PowerSchool

Lead Software Engineer I

PowerSchool$92K — $170K *
Education, Government & Non-Profit
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 8+ years of relevant work experience in software development.
  • Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or equivalent experience.
  • Experience leading complex coding projects with minimal oversight.
  • Proficiency in programming languages like TypeScript, Java, C#, or Python.
  • Familiarity with AI-assisted development tools for enhancing code quality and productivity.
  • Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills.
  • Ability to mentor junior engineers and manage a heavy workload.

Responsibilities

  • Lead the software engineering team in planning and execution of technical solutions, utilizing AI tools.
  • Collaborate with product managers and designers to enhance software applications with AI insights.
  • Make critical architectural decisions and optimize code for various performance metrics.
  • Write clean, maintainable code while leveraging AI tools for efficiency.
  • Conduct code reviews, identify bugs, and optimize existing systems using AI analysis.
  • Engage in every phase of the software development lifecycle, focusing on quality and efficiency.
  • Innovate by exploring emerging AI technologies and proposing technical solutions.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive insurance coverage including medical, dental, and vision.
  • Flexible Spending Accounts and Health Savings Accounts.
  • Short-term and long-term disability options.
  • Comprehensive 401(k) plan.
  • Generous parental leave policies.
  • Unrestricted paid time off (Discretionary Time Off).
  • Wellness program offerings, including ClassPass and Employee Assistance Program.
  • Tuition reimbursement opportunities.
  • Optional benefits such as pet insurance and identity theft protection.
Full Job Description
Overview

As a Lead Software Engineer, you will be a key driver in shaping our software systems. Your extensive expertise will fuel the development of robust, efficient, and top-tier software solutions. At the cutting edge of technology, you’ll apply systematic and disciplined approaches to every stage of the software lifecycle: from design and development to rigorous testing and evaluation. You will leverage generative AI, agentic AI, and other AI‑enabled tools and intelligent automation to enhance development efficiency, improve code quality, and support scalable, forward-looking system design. Your unwavering commitment to quality and your problem-solving prowess will serve as the guiding stars in your role.

Responsibilities Description

The Software Engineering team is a group of full stack developers who design, develop, and maintain our products, tools, and infrastructure.

Your day-to-day job will consist of:

 

  • Serve as a leader on a software engineer team, contributing to the planning, scoping, estimation, and execution of technical solutions, including the effective use of AI‑assisted development and delivery tools.
  • Work closely with product managers, designers, and fellow engineers to enhance software applications, leveraging AI insights to inform design choices and technical tradeoffs where appropriate.
  • Uses AI to lead projects, demonstrates a lead’s ability to make sound, critical architectural decisions for the team and optimizing code for performance, scalability, and reliability, including the evaluation of AI‑driven approaches and automation.
  • Independently write clean, maintainable code using programming languages such as TypeScript, Java, C#, Python, or other relevant tech stacks while utilizing AI‑ enabled tools to improve development speed, accuracy, and consistency.
  • Engage in code reviews, identifying and resolving bugs, and fine-tuning existing systems, including the use of AI-powered analysis and testing techniques.
  • Contribute across all phases of the software development lifecycle (SDLC), from initial design to deployment, incorporating AI where it enhances quality, efficiency, or maintainability.
  • Assist in testing and quality assurance, ensuring software reliability and optimal performance through both traditional and AI augmented testing methodologies.
  • Innovate by exploring emerging technologies, including AI and machine learning capabilities, and proposing creative solutions to technical challenges.
Qualifications Minimum Qualifications
  • Minimum of 8+ years of relevant and related work experience.
  • Bachelor’s degree  in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or equivalent, or equivalent years of relevant work experience.
  • Travel occasionally, up to 5-10%, for key moments such as team summits, training, conferences, etc., with increased frequency during peak periods based on business demands.
  • This position is subject to company on call policies which constitutes working hours outside of the normal workday as needed.
  • Additional experience may be substitute for an advanced Degree.
  • Proficiency with at least one or more programming languages (e.g., TypeScript, Java, C#, Python, or other relevant tech stacks)
  • Experience leading complex coding projects with no oversight.
  • Experience using AI‑assisted development tools (e.g., for coding, testing, debugging, or documentation) to improve productivity and code quality.
  • Ability to evaluate, apply, and govern AI solutions responsibly, with consideration for security, performance, and maintainability.
  • Ability to work with current software design principles, including patterns, algorithms, data structures.
  • SQL and database experience
  • Familiarity with OWASP threats and mitigation techniques.
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, along with effective written and verbal communication.
  • Capability to manage a heavy workload, handle frequent interruptions, and work with minimal oversight.
  • Adaptability to a changing, dynamic environment.
  • A passion for mentoring and guiding junior engineers.
  •  
Preferred Qualifications
  • Familiarity with Kanban methodologies and relevant tools.
  • Understanding of Education Technology industry
Compensation & Benefits Compensation & Benefits

PowerSchool offers the following benefits:

  • Comprehensive Insurance Coverage (including Medical, Dental, Vision, Pharmacy benefits, Life Insurance and AD&D)
  • Flexible Spending Accounts and Health Savings Accounts
  • Short-Term Disability and Long-Term Disability
  • Comprehensive 401(k) plan
  • Generous Parental Leave
  • Unrestricted paid time off (known as Discretionary Time Off - DTO)
  • Wellness Program, including ClassPass & Employee Assistance Program
  • Tuition Reimbursement
  • Optional Benefits: Pet Insurance, Identity Theft Protection, Student Debt Repayment Program and Prepaid Legal coverage

A reasonable estimate of the base compensation range for this position is $92,800 - $170,300 USD. This compensation range is specific to the United States and it incorporates many factors including but not limited to an applicant's skills and prior relevant experience and training; licensures, degrees, and certifications; internal equity; internal pay ranges; and market data/range parameters.

About PowerSchool

PowerSchool is an education technology company that provides a range of K-12 education solutions to schools around the world. The company's products include student information systems, learning management systems, assessment and analytics tools, and special education management systems. PowerSchool serves more than 45 million students and 12,000 schools in over 70 countries. The company was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in Minnesota, USA.
Learn more about PowerSchool
Size
2,500 employees
Market Cap
$4.4 billion
Industry
Founded
1997
NASDAQ

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