brown Brothers Harriman

Engineering Functional Lead - Innovation

Brown Brothers Harriman$170K — $230K *
Enterprise Technology
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience)
  • 10-15 years leading technical design and architecture for complex, greenfield products, preferably in cloud-based B2B solutions
  • Strong experience with modern application architectures (cloud-native, APIs, SaaS, AI/ML)
  • Proven ability to estimate complex projects and navigate uncertainty
  • Excellent problem-solving skills; capable of dissecting complex systems
  • Strong communication skills for conveying technical concepts to non-technical audiences
  • Experience working in Agile frameworks (Scrum, Kanban, SAFe)
  • Background in financial modeling for technology investments or product unit economics

Responsibilities

  • Provide engineering insights during early product design, connecting product ideas with technical capabilities
  • Collaborate with multidisciplinary groups to maintain aligned technical direction
  • Guide concept teams through ambiguity with clear priorities and strategies
  • Assess technical implications and create architecture strategies based on decisions
  • Lead feasibility assessments to identify risks and constraints in product direction
  • Simplify technical choices for comprehension by non-technical peers and leadership
  • Develop financial models for products, including cost and economic analysis
  • Collaborate with internal and external groups to evaluate technical capabilities for differentiating concepts
  • Ensure alignment with enterprise architecture and security standards
  • Support prototype development and test implementations of product concepts
  • Oversee external development partners to meet innovation standards
  • Work with Functional Leads to ensure product concept alignment across functions

Benefits

  • Comprehensive healthcare and income protection
  • Professional development opportunities
  • Time off to support work-life balance
  • Long-term savings programs
  • Access to diverse experience and skills development opportunities
Full Job Description

Brown Brothers Harriman has a long history of transformation and evolution driven by deep expertise, a passion for solving client problems, and smart applications of technology. Our dedicated innovation practice, Cable 5, is responsible for identifying, investigating, and incubating potential future new businesses, applying a disciplined, stage-gated innovation process from idea sourcing to MVP.

We are currently seeking an Engineering Functional Lead(FL) to join the Cable 5 team. This role is responsible for leading early-stage technical strategy, architecture definition, and feasibility validation for new product concepts. The Engineering FL operates at the intersection of business and engineering across early-stage concepts from idea to Product launch. They sit within an innovation design studio charged with deciding whether a product is worth building before code is written. The Engineering FL leads through technical influence in a multidisciplinary group of largely non-technical peers. As a key technical resource in our innovation discipline, this role will also support the exploration of market opportunities and act as a technical advisor in discussions with external fintechs.

Key Responsibilities
  • Provide a strong engineering point of view during early-stage product design and iteration by translating ambiguous product ideas into concrete technical approaches, connecting market intent with feasible technical capabilities
  • Work collectively within a multidisciplinary group, syncing internal and external participants to keep technical direction aligned
  • Guide multiple concept teams through ambiguity, ensuring clarity on priorities, sequencing, and execution strategy
  • Assess technical implications of concept tests and product direction decisions, translating them into clear architecture strategies
  • Lead structured feasibility assessments to uncover risks, constraints, and dependencies tied to product direction
  • Explain technical choices and the reasoning behind them in clear language for non-technical peers and senior leaders
  • Develop financial models for technical aspects of a product’s business plan, including build cost, operating cost, and unit economics. Responsible for the integration into the broader build/operate cost model
  • Partner with internal and external groups to assess the state of technical capabilities across relevant sectors and determine whether our concepts have a differentiated technology-driven right to win
  • Partner with BBH enterprise architecture to ensure alignment and known divergence with broader IT and security standards
  • Support the development of prototypes, technical interfaces, and lightweight implementations to validate product concepts
  • Provide oversight and guidance of external development partners which can align to BBH innovation standards and practices
  • Collaborate closely with fellow Functional Leads (Design, Research Product, etc.) and senior leaders to ensure alignment with technical aspects of each product concept
Qualifications
  • Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience)
  • 10-15 years proven experience leading technical design and architecture for complex, greenfield products, ideally with extensive experience delivering cloud-based and/or enterprise-grade B2B solutions
  • Strong experience with modern application architectures (cloud-native, APIs, SaaS platforms, AI/ML, Generative AI where applicable)
  • Demonstrated ability to estimate complex, multi-layered projects and navigate uncertainty in new technology environments
  • Excellent problem-solving skills with the ability to break down complex systems and identify risks and tradeoffs
  • Intellectual curiosity and creativity, with the proven ability to communicate complex topics to non-technical and senior audiences
  • Comfort working in cross-functional environments alongside concept owners, designers, researchers, and engineers 
  • Comfort working with abstract concepts, navigating ambiguity, lean testing, and agile ways of working in early-stage concept development.
  • Experience in Agile frameworks (Scrum, Kanban, SAFe)
  • Background in financial modeling for technology investments or product unit economics
  • Industry experience relevant to digital product innovation

Salary Range

MA: $170,000-$230,000 base salary + annual target bonus

NJ: $170,000-$230,000 base salary + annual target bonus

BBH and its affiliates' compensation program includes base salary, discretionary bonuses, and profit-sharing. The anticipated base salary range(s) shown above are only for the indicated location(s) and may differ in other locations due to cost of living and labor considerations. Base salaries may vary based on factors such as skill, experience and qualification for the role. BBH's total rewards package recognizes your contributions with more than just a paycheck—providing you with benefits that enhance your experience at BBH from long-term savings, healthcare, and income protection to professional development opportunities and time off, our programs support your overall well-being. 


 

We value diverse experiences. We value diverse experiences and transferrable skillsets. If your career hasn’t followed a traditional path, includes alternative experiences, or doesn’t meet every qualification or skill listed in the job description, please do go ahead and apply.

About Brown Brothers Harriman

Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. (BBH) is the oldest and largest private bank in the United States. Founded in 1818, BBH has been a leader in the financial industry for over 200 years. The company provides a wide range of financial services to individuals, families, and institutions, including wealth management, investment management, and private banking. BBH has offices in the United States, Europe, and Asia, and manages over $1.6 trillion in assets.
Learn more about Brown Brothers Harriman
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7,000 employees
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