Director of Software Engineering

Global Software company is looking for a Director of Software Engineering who will lead the engineering organization that designs, builds, and scales high-quality software SaaS products. This role sits at the intersection of business strategy and technical execution, setting technical direction, developing talent, and partnering across Product, Platform, Security, Data, and business leaders to deliver customer value, operational excellence, and long-term platform scalability. This role would ideally be located in Austin, TX or Chicago, IL but remote US based candidates can be considered. Responsibilities: Engineering & Technical Leadership:

• Define and drive the software engineering strategy and technical roadmap in alignment with product vision and business priorities.
• Champion engineering best practices across architecture, development, testing, CI/CD, security, and reliability.
• Guide platform scalability, performance, and resilience in cloud and SaaS environments.
• Evaluate and introduce technologies (including AI/ML, data platforms, and automation) that deliver measurable business impact.

Delivery & Execution:

• Own end-to-end delivery of software initiatives-ensuring predictability, quality, and speed to market.
• Partner with Product to translate customer and business needs into executable engineering plans.
• Leverage AI to accelerate product development and embed AI capabilities into customer-facing solutions.
• Establish and track KPIs for delivery, quality, reliability, and team health.
• Ensure compliance with security, privacy, and regulatory standards.

People & Organizational Leadership:

• Build, lead, and develop high-performing engineering managers and teams.
• Set clear accountabilities, performance goals, and growth paths.
• Foster a culture of technical excellence, ownership, inclusion, and continuous improvement.
• Drive workforce planning, succession, and capability development for future needs.

Cross-Functional Partnership:

• Collaborate with Product, Architecture, Security, Data, Operations, and business leaders to align priorities.
• Communicate complex technical topics clearly to executive and non-technical stakeholders.
• Represent Software Engineering in strategic planning, investment decisions, and governance forums.

• 10+ years experience
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field (Master’s preferred).
• Extensive software engineering experience with multiple years in senior leadership roles.
• Proven success leading large-scale software SaaS products.
• Strong command of modern software architectures, DevOps practices, and secure development.
• Demonstrated ability to lead through change and scale organizations.

Preferred:

• Experience leading AI-enabled, data-driven, or platform-centric products.
• Global or matrixed organizational leadership.
• Budget ownership and investment prioritization.
• Background in regulated or enterprise environments.