Director, Software Engineering - Conferences Technology

About Gartner IT:
Join a world-class team of skilled engineers who build creative digital solutions to support our colleagues and clients. We make a broad organizational impact by delivering cutting-edge technology solutions that power Gartner. Gartner IT values its culture of nonstop innovation, an outcome-driven approach to success, and the notion that great ideas can come from anyone on the team.
About the Role:
Gartner is seeking a Director of Software Engineering to lead the design, development, and operation of our conference attendee-facing mobile and web platforms. These enterprise-grade solutions are essential to delivering a seamless, intuitive experience at every stage of the conference journey for our attendees—senior and executive leaders from across industries who expect the highest standards of reliability, innovation, and convenience.
As Director, you will wear three hats:
Strategic Leader: Align initiatives with business goals, translating vision into actionable plans and measurable outcomes.
Team Architect: Define roles, decision rights, and structures for empowered, autonomous delivery teams.
Capability Builder: Develop talent, implement targeted training, and foster distributed leadership for a resilient, high-performing organization.
This high-visibility position bridges technical execution and business outcomes. The Director will travel up to 30 days per year, providing technical leadership and on-site support at 4 to 5 platinum Gartner conferences.
Key Responsibilities
Product Delivery Leadership
Lead end-to-end delivery for attendee-facing mobile and web platforms, overseeing architecture, roadmap prioritization, and quality assurance.
Ensure timely, high-quality releases aligned with conference calendars and business goals, supporting a discerning user base of senior and executive leaders.
Partner with Business stakeholders to define and communicate product strategy, translating technical capabilities (scalability, personalization, analytics, mobile-first design) into impactful business outcomes.
Set and track clear, measurable success metrics for platform performance, user satisfaction, and operational excellence.
Continuously evaluate and integrate emerging technologies (AI, advanced analytics, personalization engines, modern frameworks) to enhance customer journeys and digital engagement.
Team Leadership and Development
Build and empower a high-performing engineering team through recruiting, coaching, and developing both managers and individual contributors.
Foster an inclusive, accountable, and growth-oriented culture with clear communication and mentoring.
Distribute leadership and decision-making, defining autonomous ownership areas and escalation paths.
Expose engineers to real attendee needs and conference economics, building business acumen and a strong sense of purpose.
Product Ownership and Portfolio Alignment
Partner with Business and technology stakeholders to define clear product ownership boundaries.
Align teams to business outcomes, connecting platform capabilities to strategic priorities.
Structure teams for autonomy and end-to-end delivery, minimizing handoffs and dependency bottlenecks.
Governance & Cross-Functional Coordination
Partner with Product and Program Directors, and Implement work visibility mechanisms across product, program, and platform levels.
Clarify decision-making levels and shift accountability from activity to outcomes—focusing on delivery pace, quality, and user satisfaction.
Build relationships across product management, event operations, marketing, and data teams to align delivery with organizational goals.
Communicate platform strategy and progress to senior leadership, translating technical complexity into business impact.
Qualifications & Experience
12+ years in software engineering, with at least 4–5 years in engineering leadership.
3+ years leading teams of 15+ engineers or managing large-scale product delivery.
Proven experience with high-scale or mission-critical external facing mobile and web platforms where reliability, performance, and scalability directly impact business outcomes.
Strong experience designing digital products using .NET (Preferred)/ Python /Java and deploying on cloud providers such as AWS (preferred), Azure
Strong track record delivering products on fixed timelines with cross-functional dependencies.
Deep knowledge of scalable system architecture, modern development practices, and emerging technologies.
Excellent communication, executive presence, and stakeholder management skills.
Willingness and ability to travel up to 30 days per year to provide technical leadership at major Gartner conferences.
Why Join Gartner?
Be at the forefront of digital event experiences, leading a talented team to deliver innovative solutions for industry leaders. Shape the future of our platforms, drive measurable business impact, and grow your career in a dynamic, supportive environment.
What you will get:
Competitive compensation
25 days annual holiday and an additional day off for your birthday.
Private Medical and Dental Care.
Life and Disability Insurance.
Public Transport Subsidy.
Ticket Restaurant Card.
Childcare Vouchers (Ticket Guarderia).
IncentiFit - annual reimbursement for health-and-wellness-related activities.
Pension Scheme.
Tuition Reimbursement.
Employee Stock Purchase Plan.
Employee Assistance Program.
Gartner Gives Charity Match.