Engineering Manager | Nubank Global Negotiation Guide

Negotiation DNA: US Charter Founding US Team $783M Quarterly Profit Public Equity (NYSE: NU) 100M+ Customers People Leadership Org Building Delivery Excellence Cross-Functional

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Compensation Benchmarks — 3-Region Model

Region	Base Salary	Stock (RSU/4yr)	Bonus	Total Comp
New York (US HQ)	$190K - $260K	$180K - $360K	$30K - $50K	$268K - $388K
São Paulo (Global HQ)	R$770K / $154K - R$1,050K / $210K	R$720K / $144K - R$1,440K / $288K	R$120K / $24K - R$200K / $40K	R$1,610K / $322K - R$2,690K / $538K
Berlin	€158K / $172K - €217K / $236K	€150K / $163K - €300K / $326K	€25K / $27K - €42K / $46K	€333K / $362K - €559K / $608K

Compensation reflects Nubank's public equity structure (NYSE: NU). Founding US Team members receive 1.5-2x standard RSU grants. All figures represent annual total compensation.

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Negotiation DNA

Engineering Managers at Nubank lead teams building and operating the systems behind the world's largest digital bank, serving 100M+ customers across Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia. This role combines technical credibility with people leadership -- EMs are expected to participate in architecture reviews, scale teams, develop talent, and drive delivery across complex cross-functional initiatives. The January 29, 2026 US National Bank Charter has created urgent demand for Engineering Managers who can build and lead US-based engineering teams from scratch, navigate regulatory-driven delivery requirements, and bridge Nubank's LatAm engineering culture with US market expectations.

The Founding US Team opportunity for Engineering Managers is fundamentally an org-building mandate, not a team-management role. EMs joining during the charter window will recruit, hire, and develop the US engineering teams that bring Nubank's digital banking platform to North America. The $783M quarterly profit and 30%+ ROE mean Nubank has the financial resources to hire aggressively for the US buildout -- EMs will have budget and headcount authority that typically requires director-level tenure at established companies. CEO David Velez built Nubank from zero to 100M+ customers, and EMs on the Founding US Team are extending that organizational DNA into the world's largest banking market.

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Level Mapping

Nubank Level	Revolut Equivalent	Monzo Equivalent	Chime Equivalent	SoFi Equivalent
Engineering Manager	Engineering Manager	Engineering Manager	Engineering Manager	Engineering Manager
Senior Engineering Manager	Senior EM	Senior EM	Senior EM / Director	Senior EM

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US Charter — The Founding US Team Premium

• Charter Date and Significance: On January 29, 2026, Nubank received approval for a US National Bank Charter, creating the most significant organizational buildout in the company's history. Engineering Managers are central to this expansion -- they will recruit, hire, and develop the US engineering teams from zero. This is director-level org-building scope compressed into an EM role, and the $783M quarterly profit provides the financial backing for aggressive hiring.

• Enhanced Equity Structure: Founding US Team Engineering Managers should negotiate for 1.5-2x the standard RSU grant, pushing total equity from $180K-$360K to $270K-$540K over four years. Managers who build the US engineering org will have permanent organizational influence, and RSUs granted during this phase benefit from both US market cap expansion and the manager's own contribution to scaling the organization. Frame this as: "I am building the US engineering organization, not managing an existing team. The equity should reflect org-builder contribution."

• Stability Floor — $783M Quarterly Profit: Nubank's $783M quarterly profit removes the financial risk from the org-building mandate. Unlike joining a startup where headcount may be cut, Nubank has proven profitability to fund the US expansion. The enhanced RSU grants are backed by real earnings from 100M+ customers, and NYSE: NU liquidity means these grants have immediate, tangible value.

• Negotiation Script: "I am excited about the Founding US Team opportunity following the January 29th charter approval. As an Engineering Manager, I would be building the US engineering organization from scratch -- recruiting, hiring, setting culture, and delivering under regulatory timelines. Given the $783M quarterly profit backing this expansion and the director-level scope of this org-building mandate, I would like an enhanced RSU package of $270K-$540K over four years, reflecting the 1.5-2x Founding US Team premium."

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Global Levers

1. US Org Builder Premium (New York): "I am not joining to manage an existing team -- I am joining to build the US engineering organization from the ground up. This is director-level scope compressed into an EM role, and the January 29, 2026 charter creates a hard timeline for delivery. I would like an enhanced RSU package of $270K-$540K over four years and a base of $230K+ reflecting the org-building mandate backed by $783M in quarterly profit."

2. Regulatory Delivery Expertise: "Managing engineering delivery under US banking regulatory timelines -- OCC examinations, FDIC compliance milestones -- requires specialized experience. My background in regulated systems delivery directly maps to this need. I would like a 15% premium over the midpoint offer, targeting $240K+ base."

3. Dual-Currency Structure (Sao Paulo): "I would like to structure a portion of my compensation in USD to align with Nubank's NYSE listing. A USD-pegged component of R$150K-R$300K ($30K-$60K) protects against BRL volatility and reflects the cross-border nature of this EM role coordinating between Sao Paulo and New York."

4. Cross-Border Team Leadership Multiplier: "Leading teams across Sao Paulo, Mexico City, and now New York -- with different regulatory contexts and engineering cultures -- is significantly more complex than single-market management. This cross-border leadership scope should be reflected in both base ($240K+) and bonus (20%+ target), recognizing the $783M quarterly profit that funds this multi-market operation."

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Negotiate Up Strategy: In New York, target $330K-$388K total comp by securing Founding US Team equity ($270K-$540K RSU/4yr) and anchoring base at $230K+. The org-building mandate and $783M quarterly profit justify top-of-band compensation. In Sao Paulo, target R$2,200K-R$2,690K ($440K-$538K) with USD-denominated components and enhanced RSU grants. In Berlin, target EUR470K-EUR559K ($511K-$608K) by leveraging the scarcity of EMs with regulated fintech experience in the EU. Frame every conversation around the founding org-builder narrative and the profitability floor.

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Evidence & Sources

1. Nubank Q4 2025 Earnings Report -- $783M quarterly net income, 30%+ ROE (Nu Holdings Investor Relations, January 2026)
2. US National Bank Charter Approval -- Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, January 29, 2026
3. Levels.fyi -- Engineering Manager compensation data, fintech and big tech (2025-2026)
4. Glassdoor -- Nubank Engineering Manager salary reports (2025-2026)
5. Bloomberg -- "Nubank Receives US Banking Charter" (January 2026)
6. Nubank Engineering Blog -- Engineering culture and management philosophy (nubank.com.br/en/engineering)
7. SEC Filing -- Nu Holdings Ltd. (NYSE: NU) equity compensation structure (2025)