Leadership & Strategy
Strategic PlanningOrganisational DesignTeam BuildingMentoringEngineering ManagementCross-functional LeadershipStakeholder Management
Dermot Dooley
Senior Engineering Manager
Section titled “Senior Engineering Manager”Senior Engineering Manager with 15+ years’ experience building high-performing teams in Dublin. I lead with a people-first philosophy, grounded in the belief that when engineers feel safe, supported, and connected to the business strategy, they deliver their best work.
Senior Engineering Manager
Section titled “Senior Engineering Manager”Feb 2019 – Present | CarTrawler, Dublin, Ireland
(Excluding Interim Director of Engineering period - see below)
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Lead and mentor multiple teams of 21–30 Engineers, including Engineering Managers and Tech Leads, driving strategy, organisational design, and long-term growth across multiple squads.
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Orchestrated the dynamic scaling of engineering teams, balancing permanent internal growth (coaching, career development) with the engagement of trusted contracting partners for strategic projects.
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Delivered a multimedia car imagery solution by leading the technical strategy and execution, resulting in annualised savings of $200K and enhanced user experience through 3D image improvements.
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Drove the continuous delivery of high-value strategic initiatives, including large-scale partner integrations (easyJet, AFKLM, American Airlines, Uber) and foundational platforms such as a Campaign CMS and Customer Portal.
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Modernised organisational operating models, including the implementation of a new squad-based structure and a comprehensive Engineering Levels Framework to standardise career progression.
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Directed key Technical Strategy projects, such as the SnowPlow Launch and Performance Cost Optimisations(reducing AWS costs by 10%), ensuring platform scalability and data-driven decision-making.
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Championed Product & Technology culture, establishing recurring Engineering Days to foster innovation and significantly strengthening engagement and morale across the organisation.
Interim Director of Engineering
Section titled “Interim Director of Engineering”Oct 2024 – May 2025 | CarTrawler, Dublin, Ireland
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Directed a multi-disciplinary department of 70+ personnel, spanning Engineering, Architecture, and Insights, providing stable leadership and strategic continuity during significant organisational change.
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Defined and executed the Departmental Engineering Strategy, ensuring technical roadmaps were directly mapped to overarching company commercial objectives and long-term scalability.
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Orchestrated departmental frameworks for OKRs, Agile adoption, and leadership forums, bridging the gap between technical execution and executive strategy while driving a diverse, high-performing culture through Women in Tech initiatives.
Engineering Manager – Multiple Teams
Section titled “Engineering Manager – Multiple Teams”Oct 2017 – Feb 2019 | CarTrawler, Dublin, Ireland
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Led multiple cross-functional teams of 10-14 cross functional staff to successfully eliminate a critical backlog of partner requests, significantly increasing delivery throughput and stakeholder satisfaction.
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Optimised delivery efficiency by implementing rigorous process improvements and driving architectural de-coupling, reducing technical debt and streamlining the release cycle.
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Directed a multi-disciplinary team focused on the delivery of partner-facing web platforms and high-conversion upsell features.
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Standardised brand consistency and front-end efficiency by developing a centralised logo library and design system components, reducing redundant front-end effort.
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Partnered with Talent Acquisition to drive recruitment campaigns, successfully scaling the team with high-calibre engineering talent to meet increased project demands.
Front End Developer
Section titled “Front End Developer”Apr 2013 – Oct 2017 | CarTrawler, Dublin, Ireland
- Built and maintained customised partner websites, supporting B2C brands. Improved performance and visibility through optimisation, dashboards, and standardisation projects.
MSc Creative Digital Media
Section titled “MSc Creative Digital Media”2014 – 2017 | Technology University Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
The Masters in Creative Digital Media provides a thorough grounding in the core skills and knowledge of digital media technologies and offers specialist production techniques dedicated to the specific needs of the digital media industry.
BSc (Hons) Multimedia in Computer Programming
Section titled “BSc (Hons) Multimedia in Computer Programming”2006 – 2007 | IADT, Dun Laoghaire, Dublin, Ireland
Intensive focus on interactive media production reinforced by advanced programming and UX principles.
BSc Computing in Multimedia Systems
Section titled “BSc Computing in Multimedia Systems”2003 – 2006 | IADT, Dun Laoghaire, Dublin, Ireland
Combined software engineering, multimedia authoring, and system design to deliver immersive digital experiences.
Diploma, Mechanical Engineering
Section titled “Diploma, Mechanical Engineering”2000 – 2003 | Technological University Dublin, Ireland
Built a practical foundation in mechanics, materials, and structured problem-solving for engineering contexts.
Technical
Frontend DevelopmentWeb TechnologiesModern Web ArchitectureUX/UI PrinciplesPerformance OptimisationSolution ArchitectureAgile Methodologies
Download CV (PDF)