Software Engineering Manager (AI)

Qcells

$150K — $180K *
US-AnywhereRemote in United States
Enterprise Technology
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 10+ years in software engineering with leadership growth
  • Proven experience managing and mentoring engineering teams
  • Strong background in software architecture and distributed systems
  • Hands-on proficiency in Python and TypeScript
  • Experience with cloud-native development on Microsoft Azure
  • Familiarity with AI-assisted software development tools
  • Bachelor's degree in a related technical field or equivalent experience

Responsibilities

  • Lead and manage a team of 3-5 software engineers
  • Contribute to software development as a hands-on engineer
  • Own system design and architecture for team domains
  • Establish and uphold engineering standards
  • Guide engineers in using AI-assisted development tools
  • Collaborate with product managers to define technical solutions
  • Conduct regular 1:1s and performance reviews to foster team growth

Benefits

  • Remote work opportunity with potential relocation to Houston by 2027
  • Mentorship and career development for team members
  • Collaboration with cross-functional teams
  • Engagement in innovative AI-powered energy projects
  • Exposure to cloud infrastructure and large-scale systems
Full Job Description
Description
POSITION DESCRIPTION :

We are looking for a Software Engineering Manager to join our Grid & Energy Services division in a player-coach capacity. This role combines hands-on software engineering with engineering leadership responsibilities, spending approximately half of the time contributing directly to development work and the other half leading and developing a small team of software engineers.

The team builds production-grade software platforms supporting AI-powered energy management systems operating across cloud infrastructure, real-time telemetry, and large-scale power systems serving mission-critical data center environments. This role will work closely with product managers, subject matter experts, and peer engineering leaders to deliver scalable, reliable, and maintainable software solutions.

The ideal candidate is a strong technical leader who remains deeply engaged in software engineering while effectively mentoring engineers, driving architectural decisions, and maintaining high engineering standards.
LOCATION & WORK ARRANGEMENT

This role is remote, however, the candidate(s) will be expected to relocate at their own expense to our onsite Houston location by Q1 in 2027*

*Q1 2027 is an approximate timeframe and is subject to change at any time
RESPONSIBILITIES
  • Lead and manage a team of 3-5 software engineers, providing mentorship, performance feedback, and career development while supporting high-impact delivery across product teams.
  • Contribute as a hands-on engineer (~50% of the time), writing production code, participating in code reviews, and owning key technical deliverables.
  • Own system design and architecture for your teams' domains, creating clear, precise, and testable technical specifications.
  • Establish and uphold engineering standards across code quality, testing, documentation, and security-particularly for systems interacting with physical infrastructure.
  • Guide engineers in effectively leveraging AI-assisted development tools, ensuring high-quality output and maintaining full ownership of delivered systems.
  • Partner closely with product managers and subject matter experts to translate complex domain requirements into scalable, maintainable technical solutions.
  • Conduct regular 1:1s and performance reviews, fostering a strong engineering culture focused on accountability, growth, and continuous improvement.
  • Collaborate with peer engineering leaders to align on technical strategy, manage cross-team dependencies, and drive execution across the broader organization.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
  • 10+ years of software engineering experience with demonstrated growth in technical leadership, system design, and architecture ownership.
  • Proven experience leading engineering teams, including hiring, mentoring, performance management, and career development of direct reports.
  • Strong software architecture and design experience with the ability to decompose complex distributed systems into scalable and maintainable services.
  • Hands-on proficiency in Python and TypeScript, including experience writing and reviewing production-grade software.
  • Experience building and operating cloud-native systems on Microsoft Azure, including Kubernetes, containerized services, and CI/CD pipelines.
  • Experience leveraging AI-assisted software development tools and the ability to critically evaluate and guide AI-generated outputs.
  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical field, or equivalent professional experience.
  • Ability to travel up to 10%.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
  • Experience building or operating software platforms in energy, utilities, or data center infrastructure environments.
  • Hands-on experience with Azure AI Foundry or similar platforms for developing and deploying AI-powered applications.
  • Experience designing or operating systems with governance controls or human-in-the-loop workflows, especially in safety-critical contexts.
  • Proven ability to lead multiple small, concurrent teams rather than a single large team.
  • Familiarity with OT/IT integration, edge computing, and industrial protocols such as Modbus, BACnet, or OPC-UA.


PHYSICAL, MENTAL & ENVIRONMENTAL DEMANDS:

To comply with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 the essential physical, mental and environmental requirements for this job are listed below. These are requirements normally expected to perform regular job duties. Incumbent must be able to successfully perform all of the functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation.

Mobility

Standing

20% of time

Sitting

70% of time

Walking

10% of time

Strength

Pulling

up to 10 Pounds

Pushing

up to 10 Pounds

Carrying

up to 10 Pounds

Lifting

up to 10 Pounds

Dexterity (F = Frequently, O = Occasionally, N = Never)

Typing

F

Handling

F

Reaching

F

Agility (F = Frequently, O = Occasionally, N = Never)

Turning

F

Twisting

F

Bending

O

Crouching

O

Balancing

N

Climbing

N

Crawling

N

Kneeling

N

The salary range is required by the California Pay Transparency Act and may differ depending on the location of those candidates hired nationwide. Actual compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to, skill set, education, licenses and certifications, essential job duties and requirements, and the necessary experience relative to the job's minimum qualifications.

*This target salary range is for CA positions only and should not be interpreted as an offer of compensation.

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