Senior Engineering Manager (CS Tech)

About us Booking Holdings (NASDAQ: BKNG) is a global powerhouse in online travel, connecting millions of people with unforgettable experiences in over 220 countries and territories. With a market value of approximately $120 billion and a diverse portfolio of brands such as Booking.com, KAYAK, Priceline, Agoda.com and OpenTable, we’re committed to making it easier to explore everyone to experience the world. Booking Holdings Bangalore is a cutting-edge Center of Excellence in Bangalore, India and a key arm of Booking Holdings Inc. Top talent from diverse backgrounds converge here to develop innovative solutions that drive Booking Holdings' brands and business units forward. We offer a vibrant and inclusive workplace that fosters creativity, growth and opportunities to make a real difference on a global scale. Business Overview The scope of the CS Tech organization touches all the products that relate to the journeys of our customers. Our goal is to ensure, through our technology, an outstanding customer experience. As a Senior Engineering Manager for Customer Service Tech you’ll be at the heart of driving the technology stack for Customer Service for Booking. Responsible for the set of internal Customer Service tools and wide ecosystem of APIs that provide abstract integration layers to various external systems in CS Space. Our systems serve millions of customers per day and are on track to handle more than 1 billion trips in total. Role Description A senior engineering manager will have end to end ownership over a subsection of the CS Tech portfolio, will lead engineering managers, own, build and maintain high criticality software assets and services. This role requires a close collaboration with stakeholders not only within CS space but also across various business units in Booking. It needs a long term strategic tech vision and strong technical skills in building & scaling out services that will be used by CS Ops to deliver the best customer experience. Following our buy vs build strategy, we have a good combination of both in-house and 3rd parties solutions with a heavy backend focus. In this role you will be responsible for driving hybrid teams: internal teams and vendor teams responsible for delivering various technical solutions. Guide them on optimal usage of booking systems/ API, review the solutions & quality of the output built by the vendor teams. Be the technology bridge between booking and vendor teams. You will report to a Director of Technology The senior engineering manager will be involved in architectural discussions, operational health reviews and other best practices that are running the area today. We are on a platform modernisation journey, breaking the monolith into SOA, moving to cloud and improving the reliability of the overall ecosystem while delivering value to the business. We expect a senior engineering manager to take an active role in defining the strategy for the organization. Key ResponsibilitiesOrganizational LeadershipLead and scale an engineering organization of 50+ engineers across multiple teams and vendors. Build an inclusive, high-performing engineering culture focused on accountability, ownership, and continuous improvement. Develop Engineering Managers, Technical Leads, and senior engineers through coaching, mentoring, and succession planning. Drive workforce planning, organizational design, and capability development aligned with business priorities. Lead by example by taking ownership, being proactive and collaborating. Delivery LeadershipOwn end-to-end execution of complex engineering initiatives, balancing delivery commitments, quality, cost, and technical excellence. Establish predictable delivery practices with clear metrics, risk management, monitoring roadmap progress, identifying dependencies , removing blockers and transparent stakeholder communication. Remove organizational impediments and enable teams to deliver at scale. Vendor & Partner ManagementManage multiple engineering vendors and strategic delivery partners. Define vendor operating models, governance mechanisms, performance KPIs, and service expectations. Drive accountability through regular performance reviews, capacity planning, and continuous improvement initiatives. Ensure consistent engineering standards across internal and external teams. Engineering ExcellenceDrive adoption of engineering best practices including CI/CD, automated testing, observability, security, reliability, and operational excellence. Improve engineering productivity using metrics, quality indicators, operational health, and customer outcomes. Foster a culture of technical innovation and continuous learning. Technical LeadershipPartner with architects and senior engineers to shape technology strategy and long-term platform evolution. Guide architectural decisions while empowering technical leaders to own implementation. Ensure systems remain scalable, secure, resilient, and maintainable. Stakeholder ManagementCollaborate with Product Management, Program Management, Architecture, Security, Operations, and business stakeholders. Translate business strategy into engineering execution plans. Communicate effectively with senior leadership on progress, risks, dependencies, and investment needs. People ManagementConduct performance management, career development, succession planning, and talent reviews. Lead hiring strategy across full-time employees and vendor resources. Drive employee engagement, recognition, diversity, and retention initiatives. Qualifications Required15+ years of software engineering experience with experience in leading large engineering organizations. Proven experience managing organizations of 50+ engineers (incl. managing through managers). Experience managing multiple Engineering Managers and/or technical leads. Demonstrated success leading distributed teams across multiple geographies or vendors. Strong understanding of Agile software development and engineering delivery practices. Natural leader and communicator who is collaborative and builds great relationships A knack for connecting the dots and collaborating with various stakeholders to prioritize what maximizes business value Track record shaping products from concept through delivery at scale Experience building/evolving cross-platform app frameworks and foundational technologies PreferredExperience with cloud-native architectures and microservices. Familiarity with DevOps, SRE, observability, and engineering metrics. Experience driving engineering transformation and organizational change. Leadership Expectations Think strategically while executing operationally. Build trust through empowerment rather than micromanagement. Create an environment where teams can innovate and make decisions. Drive a culture of ownership, quality, and customer focus. Balance speed of delivery with long-term technical sustainability. Make data-driven decisions using engineering and operational metrics. Build strong partnerships across engineering, product, and business teams. Where You’ll BeThis role offers a flexible hybrid model. Benefits & Perks A comprehensive paid time off, including generous leave schemes for maternity, paternity, adoption, bereavement and marriage. A hybrid work model that empowers you to choose how and where you work best. Access to top-tier health insurance, mental health support and wellness programs. Continuous skill development via learning platforms, mentorship and conference opportunities. Travel discounts, lunch benefits and convenient transportation options. To explore full range of benefits, you can visit the Booking Holdings career website: https://bookingholdings-coe.com/ Pre-Employment Screening If your application is successful, your personal data may be used for a pre-employment screening check by a third party as permitted by applicable law. Depending on the vacancy and applicable law, a pre-employment screening may include employment history, education and other information (such as media information) that may be necessary for determining your qualifications and suitability for the position.