Technical Lead Engineer

Who We Are: 

Motive builds technology using the latest advancements in AI and computer vision to improve the safety and efficiency of businesses with vehicles. Over one million drivers and 100,000 companies across every industry trust Motive’s integrated platform to power their operations, prevent accidents and reduce costs.  

At Motive, we see our hard work rewarded in tangible ways every day, and we believe that intelligence is most powerful when paired with humility. We’re motivated by the opportunity to save lives on the road while impacting and improving every facet of multiple trillion-dollar industries that keep our physical economy moving. Motive is proud to be a Forbes Cloud 100 company, Forbes Best Startup Employer 2020, and an Inc Magazine Best Place to Work.

About the Role: 

Motive is looking for an experienced Technical Lead Engineer to join our Global Technical Support organization as an internal technical enablement expert for TSEs.

The TL will help TSEs build the product knowledge, troubleshooting judgment, and investigation discipline needed to resolve issues independently and escalate directly to Backline when required. This role is the hands-on technical support layer for TSEs: when a TSE is stuck, the TL helps identify the next step, explains the technical reasoning, and ensures the TSE learns from the interaction.

The TL will also identify recurring gaps in product knowledge and investigation quality, then turn those gaps into coaching, product documentation, troubleshooting guides, reusable queries, and knowledge-base improvements. The role is internally focused and is not responsible for owning direct customer communication.

What You’ll Do: 

• Assist TSEs with complex or unfamiliar issues when they are unable to identify the next troubleshooting step or resolution path.
• Review TSE investigations and provide actionable coaching on issue framing, hypothesis development, evidence gathering, testing, and documentation.
• Build and improve TSE knowledge of Motive products, workflows, system behavior, known limitations, hardware, integrations, and common failure modes.
• Model structured troubleshooting and teach TSEs how to move from symptoms to evidence-based conclusions.
• Help TSEs become self-sufficient by guiding them through investigations instead of taking ownership of every issue.
• Coach TSEs determine whether an issue is caused by configuration, workflow, data, hardware, firmware, integration behavior, expected product behavior, or a potential defect.
• Review and improve the quality of TSE escalations to Backline, ensuring they include clear reproduction steps, scope, impact, evidence, troubleshooting completed, and a specific task.
• Coordinate with Backline when technical clarification is needed and help TSEs understand Backline findings, resolutions, and root causes.
• Create and maintain product-specific troubleshooting guides, known-issue documentation, diagnostic checklists, technical FAQs, and reusable SQL queries or scripts.
• Identify common TSE blockers and recurring investigation mistakes, then deliver targeted coaching, examples, practice cases, and follow-up validation.
• Share recurring patterns and documentation gaps with Sr TLs for inclusion in broader enablement plans and knowledge-base priorities.
• Maintain accurate records of coaching themes and technical gaps so the TL function can measure whether TSE capability is improving.
• Partner with other TLKs to calibrate coaching approaches and maintain consistent technical guidance across teams and regions.

What We’re Looking For: 

• At least 2 years of experience operating at a Technical Lead, or equivalent senior technical support level, with a strong record of solving complex technical issues and helping other engineers improve.
• Deep knowledge of Motive products or comparable experience supporting complex SaaS, hardware, fleet, logistics, compliance, safety, or asset-management platforms.
• Demonstrated ability to coach technical professionals and explain complex product behavior in a clear, practical way.
• Strong investigation skills using logs, SQL, APIs, DataDog, scripting, configuration analysis, and technical documentation where appropriate.
• Experience diagnosing issues involving product workflows, data, hardware devices, firmware, integrations, and third-party systems.
• Ability to review an incomplete investigation, identify the missing evidence or reasoning, and guide the TSE toward the next correct step.
• Strong understanding of what makes a Backline escalation complete, actionable, and technically credible.
• Ability to balance immediate assistance with long-term capability building; the goal is to teach TSEs, not create permanent dependency on TLs.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills for internal coaching, documentation, calibration, and technical discussions with Backline.
• A technical background in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.
• Fluency in spoken and written English.
• Ability to work collaboratively across a global Technical Support organization.
• Permanent employment status with no active warnings or Performance Improvement Plan, consistent with internal eligibility requirements.
• Produce product documentation, troubleshooting guidance, queries, and knowledge-base content that TSEs actively use.
• Demonstrate that coaching results in sustained behavior change, not only one-time